What am I getting my self into ?

[Hoot]

I live on a little over an acre and thought it would be nice to have a few chickens for farm fresh eggs.

I am just wondering what kind of an impact a few chickens are going to be. I have plenty of room for a hen house and a barn for storage of feed and other items.

I also have a wonderful wife who has put up with my ideas (so far) for many years. She loves to have a veggie garden every year and grow her flowers and keeps up with several bird feeders in our back yard.

I should also mention, I am not looking to go into the egg business by any means. Just want 3 to 4 hens for some fresh eggs.

What am I getting my self into?

 

[Teach97]

if you follow the rest the folks on this site...a great addiction!

It is fun get a few...just build stuff way too big so you can get more!

 

[ncgnance]

Welcome, Hoot, and as long as you keep it at 3 or 4 hens, no roosters, in an enclosed lot or run, because of your wife's garden and flower beds, you should be just fine. BUT, this is what usually happens. Chickens are addictive.. 3 or 4 are fine, at first, but then, you start looking at differet breeds. Those blue laced red wyandottes are BEAUTIFUL-add 2 more. Silkies are MAGIC, add 4 more, plus a silkie rooster. (they're very quiet birds) Now you need more room for the chickens you've aquired. Build on...COCHINS!!!! See what I mean?? And I didn't even go into hatching and raising chicks. Think about this very carefully, then join the madness. You'll love it!!

 

[#1California Chick]

Welcome to BYC!!!

You will find lots of help here for chicken raising!!

I started out last fall thinking that I wanted 3 to 4 chickens. Then I decided that I should probably get 6, just to make sure that at least 4 made it to egg laying age. But I had a hard time narrowing down my choice of breeds to just three (I wanted to get two birds of each breed). So now I am thinking of getting EIGHT -- AND I HAVEN'T EVEN PLACED MY ORDER YET!!!!!!

So, yeah -- make sure you build your coop and run extra big!!!!

Again, Welcome!!

Cindy

 

[jacyjones]

Once you start with chickens they seem to get a hold and you find yourself having a few more! They are delightful to keep and their eggs are far superior to any you buy from commercial outlets. I would say you need to decide if you are keeping them just for your own egg use or would you be able to sell any surplus. we started with 4 but found that friends and work colleagues loved the eggs so we now have 10 and 1 duck. This means we always have eggs when we need them and can supply some other people too.
Have fun and enjoy. the only major concern is that you make everything secure from predators from the start.

 

[Clay In Iowa]

Basically at this point by admitting you want chickens and telling the enablers on this site.... you've sold your soul to the chicken gods.

Enjoy and

 

[Chicken Salad]

Quote:

Oh so true. I started out like you, Hoot. Just a few birds...little plot of land...just a few eggs...I didn't realize at first...I thought it was just a fluke...but then it dawns on you and finally you understand the neked truth: You're HOOKED.

 

[CityChook]

Sold your soul indeed...

All my friends thought I had lost my mind when I ordered my 4 chicks. They have been a source of joy for me and my family. And daily fresh eggs don't hurt, either.

Plan on spending several hours on this site (daily?). Ha! But seriously, there is a goldmine of information here and a huge collection of people that are so willing to enable, oops, help you. A wonderful place to hang out...

 

[NRacine]

Yup, you're one of us now.

My husband and I spent about 6 weekends and about $350 to build the coop. That's most of the work right there. Every morning I let the girls out, and then close them in at night. If I don't stop to play with them that's a total of 2 whole minutes a day. Every 2 weeks or so I spend maybe half an hour raking out the poop and replacing wood shavings. Once a week or so I spend about 15 minutes cleaning and refilling food and water containers. I spend about $35 every 2 months on supplies (wood shaving and food). So once you have a coop and some chickens, money and time spent is very minimal. But they are very entertaining and if you are an animal lover you will not be able to imagine life without them!

 

[Their Other Mother]

My husband complained because I brought home 6 chicks from the feed store! The next thing I knew he was sitting in the barn in the morning drinking his coffee and feeding them all the corn on the cob I bought for dinner!!! When we lost our flock to preditors he really greived. We now have 25 chickens, have just built a new coop and Hubs is complaining it's not nearly big enough. He is so proud of the fresh eggs He is always offering them to friends and neighbors. The kids love hatching eggs and there is no end in site to the chicken madness