In Spring 2001 we got all kinds of chickens. It started as a hobby, and our kids wanted them as well. I had chickens when I was little... Tuck does a good job taking care of them all. 24 chickens in all- Barred Plymouth Rocks, New Hampshires, Akita Hinai, Chiba Boso Jidori (supposedly a mix for eating, Shamo and New Hampshire I think), and some Easter Egg Chickens (Auracana mix). The next year we got a few Rode Island Red, Nagoya Cochin, and a couple Shamo. I'm interested in other varieties, however have not been able to find hatcheries with variety like in the USA. How can I get some Jersey Giants into Japan??
We've been getting about 15-17 eggs a day since last November. We sell them to some regular customers for 400 yen per pack of 10.
The coop was quite a project but it came out nice. Dimensions are about 4 x 6 meters. It was made using a bunch of scrap wood we had, and plenty of plywood which I had to buy. From the road most people don't think it's a chicken coop. The run is enclosed by screening purchased used from a local scaffold company. The run is about 6 x 8 meters. Yellow string criss crossed above keeps birds out. Right now the chickens only use the right 1/3, the rest is storage, food, bags of sawdust, extra containers, etc. The idea is if we want to seperate the flock in the future we can utilize the left side of the coop for chickens as well.
We have had problems with renegade dogs in the past so a secure coop was essential. We had a nice flock of Silkies (called UKOKE in Japan) a few years back that would forage around the property, but unfortunately wild dogs got ahold of them one day...so no more real "free range" allowed for our chickens. Where's that big cartoon rooster that beats up the dog when you need him? |
