Chook Me!

So, I'm having a chicken dilemma...?

I have a friend who works at one of the local farm stores. They're having a chick sale, as they do every year. My friend is telling me stories about how people are coming in and buying chicks based on 'cuteness' value, and that most of those chicks aren't going to live into adulthood because of the quality of care they're bound to get. It may sound childish, but this just kills me. I feel sorry for those chicks, and I really want to buy some of my own. I've raised chickens before from chicks--quite successfully. I have all that I need to set up and start, with the exception of a chicken coop. They won't need that until adulthood, and I've found some easy plans so that's not the problem here. My main issue with chickens is once they're adults, they like to wander the yard. It's impossible for me to build a coop to satisfy them daily, so they'd have to be out during the day and cooped up at night. Not a problem--but I've had problems in the past with hawks getting them, even during the day. I guess that's my dilemma--I want to sort of 'save' these chickens (they'd be egg-layers) but I'm also worried it would be selfish, as they'd run the risk of something happening to them during the daytime hours. What do you think? Sorry it's so long. The coop I'm building would be fine at night; I meant during the day. The last time I bought chickens from this store, they sold black australorps, brown leghorns, and rhode island reds I believe. I'm not sure what they're selling now. I personally liked the leghorns...I haven't found much on the internet about their personalities, but mine were always docile and friendly. The reds are my least favorite, they were always the most aggressive.

Public Comments

1. by impossible to build a coop do you mean not large enough? we currently have 28 chickens again and once they are use to the coop they would rather be there. of course we do let them out during the day while we are home and eventually they migrate back to the coop. its like owning small dogs in you have to be out there watching to make sure they arent snatched up. as for the choosing byt cute factor...it is just exactly what they do to dogs but chicks are cheaper around easter its gets REALLY bad for chickens, rats, mice, rabbits, hedgehogs ect. they actually had to make it illegal in TX to dye chickens easter colors! people consider them disposable because they are cheap because they can reproduce so frequently all of those animals can (not sure about hedgehogs) no it shouldnt happen but its a sad truth about this time of the year and the livestock industry. half those ppl didnt study what they were in for imagine if they had gotten a high maintenance chicken breed! nightmare. as for you if you want to get one i do recomend a coop with wiring overhead and a large area penned in for them to play around and keep themselves entertained. make sure you get chicken breeds that do well in captivity this is VERY important or else you wll have an agressive bird....read some info in a chicken book if those guys cant even tell you what those birds are assume they are buff orpingtons or broilers if they mention broiler dont get it! we had rescued several broilers most of which died in the first 2 days they arrived only one is still alive and he has splayed legs and has alot of health problems. these birds came from a 4h club my father got them all for free from them. buff orpingtons are clever little birds we have some i dont honestly prefer them over my plymoths and doms or even my J giants but they are sweet and they do fine in the coop playing in the open area with the secure wired fence all around.
2. My chickens are out roaming free on a daily basis 365 days a year. I have lost a few to the fox-none to hawks. I have a herd guarding dog-she does a great job of protecting them. I also have horses and I notice they tend to peck around their back feet. They seem to know that the horses will not kick or stomp them but the fox will not get that close to the business end of a horse. Chickens are so easy to take care of, I wouldn't be so concerned about the other people buying them. Most will be just fine no matter where they end up.