1st chic order probably getting cancelled

[TheKluck]

Hi All,

Wanted to try raising some chickens this summer but managment thinks it's to much work in an already busy schedule. We have 1 dog, 3 cats and 2 boys 2 & 4. Both kids need to get outta the house for daycare every morning so the thought is how are we gonna add 6-10 chickens to mix with daycare, work and the animals we already have?

From what I've read they're not very labor intensive.

Thanks for any input.

 

[BYCforlife]

Sorry, don't know what I was thinking. Yes, chicks take time, and they need to be checked on about once an hour. If that does not work for you, that s too bad. Good luck!

 

[TheKluck]

We're getting chicks but the thought is they'll be to much work with what we already have going on.

 

[BYCforlife]

We're getting chicks but the thought is they'll be to much work with what we already have going on.

Yes, sorry, I edited my post ^^^

 

[6sablehens]

Adding a few chickens isn't too bad, you can get large feeders and waterers that hold food for a long time before needing to be refilled. They need a pen to sleep in at night (it only needs to be a simple structure, as long it will protect them from bad weather and predators). You can either let them free range or build a run off the pen. As long as the water stays fresh and they have enough food they should be ok, but larger flocks do tend to be a bit more work, and some times health issues can occur and need to be treated.

We just put out some food and refill a small container of water for the chickens every evening before we lock them in their pen for the night (we have ducks who make their water dirty). They spend most of their day in their run or free ranging.
Although they are simple, they are another animal to look after, so they do add to the work, but I love keeping chickens and find they are one of the easier pets to look after - We have horses, dogs, cats and ducks!

 

[TheKluck]

Is 9 to many to start with?

 

[Percheron chick]

Do you need 6-8 eggs a day? 4-5 dozen a week? It's no more work to raise 20 chicks as it is 4. Do you have a coop yet?

 

[ChickenMammX4]

When we first got chicks, they were in our daughter's rec room. ( we live on joined property) No one has more going on in the morning than they do...4 kids, 1 to school, 3 to daycare, parents to work and 2 dogs. I'm sure they didn't check on the chicks hourly. I would go over to their house late in the morning or afternoon to check on them, clean up, feed & water if necessary. They'd check on them after work/evening.

Fast forward to grown chickens (we have 6). There is an automatic popdoor, it's set to open in the morning and to close at night. The chickens put themselves to bed. Either I or my husband check on them everyday, usually after lunch to collect eggs, water, feed & tidy up. Around dinner time I may go to the coop to take food scraps and check again for eggs.

We do a big clean out of the coop twice a year (spring & fall) and of the run once a year (spring).

I've taken care of horses, dogs, cats, & guinea pigs. Chcikens are one of the easiest.

 

[snow5164]

You can't leave young chicks for hours on end. They get pasty butt or fall into the water...

Why not get 4 or 5 pullets? Ready to lay ?
That way the time consuming first few weeks are past and you'll have eggs to make up for the work ?

I couldn't have my hens without hubbies help,
50 pound bags of feed are heavy and it just works better if we are on the same page


Ps I have 4 dogs ,3 outdoor cats, 3 cows and a bull, 40 some chickens and a very busy husband !! Kids are grown, married and gone

 

[BlueShadow]

The amount of work that chickens require really depends on your setup. For adult chickens, they don't require much time at all if you have a nice coop, right size feeder and waterer, etc. Then you only have quick chores each day, once a week good cleaning of the feeder, waterer, coop, etc., and done.

For chicks, you need to fill their feed & water once a day, then check on them several times a day to be sure everything looks okay - water still clean, haven't spilled all the feed, everyone looks warm, alert, and healthy, etc. Depending on your brooder size, it will need to be cleaned every day to every few days.

But if you have space that is too small for your birds, or feeders/waterers that get spilled or dirty easily, a coop that you have to enter to let chickens out or get eggs, etc. etc. etc. then they can take more time. Can you do it with small children? Sure you can. Your kids are similar ages to mine and I have 21 chicks in the brooder, 13 adults in the coop, and a dozen guineas. But maybe you decide now isn't the right time for you to get chickens. That is okay too.