Chickens !!!!

Finding land, working a small plot or anything else countryside related
Post Reply
User avatar
Eric in Japan
Posts: 300
Joined: Wed Sep 23, 2015 4:21 pm
Has thanked: 190 times
Been thanked: 455 times

Re: Chickens !!!!

Post by Eric in Japan »

Zasso Nouka wrote:I hear what you are saying, taking a trapped inoshishi down would be no easy task at all and in a worse case scenario you could get injured as well.
That is where the nail gun comes in... Just kidding, don't want to get that close. An acquaintance once used his kusakari-ki to slice its throat.

Zasso Nouka wrote:Can't see a problem with using chicken wire on the bottom of your chicken tractor, don't think it will bother the birds at all.
I don't know- it seems to me that chickens were born to scratch, and they will have a devil of a time scratching through wire. It might snag and catch on something when you moved the tractor. And finally, it would push all the lovely weeds you want them to eat flat, and make it much more difficult for them to eat them down.

On a related but separate note, I have read about someone who basically laid a carpet of chicken wire on bare ground, planted grass seed on top, and made rabbit tractors. The grass grew through the wires, so the rabbits could eat it, but they couldn't dig out, and other animals couldn't dig in. That might work with the chickens. But I can't imagine if you ever wanted to pull out the wire. Don't even want to think about how hard that would be.
"... so, the cucumbers said to the cabbage, `Lettuce Go.`"

User avatar
Zasso Nouka
Tech Support
Tech Support
Posts: 5705
Joined: Wed Sep 23, 2015 9:37 am
Location: Chiba Prefecture
Has thanked: 4120 times
Been thanked: 3394 times

Re: Chickens !!!!

Post by Zasso Nouka »

Eric in Japan wrote:That is where the nail gun comes in...
I can see Gonbechan isn't going to live that one down for a while. :lol: . Having said that a Hilti will fire a nail a fair old distance, specially when using the purple caps on a magazine, or so I've heard :D

Eric in Japan wrote:Just kidding, don't want to get that close. An acquaintance once used his kusakari-ki to slice its throat.
Crikey man, that's some deft kusakari-ki work. The only person I know to trap an inoshishi had to club the thing to death with a pick axe handle, there's nothing like a fine piece of Hickory as they say :lol:
Eric in Japan wrote: I don't know- it seems to me that chickens were born to scratch, and they will have a devil of a time scratching through wire. It might snag and catch on something when you moved the tractor. And finally, it would push all the lovely weeds you want them to eat flat, and make it much more difficult for them to eat them down.
A good point Eric and one I'd completely missed
Eric in Japan wrote: On a related but separate note, I have read about someone who basically laid a carpet of chicken wire on bare ground, planted grass seed on top, and made rabbit tractors. The grass grew through the wires, so the rabbits could eat it, but they couldn't dig out, and other animals couldn't dig in. That might work with the chickens. But I can't imagine if you ever wanted to pull out the wire. Don't even want to think about how hard that would be.
A brilliant idea man, you might be able to get it out during winter when everything dies back.

DRogers
Posts: 12
Joined: Thu Nov 05, 2015 11:16 am
Has thanked: 7 times
Been thanked: 6 times

Re: Chickens !!!!

Post by DRogers »

Do you need any license or permits to keep chickens ? Or can you just go out and buy them ?

User avatar
Zasso Nouka
Tech Support
Tech Support
Posts: 5705
Joined: Wed Sep 23, 2015 9:37 am
Location: Chiba Prefecture
Has thanked: 4120 times
Been thanked: 3394 times

Re: Chickens !!!!

Post by Zasso Nouka »

Not as far as I'm aware DRogers,

Legally you are supposed to inform your local council that you have chickens (in case of a bird flu outbreak) and if you are planning to sell the eggs you should have them vaccinated against Newcastle disease, chicks bought from a reliable supplier should already be vaccinated but you should repeat the vaccination yearly. It's not difficult, you just add the vaccine to their drinking water and the job is done. Other than that there is nothing you need do.

Having said that I'd find out how your neighbours feel about someone keeping chickens. Some folk are fine with it but some will be totally against the idea, specially if you are planning on having a rooster. They can make an incredible noise from just before dawn which could really annoy folk not into chickens. If your neighbours are not particularly close noise obviously won't be a major issue and we found our neighbours have all said they quite enjoy hearing the rooster first thing in the morning as it reminds them of how countryside life used to be.

User avatar
Zasso Nouka
Tech Support
Tech Support
Posts: 5705
Joined: Wed Sep 23, 2015 9:37 am
Location: Chiba Prefecture
Has thanked: 4120 times
Been thanked: 3394 times

Re: Chickens !!!!

Post by Zasso Nouka »

Some inane ramblings on chickens.......

Our current lot of Nagoya Cochins radically reduced egg production after passing the two year mark, previously we noticed more of a slow decline as the birds approached that age but the current lot went through their annual moult normally and then didn't start laying again once it was completed which was a little surprising. Normally you'd expect Boris Brown's to do that as they are more bred for heavy egg production in the first year and in many commercial egg farms are 'retired' as they reach their first year moult. The Okazaki Ouhan's went through their annual moult normally and returned to normal egg laying as did the Boris's. Both the Cochins and Ouhans are good general purpose birds but all in all the Ouhan produced more eggs per week and is around the same size as a Cochin so if one were having to choose between the two breeds an Ouhan might be a better choice as it would lay more eggs and still provide a good carcass when it comes time to be the special guest at the dinner table. Boris Brown's really don't make good eating.

I've heard people say that Silkies are supposed to be quite calm birds but have to say the ones my father in law and a friend of his kept were actually more aggressive than any of the breeds we've had. That may be down to any number of causes and may not reflect Silkies in general, also egg production was way down compared to an Ouhan, Cochin or Boris and the eggs are tiny. They do look quite nice if you are after a pet but for actual egg production I'm not sure if the costs of feed is covered by the number of eggs they produce.

Roosters, if you really want them make sure you have somewhere far far away from your house. They will start calling at truly ungodly hours of the day and even sometimes on a full moon in the summer.

User avatar
Eric in Japan
Posts: 300
Joined: Wed Sep 23, 2015 4:21 pm
Has thanked: 190 times
Been thanked: 455 times

Re: Chickens !!!!

Post by Eric in Japan »

After vowing never to keep chickens again- someone left a rooster in a cardboard box in the "park" (the wide lawn like expanse I keep mown to run our dog on his tether). This is not the first time someone has left chickens near our house. Apparently we are the local "Mutsugoro-ookoku" and people feel free to donate any kind of livestock to us anonymously. Wish they wouldn't do that ....

So now, we have a gigantic (Nagoya? Akita?) rooster that has decided to live with us, despite the fact that we don't feed it, have any hens, or in any way welcome its presence... And he starts crowing in the tree near our bedroom at 5 AM, and enjoys using our deck as his toilet. As amusing as it is to see the wife dancing on the deck in the morning as she hangs the laundry.... it's just not sanitary!

My kids love him- named him "Flash" and apparently feed him dog food when I am not looking....

He seems to think he has to be near me at all times...
Can be disconcerting at breakfast and lunch when he is looking through the window as I eat, sometimes pecking at the glass to get my attention.... Especially when we have chicken...
He hangs out at the woodpile when I am chopping wood... Maybe a suicide wish?
Recently in our garage, I am making a new island counter for our kitchen. Flash is the supervisor... Never misses a minute that one...
He dug a hole in the strawberry patch to dust-bathe in...

I offered to arrange an 'accident,' but the wife said- "As much as I hate him.... no." Damn tenderhearted wives... jk

He is quite stunning as a specimen... But I don't want to think about spring-summer sunrises times and open windows...
"... so, the cucumbers said to the cabbage, `Lettuce Go.`"

donguri
Posts: 221
Joined: Thu Oct 08, 2015 11:57 am
Location: Aichi
Has thanked: 718 times
Been thanked: 370 times

Re: Chickens !!!!

Post by donguri »

Sorry for your headache, Eric, but thanks for the entertaining story! :lol:

User avatar
gonbechan
Founder
Founder
Posts: 2531
Joined: Wed Sep 23, 2015 9:10 am
Has thanked: 2687 times
Been thanked: 1436 times

Re: Chickens !!!!

Post by gonbechan »

Building a counter, are we?
How about a nail gun accident, followed by coq au vin?

User avatar
Zasso Nouka
Tech Support
Tech Support
Posts: 5705
Joined: Wed Sep 23, 2015 9:37 am
Location: Chiba Prefecture
Has thanked: 4120 times
Been thanked: 3394 times

Re: Chickens !!!!

Post by Zasso Nouka »

gonbechan wrote:Building a counter, are we?
How about a nail gun accident, followed by coq au vin?
I just knew this was going to crop up again :lol:

Image

Once that rooster starts crowing at 3 in the morning Eric you might find your wife coming round to the idea of a nice chicken hot pot or something :twisted:

myhobbyis
Posts: 1
Joined: Fri Feb 24, 2017 3:00 pm
Been thanked: 1 time

Re: Chickens !!!!

Post by myhobbyis »

Hi all,

Wonderful to see this forum and nice to see some names I recognize and many new too.
So many people doing such amazing stuff here. Truly inspiring !

Wonder if I can pick your brains. Does anybody know where I can get some ducklings ? I used to have a link a looooong time ago but it's vanished in a PC meltdown at some point. Also pigeon chicks that aren't pedigree racing pigeons and going from 30,000yen up with names like "Samuel Von Dykke Ascot-Smythe III" Ha ha . Just want usual cheap manky wood pigeons or doves.

And sorry to post on ducks in a thread on Chickens , tried to start a new thread but it wasn't having it .

Any information greatly appreciated.

Post Reply