BP....do you not fancy "re-housing " a one?......in the "oven"...it is Sunday after all !
(2 June 2013, 09:40)RoadWarrior Wrote: [ -> ]Hey P1, those two posts are very appreciated mate......I thought they wud only be noisy with a cockrel !? , showed Mrs RW the posts too .... I was all fired up bout getting them up till yesterday ...appreciate your views....now im "sitting on the fence" ...at the moment 
Read SD's article on keeping them. It might help tip you - one way or the other!
(2 June 2013, 11:38)RoadWarrior Wrote: [ -> ]BP....do you not fancy "re-housing " a one?......in the "oven"...it is Sunday after all !
I have boiled DUCK eggs for tea on a Sunday!!
I'd have a word with s.d. though like GG was saying maybe he's got a different angle so to say, or I could have been doing it all wrong.....
mine weren't as friendly as they say ex batts are, they definitely didn't like being touched.
They'd let you if they had too, but just preferred you constantly fed them, they helped you garden as well by sitting on the shovel waiting for worms...chickens are greedy.....no food waste in the house they eat eveything...
I was looking at quail, smaller, maybe quieter I dont know... those chucks get BIG after a while...mine got to small turkey size...
just boned up on quail.... tasty, lay everyday same as chucks and generally quieter AND smaller so more easily hidden than large raptor chucks.........Maybe the ideal survival bird... hmmmmmmmm....
Cons smaller bird, so average 5 quails equal one chuck meat wise.....still I suppose if you had a breeding group, that wouldnt be such a problem....
have a thought about Guinea Fowl too, maybe "rescue" a Pheasant or 3 post shtf too?
I say 3 as in one male and 2 girlies!
(31 May 2013, 10:26)MaryN Wrote: [ -> ]Make one yourself - far cheaper and quite easy to do. Got a few spare pallets?
Good girl
Ours are vocal but not too much they do cluck but not very loudly. I doubt anyone who is not actually a neighbour in all directions can hear them I can't hear them at the front of the house. Nothing like the sound of a cockerel from what I remember. They are vocal for two things when we come out it is like they are calling us 'Over here. I'm here. Bring that food over here' and when they are threatened. Say a dog walks in 'Nothing over here. We're not here. No food over here. Someone help us.'
But they quickly get used to threats. They don't bother about the cat now, in fact it is getting pushed out, the dog next door is ignored, as it is now ignoring them.
Still getting six eggs a day from three. Family take the excess. They do generate a massive amount of poo but as it is good fertilizer that is good news.
The only thing I can suggest is it is the type. I have Warrens. Very friendly. Don't mind getting picked up and great with the kids. Not eaten one yet.
One issue that was mentioned is they just wander into the house when the door is open and test everything for food. ATe the cats food, drunk it's water, and they do drink a lot as well. I'm upgrading my water container to give me a bit of contingency.
Still think they are well worth the money and easy to keep.
Chickens are natural foragers, and love nothing better than a good scritch round. Keep them extra happy by dropping in armfuls of cut grass or weeds into their run. They will munch on the grass and keep happy for hours just scratching around. Simple little souls.