Sailing with a chicken

[Sirzones]

Just watched a video on you tube showing a French sailer circumnavigate with a pet chicken, 25 eggs on a 28 day crossing

[toddster8]

Not only that, but he spent an entire winter frozen into the ice in a remote fjord and did not eat the chicken.

[kentobin]

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OK, I knew chickens produced a lot of manure, but I really didn’t realize how much. Apparently, it’s about 45 pounds per hen, per year. So for us, that’s 45 lb x 15 hens = 675 pounds of poop. Pardon me, but holy cr*p!

Now that our 15 girls are out ranging in the yard most of the day, it’s not so much of an issue. Except that we can’t walk outside barefoot anymore (not that we really did anyway). But much of that ends up in the coop, as they spend upwards of 12 hours a day there, and will be more as the days get shorter. So what to do with all that high-nitrogen manure? Put it this way – I’m building a new composter! You can also make something called manure tea – you can find chicken manure tea instructions here. Essentially, you can take care of a good chunk of your vegetable garden’s nitrogen requirements with your chickens’ well-composted manure. Pretty efficient, huh?

I’ve heard from others about the fact that their chickens pooped all over everything – furniture, vehicles, porches… you name it. So far, we’re working on ‘aversion training’ to try to teach them what’s off limits for perching and pooping, and we have no manure on anything other than the ground. I know some of you are probably rolling on the floor laughing right now, but I’m sticking to the plan. I’ll let you know how it goes…

[toddster8]

I'll trade your 15 hens poop for my 28 peacocks'. It's a bit horrible.
In fact, consider how much more impressive than a parrot a peacock would look sitting on your shoulder! (Just never mind what the back of your shirt would look like.) Absolutely free to anyone who will take one. New chicks start showing up the first week in July.

[taxwizz]

What are they like barbecued?
They sound delicious !

[taxwizz]

Originally Posted by toddster8

Not only that, but he spent an entire winter frozen into the ice in a remote fjord and did not eat the chicken.

He had probably run out of charcoal.

[a64pilot]

Originally Posted by toddster8

I'll trade your 15 hens poop for my 28 peacocks'. It's a bit horrible.

In fact, consider how much more impressive than a parrot a peacock would look sitting on your shoulder! (Just never mind what the back of your shirt would look like.) Absolutely free to anyone who will take one. New chicks start showing up the first week in July.

A few years ago I was looking for Peacocks, we lived on a couple of hundred acres and I like they way they look.
They are outstanding guard animals as well, anything or anyone comes into the yard they will fly into a tree and sit there and scream at whatever it is.

[Fiveslide]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

A few years ago I was looking for Peacocks, we lived on a couple of hundred acres and I like they way they look.
They are outstanding guard animals as well, anything or anyone comes into the yard they will fly into a tree and sit there and scream at whatever it is.

We actually got to adopt 2 from the animal shelter. $5 adoption fee. They caught them from one of those mcmansion neighborhoods, where I guess they were considered pests. They certainly were fun to watch around the house, my son loved them. We lived way off the road and out in the middle of nowhere so after we kept them in a coop for a bit, they roamed free. They eventually went on walkabout or something got them, we haven't seen them lately.

[powsmias]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

A few years ago I was looking for Peacocks, we lived on a couple of hundred acres and I like they way they look.
They are outstanding guard animals as well, anything or anyone comes into the yard they will fly into a tree and sit there and scream at whatever it is.

But your name has to be Al.. they always scream " hey Al, hey Al".

[a64pilot]

Years ago I was stationed in Central Tx and everybody was going to be rich raising Emu's, stupid things were going for thousands of dollars, especially a breeding pair. I figured it had to be a scam or dream and wouldn't buy in although I had many telling me I was crazy, I could get rich.
I went back around 99 I think for Longbow unit training and found out there was a bounty on Emu's in Central Tx. Seems when the market collapsed people just turned them loose and they became a pest, so you could get $50 for each you shot or something.

http://articles.latimes.com/1990-02-...stralian-birds

[SailFastTri]

Originally Posted by Sirzones

Just watched a video on you tube showing a French sailer circumnavigate with a pet chicken, 25 eggs on a 28 day crossing

I'd bet $ the sailor would have obtained 4x more nutritional benefit from eating the same amount of grains and beans (equivalent) that he gave the chicken to eat, but without the filthy stink/mess or space requirement.

Farming meat/dairy/eggs is a losing, inefficient proposition. He'd be healthier if he ate plants, also.

[northwestsailor]

We met him in Campbell River BC (Canada) a few weeks ago. He saw our boat at the docks whilst driving by and just had to have a look. He thought the two of us could make it through the Northwest Passage. Of course he did almost solo and a broken autopilot but of course we are old enough to be his grand parents.

In any case a great guy and he is headed down to San Francisco then Ushuaia to cross over to Antarctica. From there he will get taken to the other side of the continent and walk back solo. (He did not mention what would happen to Momo or Monique during his absence.) Obviously she will not be happy if she is left alone with strangers in a strange land.

[Rorzech]

Don't leave your chicken droppings where rain can get at them or it will wash the nitrogen out of it and will be good for nothing but filler.

[Rorzech]

Protein gives carnivores the brain power to hunt and catch the docile herbivores that don't need to think. They just run for their lives when they become the Carnivores next target. I don't want to become a meal thank you, pass me the chicken egg. LOL

[dwedeking2]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

They are outstanding guard animals as well, anything or anyone comes into the yard they will fly into a tree and sit there and scream at whatever it is.

They will do the same thing all through the breeding season... all night... every night...