
David grew up with chickens, learning about them at a young age from his father. He went many years without having them himself, but when he noticed a large infestation of fruit beetle in his fruit trees, he looked into alternative pesticides.
"I didn't want to use chemicals to keep the fruit beetle out of my peach trees. Chickens eat the larvae of the beetle. They can actually hear the larvae underground and will scratch them up and eat them. I haven't had one beetle this year."
To Begin
David started with lots of research. He had a knowledge base from his childhood experience, but he didn't rely only on that. He also read a lot. He especially read up on the different breeds, and which breeds would fit a good fit for his wants. He recommends one book in particular as being an indispensable resource: Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens
The Coop


The Birds

Ordering Chickens
Murray McMurray Hatchery is one place you can order chickens. They have been in business for over 90 years, and according to David, have excellent customer service. "They are really nice on the phone, and the shipping was really fast. They shipped my order on a Saturday, and the post office called me on Monday morning. They were all healthy when they arrived, and they even put in extra ones to make up for any that might have died. I think I ended up with more live birds than I had ordered."
Feed
With his bird population at 35 (gave away some Roosters, and had one incident with a predator getting into the coop), he reports the birds consume a 40# bag of feed every five days in the summer, and about every three days during the winter. He and his wife Cherie do feed the chickens table scraps, but sacks of feed make up the bulk of their food. They let the chickens out daily to roam around the property, where the chickens free range.
Eggs

Advice for Beginners
David advises those thinking about getting chickens to make sure you have your feed container, water, and pens finished and ready before you get your chicks. "Know what you are going to do with the manure. If you free range for a long period of time, the chickens get into mischief. Roosters may attack small children. Read as much as you can before you start." When asked what his favorite thing about having chickens is, he says, "It's fun to watch the chickens. I love that they get the bugs. I like to see the kids coming over to see the chickens. My favorite thing is teaching the kids about the chickens."
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