Does anyone regret getting chickens?

[Chickenaddict]

Quote:
Start out small until you are comfortable with them and then go from there. I am guarenteeing that you will have a full house in no time

 

[ubumartin]

I have just 3 buff orpingtons for almost a year.

My only regret is that I free ranged the first 3 I had and lost them to a fox. I was devastated and now only let these 3 out when I am right with them. I put them in a 6x8 ft dog kennel that I move around the yard when they are out of the coop.

I broke my ankle in December which required surgery with pins and a rod and I was unable to tend to them and my family had to do it. I cried because I could not go out to visit them and take care of them. I also found that I don't even mind cleaning the coop. When I am working out there with them, I don't have any pain in my ankle, cold and rain does not bother me when I am out with them. So I know that I must truly love having chickens.

I would start small and see if it is something you really want to do. I had always wanted chickens and one day I just decided I was going to do it. I feel I have the best hobby and the eggs we get are delicious! They keep me active out in the yard, I enjoy yard work now. I have started a garden and a compost bin. I just enjoy being out there watching them, they are funny and very pretty. I have a small coop and it is not hard to spot clean every day and I clean the pen every week or two. They have dug up grubs for me and have prepared some bare spots in the yard for seeding. They are very hard workers!

 

[Pidgey104]

I do regret getting in to chcikens
I love them to death. But I have moved to toen from my mom's place with 5 arces. Shes always threatend me with How she hate taking care of them (I only can go up there once a week.) Work 7:00 to 5:00 and she lives 1 hr from me. So I'm looking for a palce closer I will get more birds !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[patandchickens]

My husband regrets me getting chickens, does that count?

LOL


Pat

 

[A.T. Hagan]

Well, let's see. On Sundays I have to fill all the feeders and drinkers in addition to moving the tractors (every day). Takes about two hours or thereabouts depending on how fast I am moving that day. Last Sunday aftrernoon it went to 98 degrees and humidity over 50% so for about an hour or so there I regretted ever having brought a chicken home.

But most of the time I prefer to have them.

.....Alan.

 

[NeeleysAVLChicks]

Quote:
Haha, ditto!

 

[columbiacritter]

I regret the day my husband found my chicken catalog because he went from anti chicken to a poultry nut. Now we have 5 breeds of chickens, soon to add another(show quality of course) and two breeds of ducks. My garage is filled with the pieces of the latest coop getting built and this weekend we are building the run for it.

 

[geebs]

folowingmynose I think most of the reservations you have except the expense (see tacky coops for ideas there) are very manageable. for mite/lice I use pour on ivomec... that deals with parasites and as far at the smell... Good feed tackles that (not storebought mash)...herbs in their feed etc... That really makes life liveable. ACV in the water to make the eggs taste soooo good and overall chicken health and a good mean roo and cat for preditors... also good fencing and locking them in at night... I use a concrete foundation under their run to prevent digging... I would have to say no... I have no resevation bout having chickens... automatic watering makes trips out of town a good deal and gravity feeder makes for out of town. If you use peppermint about your coop then you won't have rats/mice problems.... Good luck working the "bugs" out of your program. I don't have the same environment so that may be a factor... Hang in there or get paper chickens!!!!

 

[cdbailey59]

My stepson brought a rooster home from the flea market last summer. He became our family pet and I think he actually started thinking he was one of our dogs (he started coming in the house through the pet door,We fixed that though) The only problem we had was the mess he made on our screened in back porch. I put a screen door up and solved that problem.

But back in January he started wondering off, so we got him some hens to keep him home. We have never regretted it. They are all so funny. We love watching them. They are really not much trouble. Just feed and water them everyday, and clean the coup out every now and then. A friend had built some coups for his checkens and sold us one for $40. About what it had cost him to make it. It's small, 5 by 5 maybe, and bout 4 or 5 feet tall. The rooster sleeps in the tree over the coop. We clipped the hens wings and they sleep in the coup, We have 3. Not much of a smell either. Ours like to burrough down in the dirt against the bricks of the house foundation in the garden just outside our kitchen window. They do leave a mess there, but it is easliy shovelled up, and I throw it on our compost pile.

All in all, we are very happy with our chickens and I am looking for 2 more hens. A Buff Orpington and a White Leghorn if anyone knows of any for sale in the North Georgia area. Go for it! and see for yourself how you like it.

 

[PhilErvin]

My only regret is that I didn't get them sooner. What a wonderful experience.