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<font size="+1"><font face="Comic Sans MS">We travel too frequently now
to keep chickens.<br>
<br>
I, too, would hate to lose our lovely quail to chickens.<br>
</font></font><br>
Selina Davis wrote:
<blockquote cite="mid:COL124-W225E6D086B9A180D3D82AFBAD40@phx.gbl"
type="cite">
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--></style>Backyard laying
hens seem to have become quite the thing the past few years - local,
humane, eco-friendly, and so on. May be questionable whether they're a
cost-saver, though. Here's a recent article about pro-hen activism in
a suburban community to Seattle's north:<br>
<a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20090615/NEWS01/706159917/0/NEWS010308">http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20090615/NEWS01/706159917/0/NEWS010308</a><br>
<br>
I think we'll have to pass - our cat might give the poor things a heart
attack, the chickens would probably displace the quail that frolic in
our backyard almost daily, and I wonder how we'd keep them warm enough
during a Palouse winter.<br>
<br>
- Selina<br>
<br>
<br>
> Date: Wed, 30 Sep 2009 11:32:41 -0700<br>
> From: <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:thansen@moscow.com">thansen@moscow.com</a><br>
> To: <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:vision2020@moscow.com">vision2020@moscow.com</a><br>
> Subject: Re: [Vision2020] are you interested in having backyard
chickens?<br>
> <br>
> Courtesy of the "Public Records" section of the May 13, 2009
edition of<br>
> the Moscow-Pullman Daily News.<br>
> <br>
> ------------------------------------------------------<br>
> <br>
> Moscow Police<br>
> <br>
> Monday<br>
> <br>
> 8:38 a.m. - Chickens were reported running loose on Cleveland
Street.<br>
> <br>
> ------------------------------------------------------<br>
> <br>
> Courtesy of the November 5, 2005 edition of the Moscow-Pullman
Daily News.<br>
> <br>
> ---------------<br>
> <br>
> Chickens as pets? Its definitely an idea that can take wing<br>
> <br>
> Not many people keep chickens in their backyards like we did in
the good<br>
> ole days. However, once in awhile someone who wanted to have pets
that are<br>
> not run of the mill might own some chickens that arent kept for
laying<br>
> eggs or for eventually gracing the dining room table. I would like
to<br>
> answer some questions for anyone who might want a few chickens
around for<br>
> fun.<br>
> <br>
> Question: What breeds of chickens are recommended for pets?<br>
> <br>
> Answer: An incredible number of unusual and exotic chickens are
advertised<br>
> but if you just want a few backyard pets, finding a good source is
more<br>
> important than seeking a certain type of chicken. Your best bet is
to buy<br>
> from a poultry farm store that has a year-round supply of
chickens. Avoid<br>
> the pet store that suddenly has a hundred chickens to sell. If you
have a<br>
> choice, you might buy pygmy chickens called Bantams. They are
small, cute,<br>
> friendly and come in a variety of colors.<br>
> <br>
> Question: For anyone starting from scratch, is it difficult to
raise<br>
> chickens?<br>
> <br>
> Answer: No, but they must be kept warm. An 18-inch high cardboard
box with<br>
> newspapers on the bottom makes a good pen. Use a gooseneck lamp to
keep<br>
> the temperature at 85 to 90 degrees F. Lower the temperature about
5<br>
> degrees a week until room temperature is reached. This accustoms
the<br>
> chicks to the outdoor climate when it is time to move them to a
pen or<br>
> yard. A simple shelter and a six by six foot fenced yard are
adequate for<br>
> a dozen chickens.<br>
> <br>
> Question: Do hens or roosters make the best pets?<br>
> <br>
> Answer: One of each is a good idea. Keeping chickens can be an
education<br>
> experience and having them produce baby chicks is part of the fun.<br>
> Naturally both hens and a rooster are necessary if you want the
pleasure<br>
> of observing a chicken family.<br>
> <br>
> Question: Will pet hens lay eggs if no rooster is around?<br>
> <br>
> Answer: Yes, but no romance means no chicks. The eggs will not be
fertile.<br>
> After you discover where the is laying eggs, build a nest box,
fill it<br>
> with hay and put it in that location. Such a box is usually the
hens first<br>
> choice for egg laying. A hen will sit on her eggs till they hatch.
Remove<br>
> unfertilized eggs promptly to avoid a rotten egg problem.<br>
> <br>
> Question: What is a good poultry diet?<br>
> <br>
> Answer: A local feed store sells laying mash or growing mash,
depending on<br>
> the age and function of you chickens. Food and water should always
be<br>
> available in the chicken pen or house. Table scraps and weed or
lawn<br>
> clippings are good supplements. Dont worry if your hens look for
bugs and<br>
> worms in the garden. Grit is important to aid digestion and to
provide<br>
> calcium for stronger egg shells.<br>
> <br>
> Question: How long will a pet chicken live?<br>
> <br>
> Answer: Pet chickens are hardy and usually free from disease. They
can<br>
> live from six to 10 years. Active egg production declines when the
hen is<br>
> between three and four years old.<br>
> <br>
> Question: Can one chicken be raised in the house?<br>
> <br>
> Answer: A chicken in the house is usually a pretty smelly pet.
Also, if<br>
> the chicken is put with a flock at a later time, it is apt to have<br>
> personality problems. An established group of chickens can peck a
newcomer<br>
> unmercifully.<br>
> <br>
> ------------------------------------------------------<br>
> <br>
> As for me, I like chickens . . . fried.<br>
> <br>
> Seeya round twon, Moscow.<br>
> <br>
> Tom Hansen<br>
> Moscow, Idaho<br>
> <br>
> "The Pessimist complains about the wind, the Optimist expects it
to change<br>
> and the Realist adjusts his sails."<br>
> <br>
> - Unknown<br>
> <br>
> <br>
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<pre wrap="">
<hr size="4" width="90%">
=======================================================
List services made available by First Step Internet,
serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.fsr.net">http://www.fsr.net</a>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com">mailto:Vision2020@moscow.com</a>
=======================================================</pre>
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