I saw this story on the front page of today's San Antonio newspaper...interesting!
http://www.mysanantonio.com/ne...

Neat! Glad this type of lifestyle is taking off!! I need to get a few chickens myself. They can clean up the army worms and cutworms. grr.

It seems like the neighborhood chickens are hanging around more lately, even coming inside the yard sometimes. Hungry critters! I'll admit I like the idea that they might be eating some undesirable things around here. DH said they can also do some damage in the garden, but I haven't noticed any so far.

My only fear about having chickens would be the skunks and raccoons visiting even more than they do now to go after the chicken feed. Of course, they just pop in and eat my veggies anyway so it's not like there'd be any difference except less bugs!

Hmm...the raccoons would come around to try to get the CHICKENS...they LOVE chicken for dinner!

Our neighbor in the cul-de-sac brought in chickens....which brought in coyotes!

That's my other fear!!!

I know a few people that have chickens in our suburban area. It is important to have a safe place for them at night. Yesterday when I was walking my dog, we passed by a chicken in the front driveway! I would have rang the doorbell but I was having a hard time keeping my dog away.

I wish we could have chickens here! Our backyard neighbor has a couple of cute little banties as pets (shhhhh.....) So cute! I'd love to have some layers (and de-buggers!)

More and more those chickens are in the yard. I still remember the rooster abandoned by ex-next-door family. It hung around quite a while, eating whatever the birds and cats were eating here, then disappeared.

I was curious...to know where the chickens stay at night. Found them just now...they are up in the Texas Mountain Laurel in my front yard. Poor things.

You mean "your chickens" now, don't you? They know where they're safe!

Sheila, I'd take them in if I were you! Chicken poo makes great soil, and they eat bugs too! I wish someone would abandon a few cluckers in my yard!

I'm not willing to admit they belong to us. As for safe...it's not safe when the raccoons can get into my yard any time they want to. I have no chicken coop for them. Even those who do have a coop for their chickens do lose chickens sometimes when the predators find a way to get in.

Well...bad news about the chickens. I found one dead this morning, partly eaten. The others hung around the yard during the day, acting more jumpy than ever. I looked for them this evening and couldn't find them. There was a stray tomcat around today, but I'm doubting a cat could catch and kill a chicken that size. It's a shame that people go out and get chickens, then later they virtually abandon them. But then, too, I've often thought that about dogs and cats, too.

Oh Linda, that is so sad to hear. I agree about abandoning animals, especially since we're on our second foster dog this year.

Yep, being in my yard isn't much protection. Those poor chickens are still being killed off and not much I can do about it. And no rain, either! I'm going to East Texas for my niece's delayed wedding reception (delayed due to her mother's death last year). Such great twin daughters my brother has! Maybe I'll get to look at my daughter's Houston house.

Just to update a bit. The adult hens disappeared, leaving the remaining four older chicks hatched early in the year and one smaller chick that was hatched later on. After a while, the older chicks, which are now looking mostly grown, left. They come back to forage for food sometimes and I've seen them with a rooster sometimes. The younger one stayed. It seems to be afraid of everything, so it stays hidden most of the time. There's enough food and water left out for it. That's all I can do. This morning the rooster was in the yard... I hadn't put out any food for wildlife yet and I guess he was hungry, but he sure didn't seem to like seeing me nearby filling the feeder in the back yard.