Chickens in town

tikkalover

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Minot leaders to address whether to allow chickens in city limit



MINOT, N.D. - For Minot resident Sara Bloom, chickens and hens have a place in the city. “They're a pet with a perk,” Bloom said.
Last month Bloom and others brought the matter before the city's Public Works Committee. Bloom, a mother of five, pointed out what she said were benefits for families to raise their own birds, part of a growing movement nationally.
“It gives you a connection to your food. A lot of people that live in the city, they think that their food comes from the grocery store. They don't see past the grocery store,” Bloom said.
But not everyone is on board with the idea.
Margie Zietz, a former law enforcement officer from Minot who lives just outside of Burlington, has raised chickens for many years.
“For the safety and the health of the community, my concern is that town is not a place for them,” Zietz said.
Zietz argues that city dwellers would face challenges with keeping the animals warm in the cold North Dakota winter, cutting down on the smell from their waste and preventing the noise.
They weren't designed to live in the small quarters,” Zietz said.
“You can't. That's a hen, and you can hear that they make a lot of noise,” she added, when a hen interrupted her.
Bloom says that her neighbors are on board with the idea, and with proper care and quarters for the animals, humans could reap the benefits.
“They give you eggs, they give you great fertilizer for your garden, they help with bug control,” Bloom said.
The ordinance change will call for the city to allow up to three chickens and hens and would not include roosters.
If you want to offer your take on the issue, you can attend the meeting next Monday, Oct. 3 at 6:30 p.m. in the council chambers......................................If this goes through, I will never buy another egg, or any kind of chicken meat again. Used to raid gardens when we were kids, I can see myself becoming a chicken coup raiding mother titty sprinkler!!;:;rofl :gotone: I will call myself "The Chicken Choken Mother Titty Sprinkler!!:;:rockit;:;boozer
 


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I don't believe there would be any problems with a few hens in a fenced in yard. My hens make very little noise, provide an egg each per day once they reach maturity and do a number on bugs. But, not real garden friendly.
 

WormWiggler

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I wouldn't mind some chickens, does anyone know how long they can be without care? I assume a long weekend away would be no problem.
 


KDM

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I have 80 or so free range birds and I bless them and curse them in the same breath. Free range means free to crap where ever and dig dusting holes where ever. They also give me lots of nutritious eggs and there in lies the rub. You have to take the good with the bad. IMO, every household should have at least 4 hens in a portable coop, aka "Chicken Tractor". The hens don't make noise and if you keep moving the tractor every two days, the crap doesn't have time to build up and smell. My lawn looks great since I have a continuous fertilizer distribution system, but I don't know how it would look in town with using a tractor. One MAJOR thing to consider is the dog and cat problems in town. The coop will have to be almost bullet proof and fully enclosed with floor to keep the stray pets from getting at your birds. My coops are very well built and I also have Bertha (my 12 ga) to deal with unwanted visitors. Folks in town won't have that option when dealing with stray critters. With 80 birds, I go through about 15 bucks worth of food a week. With 4, it would be about 30 bucks a year and that's if you don't feed them your table scraps. Chickens WILL eat just about anything. They will pick bones clean, eat any vegetable scraps or leftovers, and anything else you would normally just throw out of the fridge. We waste very little at our house. Everything edible goes to the feathered velociraptors in the yard. You can plan on getting about 5 eggs a week per hen. They DO NOT always lay an egg a day. They have to take a day off every now and then to rest. Also, they will need at least 12 hours of light per day to keep laying, which isn't really a problem as the light and heat source for winter can be the same thing. Winter isn't as big a deal as some like to think. Just keep the wind off them, have a light/heat source, and food. They are pretty tough birds. We've had some get out in winter and spend 3 days in sub zero temps without dying. They lost some of their combs, but are still alive and kicking. For in town breeds I would go with ISA Browns. They are friendly, quiet, and produce large eggs. They do well in confinement, but keep in mind that a person should have between 2-3 square ft per bird in their coop. They do better when they can move around a little bit. It keeps them healthier as well. Probably more info than most of you wanted, so if anyone wants to hear more, PM me and I'll have my wife fill you in. She's the real authority when it comes to "Her" birds.
 

tikkalover

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Are they her birds until its time to butcher them? Then they turn into "your" birds!;:;boozer
 

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Good question Tikka. Is there such thing as a good egg laying and butcher chicken? I know that means a rooster, thus no intown keeping them.
 


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My dogs and cats both leave them alone. It took 6 dead ones and a bit of shock collar training for the pup to understand they aren't his. But, now he knows.
 

AR-15

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Ya and then someone will want a sheep for relaxation
 

KDM

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Good question Tikka. Is there such thing as a good egg laying and butcher chicken? I know that means a rooster, thus no intown keeping them.

Yep!! They're called dual purpose breeds. However, to think that an old laying hen makes good fried chicken, you'd be sadly mistaken. Dual purpose means to butcher them at 3-4 lbs which is usually right about the time they start laying. Old laying hens make good soup chickens and little more. If you are looking for butcher birds, I'd recommend cornish crosses and then you are dealing with oceans of chicken shrite. Meat birds go through twice as much food as a laying hen with a corresponding increase in poo. Cornish crosses are the same birds you buy in the store at 3.5 lbs. It takes 7 weeks or so to get them to that size. They grow fast!! Meat birds wouldn't be as useful in an urban environment IMO. As for the layers, they are most productive until age 3 or so and then their egg production drops off significantly. The interim between the old flock being butchered and waiting for the new flock to start laying is the most difficult to deal with. You essentially have a double flock, which can be interesting.
 

svnmag

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I wouldn't mind keeping a gnu. I'd name him Patrick.

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Hell of a party every Dec 31st!!

th
 

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20161001_160145.jpg

20161001_160054.jpg

Some of our flock. Ducks suck. Extremely dirty and eat a fortune. Its our 3rd time getting ducks. They are for a cousin. Likely not going to raise them again. They are kind of like babies... after a few years, you forget what a pita they are and then do it all over again.
 


svnmag

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You ever take a duck to the block? I've never eaten tame duck and often wondered about the flavor.
 

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Yes. It's the only reason we raise them. Their eggs are ok. But. They lay them in pretty inconspicuous spots. So, harvesting them is a crap shoot. The birds themselves are awesome. That's why my relative wants them. We will have about 10 extra if anyone is interested. If you don't want to pluck them and just want to skin them, they could be butchered right now.
 

svnmag

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I'm going to infer rotisserie chicken or Cornish game hen?..
 

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Great info everyone. When I move to my next place just out of town I'm hoping to have ducks for butchering and chickens for eggs/butchering.

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I might take one or two e. About where are you located?
 

BDub

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My brother raises chickens in his yard. They try to move the cage every day. Cheap fertilizer. If you don't move the cage it burns the yard. He has lots of room. I buy my chickens froze. From the Hutterites. Way less work.
 


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