Re: city dwellers can raise their own eggs

[Guest guest]

>

> There's a kind of bird called coturnix, button quail, or something

> else. They've been bred as housepets in Japan since the 12th

> century. Other places they've been bred to grow to eatin' size and

> produce eggs very quickly (in 7 weeks they lay eggs, laying 200 - 300

> a year)in tight quarters and they'll eat just about anything. Since

> they don't perch, they mostly want floorspace and you can keep 2 - 3

> in a 50 gallon aquarium very comfortably. Handled frequently from

> babies they become very tame and enjoyable pets. The eggs are large

> for quail eggs (but small compared to bantam hen eggs). Since they're

> designated as game birds, not poultry, the rules about poultry don't

> apply to them in most places.

>

Still waking up, reading that subject heading conjured up in mehead

the vision of city dwellers laying their own eggs, hee hee hee.

Well, so long as they get sunshine and can peck around the garden,

their eggs would be nutritious. But keeping them indoors is probably

not much better than buying eggs from confined chickens, but I could

be wrong. Without some sort of garden, it probably wouldn't work

well, and you may be better off driving out to a farm to get fresh

pastured foods. It depends on the overall plan.

With chickens in the US, usually you can keep hens. Roosters make a

lot of noise and are usually what is frowned upon. We have a rooster

for protection from predators, as even cats get nabbed by owls in my

neck of the woods. But Coconut Rooster is so chatty with the rooster

across the road ALL DAY LONG that sometimes I'd like to shoot him. We

get fertilized eggs anyway, and he really would give his life to save

his harem.

They have a permanent coop and roam the fenced backyard all day long.

I was told that if I didn't manage their pasture, that they would

tend to have favorite locations. But I haven't found this to be the

case - they hit every part of the garden 2-4 times a day. I raise

Silkie Bantams, btw, so the eggs are smaller than the usual layers.

Deanna

[Guest guest]

Duh, and here's the link I forgot to include. Lots of city chicken

info, including chicken law:

http://home.centurytel.net/thecitychicken/index.html

It is a good idea to get around the poultry laws by raising other

birds, for those who have restrictions. My only restriction is no swine.

Deanna

doing jump kicks yesterday really tuckered me out

[Guest guest]

Here's a good link for the button quail

http://www.cyberquail.com/homepage.html

My township has incredibly vague rules - if you have an acre you can

have up to 12 " poultry " but no roosters and you have to get rid of

them if a neighbor complains and they cannot be housed within 200

feet of any neighboring property. Finding a spot on a 1-acre lot

that's not 200 feet from anywhere is almost impossible. I read into

it that they couldn't be permanently housed within 200 feet, and

since mine are only in the henhouse for sleeping and range out all

day, I figure that covers it (they explained it's to prevent odor

and runoff of manure onto neighboring properties).

--- In , " yoginidd " <WAPFbaby@...>

wrote:

>

> Duh, and here's the link I forgot to include. Lots of city chicken

> info, including chicken law:

>

> http://home.centurytel.net/thecitychicken/index.html

>

> It is a good idea to get around the poultry laws by raising other

> birds, for those who have restrictions. My only restriction is no

swine.

>

> Deanna

> doing jump kicks yesterday really tuckered me out

>

[Guest guest]

--- In , " haecklers " <haecklers@...>

wrote:

>

> Here's a good link for the button quail

> http://www.cyberquail.com/homepage.html

Ah, aren't they sweet? Is that picture with the egg really the eggs

that come out of these little guys?

Deanna

[Guest guest]

Yeah, Seattle, Minneapolis, even New York City allows chickens (hens)

outside with some restrictions. I could have four in my backyard if I

wanted but I'm not sure what the landlord would say.

Tom

[Guest guest]

I could have four in my backyard if I

> wanted but I'm not sure what the landlord would say.

>

> Tom

Tell him they eat bugs and weed.

Deanna

[Guest guest]

In Portland, OR, it's 3 chickens without a permit, up to 12 with one.

Lynn S.

------

Mama, homeschooler, writer, activist, spinner & knitter

http://www.siprelle.com

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