Could I manage a flock?

[GennyBenny]

Hello everyone - I am very new here so I apologize in if this is miscategorized? This is my very first post

My question is - Would a small flock of chickens be manageable for someone like myself or would I be hard pressed to be able to give them the care they need and deserve?

A little bit of background so that you can know what I mean... I am a single 27 year old gal, I own my own home in which I have two dogs (Daisy and Junebug). They share my 1/3 acre yard with 3 goats (Skeeter, Tilly, and Rosie) and one ornery Shetland sheep (Dirty Gerty). I work 911 dispatch which means for me, 12-13 hour overnight shifts from 7pm-7am four days a week. During which I am asleep during the daytime.

I have found the goats/sheep to be very manageable with my schedule as they don't need much from me during my work days - some love and oats in the am, some love and blueberries before I head to work in the pm, rinse and repeat. I spend most of my days off with them out in the yard and they seem to be happy with that.

I would like to get a small flock of chickens, probably around 5 or so, to have eggs that I could possibly sell or give away in the community. I have the room, the fencing materials, and the ability to build them a sweet little coop. And of course lots of love to go around.

Here's where the question comes in... My mother believes I am taking on too much for just lil 'ol me, and is afraid that I will have too many responsibilities. I am the type of person who likes to stay busy and who thinks I can do anything I set my mind to! And that if it really turns out to not work out for me, it was a learning experience and I can mark it off my list as 'not for me' or 'not feasible at this point in my life'. But I do not want to disregard her advice and walk blindly into chicken ownership...

Sorry this got kind of long, I have just never had chickens before so I would really like some good input from you chicken masters on whether you think it is manageable for a busy single person to have a happy healthy little flock.

THANKS EVERYONE!

 

[TXchickmum]

You can manage a small flock with a busy schedule. First of all, consider your climate and the breeds of chickens that might work best therein. If you aren't available throughout the day to check on the birds, make certain that your coop/run and breeds tolerate your climate well. Also, predator-proofing your chicken area is crucial - especially in lieu of the fact that you have other animals in the same vicinity that, although not "predators", may pose a hazard to the chickens. Consider a schedule for egg gathering and cleaning the coop/run. IMO, a larger coop and run requires less frequent cleaning. If space is limited, more cleaning is necessary so the chickens aren't dusting and walking about in concentrated amounts of waste (which will draw flies). -and, on days off or even an hour or so each day, consider whether you will do any free-ranging on your 1/3 acre area. If you choose to keep the birds confined, there are still ways to supplement with greens. You may purchase kale, spinach, etc. and offer to them before you go to work. This will provide them variety in their diet (even if they aren't able to be "out on pasture", so to speak). You may also make your own feeding frames. -can be as simple as a cake pan (with a few drainage holes) in which you add soil and seed some wheatgrass or other lawn type grass. After it is a few inches tall, place it in the run and they can devour fresh greens without being on the lawn. With a little creativity, determination, and commitment you can manage chickens on a busy schedule.

 

[RaisedWithReiki]

Welcome to BYC. With that schedule you might want to consider pullets or already grown hens rather than day old or young chicks. They require a good bit of time and attention daily until they have a couple of weeks growth on them. Conversing with others who work long schedules and have chickens already is an excellent idea. They would have lots of hints for how to manage a small flock. Good luck!

 

[TofuKat]

I wouldn't see why it wouldn't work out as long as you prepare well. I agree with the poster who said predator proofing is crucial. That will go a long way in making sure your birds stay safe if you happen to get held up at work or get in a bind and can't close them up right away at dusk.

You could contact your local 4H or FFA group and see if anyone has pullets for sale...or offer a responsible kid compensation for raising your chicks with theirs in the spring. Five hens might be a bit much, too. But hey, we jumped in the deep end and got a lot and it has been a blast. The only major drawback with extra hens is the amount of litter that has to be shoveled and composted. Also, it can be a bit annoying to have to go to the feedstore every other weekend to buy a bag of chow. With 18 hens I spend an hour every weekend changing out the litter, plus about an hour every other week buying supplies.

The last drawback to hens is getting help when you go away or if you get sick. There are two of us sharing the duties so it's not too bad, but I would make sure you have a friend or relative who can help in an emergency.

Otherwise, go for it! If you enjoy the other critters, you'll likely enjoy hens too.

 

[lcahill]

Welcome to BYC!

I think a small flock of chickens would be just fine as long as the have sufficient shelter, food, and water. I'd say give it a shot!

 

[WoodlandWoman]

How long have you had your animals there? If it's been awhile and you don't think adding chickens will be a problem, then I'd say go for it. If you haven't had them long, especially if you have bad winters where you are, you might want to think about it a little while. Where I live, the winter care of livestock can be more work. Especially if you need to haul water in freezing conditions or go through deep snow. It's just a lot less fun than it is in warm weather. If you've been through a bad winter or don't get bad winters wherever you are, then just skip this first paragraph of advice.

If you build a predator proof run so the chicken door between the coop and run can stay open, it won't matter what your work schedule is like. They will still be safe, without you needing to lock them up at night. Otherwise, I'd plan on more space in the coop, if you have to lock them up before you have to leave for work, while it's still light out.

Not crowding them will help them get along and also cut down on the cleaning you need to do. Crowded housing takes a lot more maintenance. You could also go with deep litter. That only needs to be cleaned out when you want to and can be done once a year. The rest of the time, you just toss a little more wood shavings on top, as needed. Quick and easy when you are in a hurry, especially if you have shavings in the coop or just outside, with a feed scoop in the container.

In general, I think our sheep and dogs have been a lot more work than the chickens. I don't think chicks are hard to raise, myself. I think you could do that, even with your schedule. It's best if you can get them on a day when you can spend the day to get them settled in, especially for shipped chicks. Even chicks can have a little fresh litter sprinkled on top as needed and then clean them on your day off. If you can find pullets in your area, they are even less work than chicks.

The biggest effort and expense with chickens is the housing. If you can deal with getting them set up with adequate housing, the routine maintenance is not a big deal. Food, water, collecting eggs and occationaly spreading a little fresh litter. Cleaning out the coop in the spring or whenever you want to do that. They are a lot of fun, very entertaining and interactive. Ours love to visit with us, too.

 

[graciesmum]

I am a single mum and live alone with my daughter, I have 9 chickens, 2 cats, 2 fish, 2 rabbits and a toddler, I work part time and study part time, I find it relaxing to go sit in the animal garden and just watch them, I don't find it hard to fit around my schedule, in the morning I let my chucks out then poop scoop put everybody's water and food out, then we have breakfast get dressed, and go do what we gota do, at night I put my girls to bed, bring in all water and food things, wash them and refill ready for the morning, it takes about 30 mins in total for the day, just do it lol, if you feel you can do it then just do it lol

 

[donrae]

My chickens take maybe 15 min a day to care for. Feed and collect eggs, a visual check everyone's okay. That's it. Once a week I spend up to an hour cleaning and refilling waterers, raking the shavings around (deep liter method) and anything else that needs to be done. They can be set up to be as much or as little work on a day to day basis as you want. Some folks clean and spend an hour a day there, I just don't have the time. Before I got sick I worked 40 hours a week 35 miles away, and have 2 kids and multiple other animals to care for. Plus a husband who seems to like spending time with me lol. I streamline everything around my place, gives me time to spend cooking or in the garden, or on byc!

 

[aart]

How long have you had your animals there? If it's been awhile and you don't think adding chickens will be a problem, then I'd say go for it. If you haven't had them long, especially if you have bad winters where you are, you might want to think about it a little while. Where I live, the winter care of livestock can be more work. Especially if you need to haul water in freezing conditions or go through deep snow. It's just a lot less fun than it is in warm weather. If you've been through a bad winter or don't get bad winters wherever you are, then just skip this first paragraph of advice. ......

This is great question!

 

[GennyBenny]

Thanks so much everyone for your helpful responses!!! It has really got me thinking that I can handle this. In response to WoodlandWoman's question, I live in SW Montana, so harsh winters are definitely something we deal with here, and they often last what seems like years haha... That is really good point that I had not really thought of yet. I haven't had my critters through a winter yet (aside from the dogs) and definitely think I should experience that before I commit to a flock. If I plan for next spring I will be able to do even more research and be totally prepared to have a happy and healthy flock. Does anyone have any pointers on what kind of breeds I DON'T want? I am looking for pretty, friendly, good egg layers, and cold hardy. There are SO many breeds, I have a good idea of what I DO want but is there any rookie mistakes I should avoid? I am thinking a mix of Brahma and Ameraucanas for their cold-hardy rose combs, temperament, and egg laying prowess. Any thoughts?? Thank You !!!