How do vegans feel about someone owning their own chickens, goats or cows to produce milk and eggs? Is it still not right, or does it depend on the individual vegan?
It depends on several factors.To keep animals producing milk year after year, they must usually get pregnant every year. What happens to the babies? Usually, they are cruelly separated from the mothers and sent to the slaughter house. As often are the mothers once they can no longer produce milk.Most people who have hens get the chicks from commercial hatcheries, which cull most of the male chicks shortly after hatching, often by throwing them alive into a grinder. Otherwise, what are you going to do with all those males that don't lay eggs?So animal death is usually a necessary part of milk and egg production.Even if you could avoid it, there are some vegans who would still view it as a form of exploitation/slavery, since you are forcibly impregnating the animals to harvest their bodily products.
Pros and cons of raising chickens?
I agree with your wife, and it is a lot of fun. I had chickens for years on our farm in Texas. Here's what I learned: You're not going to get rich raising them to adulthood and then selling them, they are each only worth a couple of bucks, so the major thing is keeping them for the eggs and the decorative value. The pretty ones are like walking flowers. The breeds differ enormously in temperament. I finally decided I liked my Salmon Faverolles the best; they lay a fine large brown egg and if you end up with a rooster, the extra toe on his foot will prevent him from catching you if he's chasing you, as it gets caught up with his spurs and he has to hop. Which leads to another true statement: you don't need a rooster. Chickens have an uncanny ability to tell when a hawk is in the vicinity, and if you provide them with something they can duck under, the hawk won't get them. Other predators will, like foxes, coyotes, dogs, cats, or, I'm told, skunks. You must pen them up at night in a coyote-proof pen. I raised my hens to walk up into a rabbit hutch off the ground, and penned them in there at night. They will eat your garden, they will take dust baths in it that end up destroying seedlings, and they can fly over a five-foot fence if they want out badly enough. Mine were free range and they never had one single disease, although if you pen them up you'll have to dust them with powders for mites and so forth. You can find lots of pictures of breeds at Murray McMurray hatchery on the web, but they ask that you order 25 chicks at a time, so you'd have to arrange with your neighbors to take some of them. The chicks arrive in a cute little cardboard box at your post office, and you're unlikely to lose more than one for all that difficult journey. Have the heat lamp and little pen set up for them with water and finely-ground chicken scratch, so they can be let out under the lights immediately. They are terribly cute. Even if you've ordered all females you may end up with a rooster in there by mistake. You likely won't know right away. If you keep the number down to a half dozen or less, you'll be happy with chickens as pets, and you'll have more eggs than you know what to do with.
Can you make a profit off owning and raising chickens?
Hello, If you have enough land get into growing corn. Ethanol is the wave of the future and soon, if not already, corn is going to be worth it's weight in gold. Critters might make you some money on the side. However full time job and making a wage to raise a family might be tough. You have to feed critters, care for them everyday even when sick,or holiday! The need shots etc. etc. This all comes out of your pocket before you even sell one of them. Do not forget the animal people out there who feel raising critters for food is horrible and immoral and will destroy your property to save those poor creatures. Don't laugh I have had this attack on myself! My barn was broken into several times, cage doors opened and critters set loose! Cars scratched, stuff stolen was a horrible experienced with those critter huggers (you know tree huggers, critter huggers). Write down all your expenses, include your time, at least minimum wage (you wont even make this for a while) and see if you can make it. Good luck I still think corn is the way to go!
What are some names for pet chickens?
I am of a slightly darker bent. I would go with Nugget or the classier Cordon Bleu.
Guess what? Chicken butt. What is the rest?
So this is going to bother me until I remember the whole thing. This is what I've got so far: Guess what? CHICKEN BUTT Guess why? CHICKEN THIGH Now I just need who, when, where, and how.
What should you consider before buying chicken coops?
Assuming you’ve determined it’s legal in your area, here are some things to consider.Space: the amount of space will depend on the number of chickens you want. First of all, know that you will need a run (outer pen) as well as a coop. For standard breeds, at least 2 square feet in the coop and 8–10 square feet in the run per bird is the recommended minimum (I mean bare minimum), and add a little for the food and water containers. The more space, the less often it’ll need cleaned, and the less bullying and pecking your flock will have.Shelter: The run may or may not need a roof for shade, depending on where you are. The coop needs to be sheltered from bad weather, though still with ventilation.Predator-proofing: Here in the suburbs, my coop just needs to keep out dogs and provide a roof to deter owls. In more rural areas, it may be necessary to completely predator-proof both coop and run to keep out predators like raccoons, wolves, and hawks (including burying wire mesh around the base to prevent them from digging under).Required equipment: You will need roosts for them to sleep on, nesting boxes, food and water dispensers. If the roosts are tall, they may need a ladder to get up as well.Accessibility: If I could redo my coop, I’d make “back doors” for the nesting boxes so they’d be accessible from outside the coop. Make it tall enough for you, and easy to get to the nesting boxes, food, and water. (Remember, you’ll be gathering eggs, feeding, and watering just about every day.)
Are chickens allowed in my city?
Apple Valley, MN. The City Code states that only domestic animals commonly referred to as "house pets" may be kept in those zoning districts zoned for residential uses. This means the City does not allow, either as a permitted use or as a conditional use, the keeping of chickens at single family residences. The keeping of chickens is considered an agricultural pursuit and is permitted only in those areas zoned for agricultural uses. Blaine, MN. Domestic farm animals, including cattle, horses, sheep, goats and chickens are only permitted in Agricultural (AG) and Farm Residential (FR) zoning districts. Buffalo, MN. Chickens are not allowed within city limits. Edina, MN. Chickens not allowed. Elk River, MN. Elk River defines an ‘animal’ as a dog, cat, or other animal which is harbored, fed, or kept by any person. No dog, cat, or other animal shall be allowed by its owner to run at large. Little Falls, MN. Has an ordinance that does not allow chickens to live in town. (As of 2010.) The Town was approached in 2010 to revise the Town ordinance to allow chickens, so get on-board with this agenda if you live in Little Falls, MN. Minneapolis, MN. Unlimited. Applicant needs consent from 80 percent of neighbors within 100 feet of real estate. Chickens must be penned. Plymouth, MN. The City of Plymouth does not allow chickens in residential zoning districts. Rosemount, MN. You can have up to 3 hens, no roosters. You must get written permission from all the neighbors whose yards border yours. You must keep them in a coop between 12 and 24 inches above ground and the legs of the coop must be sunk in cement footers. And there is a $25 annual fee to keep chickens. Roseville, MN. See City Code section 407.02: G. Keeping of Farm Animals: The keeping of cows, horses, sheep, goats or any four-legged animal commonly known as farm animals, OTHER THAN those commonly called poultry, in any pasture, stable or any enclosure within 300 feet or less of any other lot in any residence district. (Ord. 629, 9-28-70) St. Paul, MN. Can have one chicken without a permit, but more than one you have to get permission from 75% of neighbors 150 ft. around, or proof you have no neighbors for 150 feet. No roosters, and no selling eggs without a permit. St. Francis, MN. No fowl may be kept on a parcel of real estate smaller in area than five acres, except for the keeping of pigeons and doves
Can I own a chicken as a pet in nebraska?
Yes. My adult son lives in Nebraska and has three pet chickens. However it should be said that he lives in a smaller town which is more agreeable to that sort of thing. But even so, if you live on Lincoln or Omaha there shouldn’t be an issue as long as you have adequate provisions for them and are not violating any neighborhood covenants.