The Oil Drum

137 comments on Tuesday open thread

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Leanan on February 14, 2006 - 12:44pm

I kind of like this idea:

http://www.emagazine.com/view/?3066

Well, except maybe the chickens. Bird flu, y'know. ;-)

Seriously, it seems like a reasonable way to cover your bets, without spending too much money. If the energy crunch doesn't start to bite for 50 years, you haven't given up your job, etc. If the zombie hoards are roaming within five years, well, at least you have neighbors to help you defend your vegetable patch. :-/

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TN Granny on February 14, 2006 - 2:02pm

Bird Flu...Hum.. I am planning on adding chickens this spring as the easiest way to add a ready source of protein. Last year I replaced some flowers with vegetables and hope to expand that this year. My chickens will be laying hens of heritage varieties as I can see myself getting too attached to ever butcher them! I though about the bird flu angle a lot. But it seems that avian flu is primarily spread by migrating water fowl and is not in the songbird population. I am not near any waterfowl flyways and my toney neighborhood does not have any other farm animals for miles. I live in what was once farmland and my little patch of ground is still zoned agricultural although I am now surrounded by MacMansions. Hopefully I will be able to vacinate my chickens against avian flu as a precaution; I understand that chicken vacines have been developed.

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Gets IT on February 14, 2006 - 3:03pm

In Europe, the order is vaccinate them and to keep them in a totally enclosed house or pen (with side and overhead chickenwire) so they can't mix with the free rangers. Lots of complaints about building the required structures.

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TN Granny on February 14, 2006 - 9:16pm

I have to have wire pens with mesh overhead anyway, because I have two pair of hawks nesting in my woods......

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knmnloyd on February 14, 2006 - 10:59pm

Two thoughts on this...
Having actually kept chickens for a few years, they seem to react in enclosed spaces much like rats and humans-- they start tearing at each other's feathers and generally exhibit stress due to crowding. Our chickens, (circa 1997-2000), were free range during the day, were absolutely healthy and produced eggs too large to fit in a carton. Our rooster seemed to keep them all safe in a habitat that included dogs, coyotes, feral cats and snakes. (They also all had names and distinct personalities).
OTOH...all the avian flu sites I keep up with report today of confirmed cases as far north in the EU as the Baltic Sea. I have no idea if the vaccine that the Asian countries are using is effective or not, at this point, but I would think that sooner or later federal action/local hysteria would demand that you cull. I think it's pretty iffy right now.