Chooks!

Old Feb 16th 2009, 3:48 am
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Default Chooks!

We are thinking of getting some as the veggie garden has gone so well and we fancy broadening our small holding skills.

Anyone here got any advice on keeping chickens in NZ? Breeds/ how to set up, costs etc? We want them for eggs and the occasional table bird (if T can stomach eating her baby!) and are looking at getting just 3 or 4.

Anyone here got chooky chook chooks and want to share the love?

How freakin' cool is it that anyone with a garden can have chickens? I love NZ

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Old Feb 16th 2009, 5:55 am
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Smile Re: Chooks!

Built one for my mum, can't comment on the setup costs because the wood was "free" so only needed to buy the wire (about NZ$220 IRRC though it was a while ago). Feeding and hay, that's where the real costs are so get yourself down to your local farming supply warehouse.

After some research I got her 20 Black Rocks which are a a nice compramise between eggs and weight for smallholders. Very low maintenance and great immunity. They are however F1 hybrids between male Rhode Island Red and female Barred Plymouth Rock which means to sustain the population you need to buy eggs or chicks rather than let them sit on their own eggs.

Can't comment on taste, she won't let us eat them but they look succulent and juicy .
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Old Feb 16th 2009, 6:16 am
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Default Re: Chooks!

hi there, I've got 9 chooks 4 ladies who have been laying for a year solidly and 5 that I ( Well Maude) hatched from eggs. 2 boys and 3 girls who arent old enough to lay yet. We've got Minorcas which lay a nice big white egg, are black and very pretty and New Hampshire reds which are bigger and can be a meat bird, but I don't eat ours, and lay nice big brown eggs.
Eating your own eggs is absolutely brilliant, they taste a million times better and chickens are fab pets, I spend ages in with them
We had a house for them when we moved in but I've seen ones to buy for about $600 to...much more! If you're handy you could build your own. we built our broody house.
I reckon it costs about $30 per month for us to feed ours. We spoke to a local sawmill who lets us have wood shavings for free whenever we want so if you have anything like that nearby you can ask and see what they say. We put it in their nesting boxes and the floor of their house, ours dont sleep in their house they choose to sleep up a tree unless its raining!
Also you don't need fancy feeders and water things if you don't want to - I use a cat litter tray for food and a huge bowl or their water. They get most of our kitchen veggie scraps and bread and pasts scraps too.

You'll need to decide if you want to fence off an area for them or have them free range, they can fly so if free range you may want to clip their wings, I haven't done this as mine don't seem to want to fly away.

If you need any help at all let me know and I'll try to tell you anything you need.

http://www.lifestyleblock.co.nz/index.php/poultry.html

very helpful

Last edited by pixi-dust; Feb 16th 2009 at 6:20 am. Reason: adding link
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Old Feb 16th 2009, 7:18 am
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Default Re: Chooks!

I too was interested in getting a couple of chickens, but one silly question - Do they have foxes in NZ??? what is the threat if you leave the chickens to free range??
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Old Feb 16th 2009, 7:46 am
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Default Re: Chooks!

no foxes, but stoats, weasels and ferrets.
Also if you have chickens and are feeding them then it's likely to attract rats so you have to be careful. I don't leave food out, especially overnight.
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Old Feb 16th 2009, 8:51 am
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Default Re: Chooks!

Have sent you a pm
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Old Feb 16th 2009, 9:24 am
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Default Re: Chooks!

Originally Posted by teebrown
I too was interested in getting a couple of chickens, but one silly question - Do they have foxes in NZ??? what is the threat if you leave the chickens to free range??
I remember keeping chickens as a child in NZ. They did get preyed on once in a while. I think it was due to feral cats. Not sure about that but we did lose one or two. We were out in the country.
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Old Feb 16th 2009, 10:01 am
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Default Re: Chooks!

Originally Posted by teebrown
I too was interested in getting a couple of chickens, but one silly question - Do they have foxes in NZ??? what is the threat if you leave the chickens to free range??
crappy Rats.

most of our baby chickens were attacked by rats - at least once in their life. so many of them have two toes or one toe or even - no mouth - had to be put down at the end. I saw the most horrible nasty ...terrible ...ever - a chicken's mouth/toes disappeared with blood all over.... happend overnight....... baby chickens easily disappear...(eaten by rats)


something like this..

http://www.pekinbantams.com/communit...ic.php?t=35061

But I don't know what the best solution is really. We shifted the chickens house many times but it didn't work out. now we don't have any more chickens at home.

One of My Biggest dream now is catching a RAT from the back yard garden at my parents place and _Chop_It_Off_ . I am serious. Mum said I am insane!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rats eat our baby chickens and red peppers in the garden. :curse:

btw, my dad always makes chicken house, goat house, and rabbit house...
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Old Feb 16th 2009, 10:33 am
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Smile Re: Chooks!

Why not just trap them or get a cat?
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Old Feb 16th 2009, 10:56 am
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Default Re: Chooks!

Originally Posted by Charismatic
Why not just trap them or get a cat?
Excuse me.... Its not as simple as you think ...technically it's very impossible to catch rats. I am talking about rats. not mice. poison can't use at home. a regular mouse trap just useless - it's rubbish. a sticky mouse trap is the BEST however, it works for catching mice but No rats. I did all my best to catch rats but nothing worked out. They are almost like fox. - smart as. - as they get older.

If you have cats, you have to feed them and let them stay inside (house). but my family don't want that - responsibility . btw... Is it a good idea? having chickens with cats at home?

my parents often of to overseas - at least 6 months per year, so we can't have cats or chickens etc.
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Old Feb 16th 2009, 1:06 pm
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Smile Re: Chooks!

You have nothing to need excusing yet pet .

You can buy poison in dispensers to stop other animals getting at it. Other than that...shotgun?

Edit: Never admit to a boy your parents are away.

Last edited by Charismatic; Feb 16th 2009 at 1:08 pm.
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Old Feb 16th 2009, 1:14 pm
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Default Re: Chooks!

Rats are a problem in the UK too:

http://www.poultry.allotment.org.uk/...rat-vermin.php

I can't recall seeing rats where we lived when we had chooks, but maybe they are more prevalent in more populated areas. We were quite remote.
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Old Feb 16th 2009, 5:40 pm
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Default Re: Chooks!

we've got 4 cats and chickens and the cats have never bothered them once.
Also had a wee rat issue a few months ago. We got rid of them ( till next time) by putting a rat cage over the hole and baiting it. Every morning for about 2 weeks we pretty much caught a rat. The horrible part is it's alive so has to be 'dispatched' which I could never do, poor DH was left the task.
It was easy to catch them this way.
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Old Feb 16th 2009, 8:22 pm
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Default Re: Chooks!

Originally Posted by pixi-dust
we've got 4 cats and chickens and the cats have never bothered them once.
Also had a wee rat issue a few months ago. We got rid of them ( till next time) by putting a rat cage over the hole and baiting it. Every morning for about 2 weeks we pretty much caught a rat. The horrible part is it's alive so has to be 'dispatched' which I could never do, poor DH was left the task.
It was easy to catch them this way.

we thought about that option too. - a rat cage. btw... they don't just (easily) run away then??

did you make the rat cage?

so my poor old dad even needs to make cagesSSS for little bastards ? :curse: bloody hell... ..........

Give all lovely rats to me.... I love them........ I am gonna make b.b.q or boil them

When I catch mice, I put (squash) into a clear large water bottle and feed them.....as an experiment...I'd like to find out how long mice can alive in a certain circumstance. Mum thinks I am very weird.... how can I even touch the mice? (I am very good.... ) When dad catch a mouse, I take it away and play it with It's FUN.
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Old Feb 16th 2009, 8:26 pm
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Default Re: Chooks!

Originally Posted by Charismatic
You can buy poison in dispensers to stop other animals getting at it. Other than that...shotgun?

.
we know that too. but still worring about it. Chickens go/jump/fly anywhere. we used poison for a while two years ago when they were loads of rats/mice (it was out of control seriously) - but. mostly in the garage. In fact, it s very dangerous to use posion at home. my parents drink rain water.
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