Rachel Sun Jan 15, 2012 9:21 am
Keeping chickens is fairly easy, I think; but we've had chickens since I was about two or three, so I can't really remember anything different. The getting everywhere thing is negated by keeping them in a coop or run. It's not exactly 'free-range', but our dozen or chickens live in a fairly large run, I don't know how big it is, maybe eight metres by six or more, so they're quite happy and they get tree cuttings and lawn clippings when there's some.
Apart from that, basically all you have to do with chickens is feed them once or twice a day (we give them food scraps in the morning and grain at night) and collect the eggs (we check the nesting box when we feed them). Most chickens will lay in a nesting box if there's one, which is usually a pretty small space not much larger than the chicken itself, with an entrance and lined with straw. But chickens also give a place to do something useful with food scraps; soft food scraps are good, softly bits from fruit, but they can't eat hard things like orange peel or watermelon rind. We also bake and grind up eggshells which makes the shells better; that way you don't need to buy grit blocks for them.
Oh, and as for the smell, I can think of some much smellier animals!!! Chickens don't care where they poop, but if they've got grass or straw on the ground you won't notice it. They're generally pretty clean animals and with actually bathe themselves regularly!
As for the eggs, home chicken eggs *definately* taste better!! The taste stronger I guess. The yolk is also a slightly different colour. I've only rarely eaten shop-bought eggs since we got chickens, but I haven't really enjoyed those experiences. I don't mind eggs, normally; they're not my favourite but I don't hate them. But when I'm out and eat egg in a salad or something, I can tell if it's shop-bought just from tasting it, although sometimes the colour is noticable, too. Oh, and home-grown eggs are also larger.
Anyway, I would definately recommend getting chickens, although I guess it's up to your father. You can get point-of-lay pullets which will begin laying for you almost immediately, but often aren't very friendly (they're not evil or anything, but you can't go in and pat them). Alternatively, you could get chicks and hand-raise them, although that's a bit of work and requires things like a warm lamp, a cage which can be indoors, and chick formula. Also it stinks up whatever room they're in, so your father probably wouldn't like it!
But if you get point-of-lay pullets, there are a couple of things you need first; a small 'coop' or cubby house type thing with three or four walls and a roof, in or attached to a reasonably large 'run' or 'pen' which the chickens can get to easily. And put some 'perches' inside; all you need is a stick about 3/4 of an inch in diameter which can rest about a foot off the ground. You need a water hopper to put in the run. You'll also need to purchase grain or pellets to supplement their diet, depending on what sort of scraps you feed them (I've seen some families feed their chickens just scraps and they've been fine, particularly if that family eats a lot of rice or grains, but I'd recommend having grain or pellets). If you've got all that, just put the chickens in and remember to feed them at least once a day and collect the eggs!
I hope this helps,
from Rachel.
Also, don't use egg birds for food. The chickens used for food are a completely different breed. Eggs birds are dry and stringy, especially if they've lived a long, healthy life laying eggs. Get some meat birds if you want to eat them (thus far this has not occured for us).