Are you thinking Should I get chickens? Do you want some pros and cons? Here you have them!
Pros Cons
They lay fresh eggs They go broody.
They are a lot of fun to own. Chickens can be a bit messy.
Chickens are very fun to watch. The chicken pellets are expensive.
If you want they can make good house pets. You have to clean the coop.
They go broody. You have to worry about predators.
You can feed them your leftovers. They can get sick, or get hurt.
They can fertilize your garden.
You no longer have to pay for eggs from stores.
Chickens are super cute.
You can show them at poultry shows.
They eat the bugs.
It's fun to look at different breeds.
You can join BYC
Well, there are some pros and some cons. Now you can think Are the pros worth the cons?
Additional Information:
Chickens are a lot of fun though a lot of work. Here is some advice when you are first getting chickens:
Coops:
When getting large fowl, make sure to put the perches a little low, so they don't hurt themselves. If you aren't free ranging make sure to get a large coop so they don't get bored.
Yummy Chicken Treats:
If you want to get your chickens treats here are some things they like: Bread, Fruits, Yogurt, Grapes, Plumbs, Sunflower Seeds, Etc. You can always try giving them random things. Keep in mind the can not eat citrus. Don't give chicks any of these things until the have rocks in their gizzards. Don't give chicks calcium until they have layed their 1st egg.
Medical Info:
Make sure to vaccinate your flock for Mareks when they are a day old, if you got them from a hatchery you should be fine.
Introducing Flocks:
Many people on BYC ask about this, so I am adding it here. If you have 2 flocks of chickens, and you want to join them together, what do you do? Well 1st you can let meet through a wire caging. Then they can get to know each other with no pecking involved. After doing that for about 5 days, put them together. Make sure to put them together at night. Don't freak out if they are pecking each other, they are only establishing the pecking order. Let it be. If any of the new chickens who are being ad in seem to be getting pecked a lot more than the others, you may want to separate them. I am going to say that you shouldn't keep bantams and large fowl in the same coop because you could have pecking problems.
Well I Have Decided To Get Chickens, Should I Free-Range?
Many people are worried about predators. Should you be? Yes.. Predators that would be a problem: Hawks, raccoon, coyote, ferret, weasels, foxes, bobcats, lynxes, mountain lions, etc. Chickens are low on the food chain
. I free-range. Ways to prevent certain predators from getting your flock: Roosters are GREAT protectors! They can even kill hawks! (large fowl) I would free-range with out roosters, but I have some so.. You can always put them in their coops at night, I do that and so do many others. Chickens who free-range tend to be happier, but it's your choice.
Thanks for reading!
Pros Cons
They lay fresh eggs They go broody.
They are a lot of fun to own. Chickens can be a bit messy.
Chickens are very fun to watch. The chicken pellets are expensive.
If you want they can make good house pets. You have to clean the coop.
They go broody. You have to worry about predators.
You can feed them your leftovers. They can get sick, or get hurt.
They can fertilize your garden.
You no longer have to pay for eggs from stores.
Chickens are super cute.
You can show them at poultry shows.
They eat the bugs.
It's fun to look at different breeds.
You can join BYC
Well, there are some pros and some cons. Now you can think Are the pros worth the cons?
Additional Information:
Chickens are a lot of fun though a lot of work. Here is some advice when you are first getting chickens:
Coops:
When getting large fowl, make sure to put the perches a little low, so they don't hurt themselves. If you aren't free ranging make sure to get a large coop so they don't get bored.
Yummy Chicken Treats:
If you want to get your chickens treats here are some things they like: Bread, Fruits, Yogurt, Grapes, Plumbs, Sunflower Seeds, Etc. You can always try giving them random things. Keep in mind the can not eat citrus. Don't give chicks any of these things until the have rocks in their gizzards. Don't give chicks calcium until they have layed their 1st egg.
Medical Info:
Make sure to vaccinate your flock for Mareks when they are a day old, if you got them from a hatchery you should be fine.
Introducing Flocks:
Many people on BYC ask about this, so I am adding it here. If you have 2 flocks of chickens, and you want to join them together, what do you do? Well 1st you can let meet through a wire caging. Then they can get to know each other with no pecking involved. After doing that for about 5 days, put them together. Make sure to put them together at night. Don't freak out if they are pecking each other, they are only establishing the pecking order. Let it be. If any of the new chickens who are being ad in seem to be getting pecked a lot more than the others, you may want to separate them. I am going to say that you shouldn't keep bantams and large fowl in the same coop because you could have pecking problems.
Well I Have Decided To Get Chickens, Should I Free-Range?
Many people are worried about predators. Should you be? Yes.. Predators that would be a problem: Hawks, raccoon, coyote, ferret, weasels, foxes, bobcats, lynxes, mountain lions, etc. Chickens are low on the food chain
. I free-range. Ways to prevent certain predators from getting your flock: Roosters are GREAT protectors! They can even kill hawks! (large fowl) I would free-range with out roosters, but I have some so.. You can always put them in their coops at night, I do that and so do many others. Chickens who free-range tend to be happier, but it's your choice. Thanks for reading!
