backyard barn yard any body raise poultry or rabbits?

Anybody keep small animals in the burbs"?

 

I got a weiner dog, does that count? Want some geese but my wife doesn't like them.

 

Well we don't live in the burbs. But rabbits are not considered livestock by the USDA so you shouldn't have any problems. Unless you live in a highly restriced gated community.

OGM

 

I knew you guys were doing "it" for real with goats and the like... not sure if my neighborswould rat me out to the town if I slipped them a few eggs every now and then.I was wondering what'ed be a goodchoice for a small "covert" flock for eggs and the occasional fryer, got a catalog today (strombergs) 25chick minimum; that's actually more than I want depending on their survival rate...just looking into it. if we had a place in the"country" I'd look into game birds( I need a new occupation) that doesn't have the word "inc" in it.( I don't play well with empire building butt kissing idiots anymore.)

 

Thanks;I had a "standard" yorkie ( milspec vs the toy breeds).
Do weiner dogs give milk and meat ????
Just don' t think I could show up at the saturday morning farmers market selling: (wait for it) (wait for it....)

"Wiener cheese"

 

The best chickens that we have had is Buff Orphintons they lay well even in cold weather, and they are the only chickens that we have had that sit on their eggs. They are also pretty good meat producers. I think all places make you buy a min. of 25 chickes so they can keep each other warm during shipping. Just cull out the weaker ones for eating.

Here is a good place to buy chickes from;
www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/

OGM

 

At least you didn't say weinie cheese.......

Wow, that was just so wrong.....

 

Yet another thing that I've been reading up on. If plans go well and we can get a decent piece of property this coming summer, I'll be looking at getting some laying chickens.

For the person that wants to be self sufficient, what's the "best" selection of critters? Are chickens the best for eggs and meat? Would a combination of a couple types of bird be the best option? How about other meat on the hoof?

 

Well it depends on what you want to gain.

1) How much land will you have and what kind of land is it?

2) Are you looking for a high level of self-reliance or to just supliment?

3) If your married do you and your spouce share the same level of comitment to this plan??? If you answered no to this I would say think hard about whats more important your dream or your spouce? I don't say this to turn you away from doing it but I tried doing it with a spouce that really would rather be in mall shoping than cleaning the barn (it don't work). WG would rather clean the barn so it works well with her.

4) If you would like dairy animals you are married to them. They need to be milked twice a day 10 months out of the year. We try to breed so that we have something milking year round.

Again I'm not trying to discourage you, just letting you know the reality of it. I have seen lots of people move here with big dreams to only fail, sell out and go back to where ever they came from broken and broke.

OGM

 

how about some rabbits?? i want to get some by spring time.i also just planted a couple of pounds of alfalfa and clover.it will give me some nice feed for them plus some goods for the deer to munch on.

 

I wanted rabbits mostly for the fertilizer for the garden.(andthe occasional date with a fryingpan or dutchoven).

 

Rabbits will provide alot of meat and manure for the garden. Go with a meat breed like New Zealands or California's. You can breed them every 60 days. Friers are easy to butcher, it takes about 5-6 min. to do one complete.

OGM

 

Barred Rocks are also a very good dual purpose breed... pretty good cold weather layers as well. You won't often get them to set though.

Tango, just a half dozen hens in a coop would be pretty "covert".... no roosters. But then your not going to raise any young.

 

We never could get them to sit either, other than that they are pretty good.

OGM

 

Another good meat/layer is the Red Star
That's the ones I raise. They lay an egg a day all year long. Don't think they set them, but I collect morning & night so they really don't get the chance.

When I want more in the spring I save the eggs for a few days & incubate them. Have found they don't breed true.

I have been thinking about the Buff Orphingtons ...OGM can you tell me if they will breed true? And what's their egg laying rate?

I would like to have one's that will be the same kind time after time.
CG

 

They will give you 3 eggs per wk. Not as high as your Red Stars, but from what I have read the Red Stars won't sit. We don't want to be dependent on an incubator that is why we stick with the Buff's, they are the only ones that we have had that will redilly sit.

OGM

 

Red Stars are great layers, but won't set. They are also hybrids that will not retain their improved laying qualities in future generations.... so not the best choice for a long term post shtf solution.

The Orpingtons that OGM recommends are a good "all around" solution, especially if you want to raise some for meat.

The Barred Rocks will lay more than the orps, but might not set.

A good combination would be some Rocks with a Silkie or Cochin or two for the rearing of young. Cochins especially if you want meat.

Here is the Ultimate page on breed information. http://www.ithaca.edu/staff/jhenderson/chooks/chooks.html

 

Thanks for the link, that's what I was looking for.

 

I had Australorps who laid even during molt. And as long as they had 10 hours of daylight (by stretching it artificially before dawn/after dark in the winter with a lightbulb), they continued to lay without fail year 'round. No matter what their feed was or how high the snow. Of course, they were properly housed during bad weather.

If you want broody survivors, go with Orps. Big, beautiful and mad as March hares about chicks , they'll lay on just about any egg and rear the babies. At least, that was my experience.

 

We have never had Australorps before because things we read said they wouldn't sit.

OGM