As I briefly wrote about before, the bird flu is wreaking havoc on the U.S. egg and poultry meat supply. It seems like now is the time to get some hens to lay eggs if you have space. On the other hand, your new flock will be susceptible to the bird flu brought by wild birds. The bird flu may even transfer from your flock to you.
History Doesn’t Repeat, but it Definitely Rhymes
Now, there are only a few cases of bird to human transmission of the avian flu. However, we’ve been here before with the Corona Virus. February of 2020 was fine and dandy. By mid-March, offices were closing and telework began for millions of people. Trump is even back in the White House…
I talked to one of the chicken guys and gals in my neighborhood, and they were also on the fence. They couldn’t decide whether it was a good idea to get more chickens and expand their flock now or just wait and see. They already have 10 hens and 2 roosters. Many people who have chickens just for laying eggs only have hens. I think with the avian flu going around, it’s probably a good idea to have hens and roosters. So, if you need new chicks, you can breed your own.
After a Lot of Contemplation…
So, I took the leap and bought 8 hen chicks and 1 rooster chick from Meyer Hatchery online and a chicken coop from The Chicken Coop Company. I’ve been reading quite a bit about how to raise chicks. I have until February 19 until the day-old chicks arrive by mail. I’ll need to raise them for about 6 months before I get any eggs. At least in the meantime, they should devour all the ticks in my yard this spring and summer. And honestly, that might be a better prize than the eggs.
I also have a mite called a “chigger” in my yard. This burrows under human skin to lay their eggs and omg, they hurt worse than ticks. But at least they don’t really carry diseases. Unfortunately, they are even smaller than ticks, and it seems that they are too small for chickens to find and eat.
Through some research, I’ve found that ladybugs eat mites. So, I plan to release hundreds of ladybugs in my yard when the time is right. I thought the chickens might eat the ladybugs. But apparently, chickens don’t like the taste of the ladybugs. Here’s hoping!