How to raise Backyard Chickens: [CHICKENS-101] Questions on housing chickens

Thursday, February 28, 2013

[CHICKENS-101] Questions on housing chickens

I hope this is the right group to ask my stupid questions.

I am thinking of adding a few chickens to may menagerie.

Before I get any chickens, I want to work out just how to keep them.

I wanted them free range, but I don't want my property torn up.

I have 2 acres that is all fenced in. My back yard is also fenced in. My plan was to house them in the back yard, letting them out to roam around there. I would make it more chicken proof than it is and would be extremely careful until they were bigger.

I have a dog who has never killed anything but is of a breed that has a high prey drive. I will just assume that his training will never be stronger than his instincts to grab and shake. The dog is not allowed in the separately fenced back yard because that is the cat's territory. I'm considering installing one of those invisible fences around the property to ensure the dog never goes in the back yard.

Also in the back yard is a small fish pond, pool and cabana with an open-air kitchen--not the place I want chickens to explore! Would curtains made of some sort of open-weave fabric that would not block the view keep chickens out, or would they just learn to push the curtains aside?

I have a lot of animals that have to be separated from each other and I don't want too much added stress for managing another group of animals that have to be watched over so they don't escape/get hurt or tear up my back yard.

I also have a 20 x 8 x 8 foot aviary with some parrots in it. I'm checking with my avian vet about disease issues. Four chickens would tear up the ground of an aviary that size, wouldn't they?

Would a manure compost heap occupy the chicken's scratching behavior so they would likely leave the rest of my yard alone?

My neighbor has lots of pet poultry, including at least one rooster. Will he visit my hens or will they want to visit him?

Thanks for any help.

Janet