Chicken Advice For Newbie Farmer

[junglechef]

Looking to get around 10 chickens for eggs and no nothing about it. Thinking of putting up a 2 meter fence to keep my dogs out and building a coop. Do I need to clip their wings so they don't fly out? Also anybody know where to buy them in the Chiang Mai area? Any advice will be appreciated. This is just for fun (and good food) to add to my small (2 1/2 rai) rice paddies, fruit orchard, veg. plot and fish pond. Not worried about cost but would like to do as organic as possible as we do with our fruit and veg. making our own fertilizer, pesticides, mulch etc. and self-sufficient as we use our prunnings to make charcoal etc. Also considering ducks as we have a klong running thru the property if anybody has any thoughts on this too

[andycrosby]

If you have water ducks are easy to take care of and they lay for years but not everyone likes duck eggs. Chickens scratch, if you clip one wing then 1 meter is more than okay, clip both wings they will fly

[MESmith]

There's a pet food shop on the Mae Jo road. Left hand side as you drive from superhighway. If you reach the mitsubishi dealer, you've gone too far. Haven't bought from them, but they told my wifey they could get laying hens, not the usual village chickens. You have to order, & they'll let you know when to collect.

We had 4 village chickens given by family. The dogs (4 x GSD) initially ate a couple, since then not interested. But you need to coop them or they (the chickens) scratch around & destroy your veg garden.

Edited January 2, 2012 by MESmith

[junglechef]

Thanks guys, like both kind of eggs and would like both kind of birds. MESmith I use that shop for my dogs and fish. Nice young couple but the place they get them is being cleaned and will not have more until March, any idea where else I can get some local? Plan on fencing in the chicken area and the veg plot. Hope you all had a great holiday season and your boy likes his new bike (sorry farmers if off topic a bit). Any more advice on anything that would be useful would be useful.

[Pond Life]

I agree that ducks are easier to care for, less trouble & they love to eat snails.

Have you considered a moveable chicken coup, google "Chicken arc" or Chicken tractor".

[andycrosby]

shame your so far away I have ducks coming out of my ears at the moment, I know everyone is going on about the warrens most people call them Rhode Island Reds on here because they look like them, but If you look in your area I know there are some brahma chickens I have a number somewhere but it might be the same shop. I was tempted to drive up and collect a few myself. Other than that try and see if there are any Barred Plymouth rock near you a far better chicken on the whole

[MESmith]

Junglechef, if you do sort something out, please let me know & I might get kick started into action to build a proper coop for them. The chickens we have left, I'd be happy if the dogs took them off our hands.....

[junglechef]

Latest is all the chicken farms are closed till March (April delivery for chicks) for cleaning and drying out because bird flu, looking for local to sell me a few (10?) of the egg laying variety before or will get then

[nellyp]

Try going to a market for chicks. My missus buys ducks there, and if I remember rightly they cost her 20 baht each but no guarantee of sex. they will sex them at source and they cost 35 baht each (might be expensive) they are Cambells. We love em to bits but so do the dogs. We have lost 20 odd so far even though I have built an enclosure with pond and fencing a metre high. Still I like having them around as they are hilarious to watch, In my wife's village somebody came around selling mature egg layers for 35 baht each. My mates misses bought her chickens from the same market. Personally I would go and ask anybody selling eggs