Then, one night, some coyotes visited...

#9 | POSTED BY CATDOG

When I had a farm I had a dog and a 4/10 shotgun loaded with bird shot by the door.

I heard the ruckus and bolted out the door with my 4/10.

Got one of those bastages right in the butt. He yelped all the way back to his den I bet.

They never came around again. The rooster had gathered his girls up and hid them in the tall grass. He really loved and took care of his girls.

And we loved that rooster.

btw you need a chicken house to keep them safe at night

#13 | POSTED BY ITCHYPOSSUM

I lived on a farm. And it was a cool little double barreled .410 shotgun (it was late when I typed 4/10 thanks for catching that) . The chickens lived in a chicken coop. A very nice coop that was already there when we moved it. The rooster and my dog were my alarm system.

And no, fresh eggs from free range organic fertile chickens are not free.

But you can reduce the costs as you get better and more efficient. And it helps a ton if you marry a farm girl.

And ... Of course raising chickens assumes you have a proper place to do it.

Re 18

You forgot hay.

They need hay because they make a terrible mess as they crap everywhere in their coop. But if you put down hay it makes their nests nice and cozy and the eggs stay cleaner and it's easier to clean up the coop poop. Plus you get good compost out of the deal for the garden later.

Of course raising chickens assumes you have a proper place to do it.

#19 | POSTED BY DONNERBOY

You cannot raise chickens just anywhere.

For instance.. As a general rule you cannot raise chickens if you live in an apartment (tho there is probably even an exception to that out there somewhere.)