Can't decide if we should raise chickens

[Troyerchicks]

Hello!
We live on about 1/2 acre and decided the beginning of this year to try chickens. Let me first say that I had never ever had chickens or really been around them but my husband had had them as a child. We have 5 children and, like you, loved the idea of providing the absolute freshest eggs for them. We decided on the Australorps because they are supposed to be good layers, docile and QUIET. Ordered chicks from a hatchery that let us order only 6. Figured we didn't need more than that and I didn't want more. Didn't want to get overwhelmed. Weelll, then I found this forum and started reading ...and found other breeds and thought...what are a few more?? Now we have 4 Buff Orpingtons and 2 bantam cochins that are about 14 weeks old as well as 5 australorp chicks and one mystery chick that the hatchery threw in. The orps and cochins aren't silent but they are kinda quiet. Of course they haven't started to lay so I'm not sure how quiet the egg song is!

I spoke to both of my closest neighbors and they are really okay with it. One wants eggs and the other is waiting for some fertilizer for his garden. We live in a medium sized town and codes state that we can have chickens but they cannot be loose. My husband constructed an enclosed chicken tractor on wheels for a run. The house we live in had a small shed that was once used a chicken coop many many years ago. We had to refurbish it but that didn't take long at all. (didn't go for the chicken mcmansion)
My children love the chickens and I like providing them with the experience.
Please feel free to ask anymore questions you can think of!! But be aware, as stated many many times, chickens can be addictive.

 

[FridayYet]

I just wanted to say a big "Thank You" for all the replies to this thread. I'm in the same situation as the OP, and have learned a lot from all the great people here at BYC.

Good luck in your research. It's great to get a true picture of what we're thinking about getting in to!

 

[DenverBird]

Great advice and stories here.

We're on a 1/4 acre lot in the burbs and got our first 6 hens late last summer. We selected the breeds below, with the exception of the Black Star, because they were listed somewhere or another as being "docile" and they're pretty quiet. The Black Star who we thought was an Australorp, is quiet also but I'm not sure what the breed is supposed to be. That said, your neighbors will know you have hens because even quiet birds will squawk some and make some noise when they lay, are startled, or you let them out.

They're a joy to watch in the yard until they get into the beds. We're planning our garden for the summer and will invest in a lot of fencing to keep them out.

Good luck,

-DB

 

[KCLulamae]

WOW!! Thanks everyone for the great information. I only have a minute to post this reply because it's taken me awhile to read through everyone's comments. I really can't thank y'all enough. You never know when you post to some of these forums with very basic (to no) knowledge, how people will reply. I can honestly say that BYC has the best forums and the best people!

Y'all have given me a lot to think about and a lot of specifics that will help us make this decision. I'm definitely going to see if I can find anyone in my area that has chickens to see if I can go have a peek. (Anyone here live in the DFW area?) Also, I never thought about the vacation problem - I'll need to see if we have any willing neighbors to help out. I especially like the idea of the babysitter getting the eggs.

Thanks again! I'm in your debt...

(This forum even has the best smiley's)

-kc

 

[galanie]

You will get replies to this from a bunch of enablers. Not exactly unbiased group. I, however, am not at all biased. Everyone must have chickens for whatever reason. Should you have chickens? Of course!

 

[Cass]

DO IT, DO IT, DO IT....you'll never eat store bought eggs again.

 

[gryeyes]

I am a ... What AM I? .... Woman in my late 50s living in a lazy, overweight, easily tired, often painful body who wishes I would have started keeping chickens many years ago.

I didn't get them for the eggs, I wanted free fertilizer because I was tired of lugging bags of it from garden centers. I didn't want to spray for insects, so the chickens are my bug reducing squadrons. The eggs are a pure bonus, gifts from the girls. They wouldn't have to lay another egg in their lives, and I would still keep them. But I am glad they do.... I enjoy selling a dozen, colorful eggs to co- workers now and then.

I had no clue each chicken would have its own personality and mannerisms. They're CHICKENS, who knew?!?!? My hypertension medication dosage has been reduced by my physician shortly after I started keeping chickens. I love watching and listening to them. It's a hoot to see a hen run somewhere she thinks she needs to get quickly!

Baby roosters are adorable, croaking out their first attempts at crowing.

Did you know chickens can purr? It's a wonderful trilling sound, very contented.

These few aspects are worth keeping chickens.

And baby chicks.... Oh my gosh. Who could resist those?!?!

 

[DTRM30]

I've had them for quite a while - look into the deep litter method - it' reduces a lot of the daily coop cleaning. I use it and love it.

Be SURE you have enough space for the number of birds you want to get. A key to a less stressful experience in chicken keeping.

As for vacations - I know many say they need someone to come and check their birds daily and to let them in/out. Here is what I do - I set out multiple feeders with enough feed for while I'm gone - and also set out multiple waterers to hold enough water while I'm gone. Once you've had them for a while you'll get a "feel" for how much the eat and drink on a daily basis. I have a fairly predator proof coop and run - never had anything get in (yet) to the run or the coop other then when I left the run door open which is my own fault. So, I leave the coop "pop" door open - if I'm gone for a week - I'll have someone come over once, maybe twice just to peek in to be sure all is good and to take the eggs. If I'm going for a long weekend - I don't bother having anyone check on them. Haven't lost a hen yet doing it that way - and I've been away every summer for a week plus, as well as multiple long weekends. Just need to keep the water elevated so they don't scratch bedding into it.

They aren't much work - providing you do keep up with them. If you don't keep up - then it's a real pain to clean out everything and they will start to stink. The birds themselves are pretty clean for the most part.

I'll spend a few minutes per day (about 15-30 total) - checking feed and water, checking behavior to be sure everyone looks/acts OK - and checking the run/coop for any signs of needing cleaning. Any cleaning that I notice needs doing waits until the weekend when I have the time. Such as raking the run area, adding fresh bedding, changing bedding in the nest boxes. If you keep up with it - it will only take you an hour tops to rake out and add bedding when it's needed. The larger cleaning I do every 3-4 months takes me about 2 hours. I take out all the bedding, dust the coop with poultry dust, add new bedding.

During the summer - I notice more flies, but not dreadful. A fly strip does the trick. Plus, there are horses behind us so I'm sure some are from them as well.

The ONLY time I notice any real smell is if I let the coop go too long (like this past winter - the weather did not cooperate so I just couldn't get out there to get it done) - or if your run gets muddy. A muddy run and rotting bedding will stink like you've never smelled before. The trick is to keep it all dry. Gravel/sand runs are great - look into that as well. Also, by letting the coop and run get ahead of you - you risk your birds getting sick - which is a WHOLE lot more trouble than spending the time to stay on top of it.

I let mine free range when I'm home - neighbor down the street has a dog that gets out and I worry about it getting the birds so won't leave them unattended - and they tend to stay near the edge of my yard - my dog's poop is more of a problem than the chicken poop. I keep between 10-15 birds. I'm allowed 20 on my 1.5 acre lot. Neighbors weren't thrilled about the rooster we had so we re-homed him. But they never really complained either - only said he woke them up early. I slept right through it

never heard him

Definitely find out what your local laws allow. If you can keep them legally your neighbors don't have much recourse even if they don't like them.

Lots of people in my town have chickens and roosters - yes, they are still allowed - we aren't a city, but not exactly rural and small.

But- as is the case with ANY animal - there is a responsibility that goes with getting them - they are living things that need care and routine things like treating for lice and mites - no different than treating a dog or cat for fleas and ticks (which, BTW - are host specific so if your birds get lice or mites - they will NOT live on you). Sometimes the get sick - sometimes they die - you need to be prepared to deal with whatever they toss you besides eggs.

 

[greenSearcher]

I may have missed reading one important thing about chickens. They like to Landscape. I have to fence the gardens to keep my chickens out of them. Even with more than 2 cleared acres for them to forage on, they make a straight bee line for the flower beds. I finally enclosed the herb garden which looks like 5 terriers have lived in it, full of pot holes and bare weeds. They will scour their run or yard to bare earth, eating anything green. I toss hay over the soil of their yards to help absorb the poop and give them something to scratch in. I also have dust baths in the yards, either wooden frames or kiddie pool to contain the dirt/sand/ashes/DE mix they bathe in. Though nothing is nicer than fresh compost mixed into sandy soil in their opinion.

Sometimes it is a battle, a passionate gardener and chicken lover. At least I don't have big dogs!

And yes, I am addicted, I have almost 40 chickens, with an incubator coming in the near future. It's me and my fences as the chickens sing "don't fence me in(out)"

 

[poultry guy]

I can answer some of the expense Qs but i live on 5 acres so don't have any trouble with neibors. The expense you should be looking at are feed, grit, oyster shells, what to feed and water with, the coop, bedding, and the chickens themselves. Now if you are looking to get chicks i would direct you to murray mcmurray or my p[et chicken both hatcheries, but if you want them laying rigt away i don't know. The feed cost depends on what kind of feed and what store, if you realy what the best Quality eggs you want organic feed however this cost the most and if you want a strong egg shellyou want to buy them oyster shells, both feed and oyster shells can be found at blue seal. You also want a feeder and a waterer wich have an OK cost and can also be found at blue seal. For bedding i use hay you may also use pine shavings or other "chips". You can not get coops at a everyday chicken store you either have to order them from a hatchery again i would direct you to my pet chicken but not mcmuray.
Hope that helps.