Does anyone regret getting chickens?

[Henpecked In Florida]

We are just three weeks into our chicken experience. We have more room, 8 acres...with a cat, two dogs and three horses. We decided to start small with a chicken tractor and just five hens...which actually turned out to be four hens and a roo. We have a lot of animal activity on the property to keep us amused, but we have been gravitating to the coop to watch "chicken TV", it can be hypnotic to watch them just scratch around, eat and drink. I was surprised at how curious they are and how they like attention. We got them at 6 weeks old, they have more than doubled in size in just three weeks.

 

[moonlyghtegirl]

I've never regretted a moment. All the good and bad have been great learning experiences, practically and spiritually. I love the personalities and the all the new quirkiness with each new chick...
Poop is just part of it...I have had chickens for a year now and have just ordered 8 more. I lost 3 due to preds about a month ago, and before that had a deformed one that didn't make it.

 

[BarredBuff]

I say get them you already have a setup like I do and chickens just top it off except I have a huge garden, several orchards and beehives, but dont stop because your afraid because even if that stuff does happen it is treatable and they are well worth the wait. Mine did get sick but it was due to my ignorance, the mites are treatable, and where you are in a suburb, predators with the exception of the neighbors dog is not as likely as if you are where I am (surrounded by cliffs). And even if set backs happen you will have learned from it like I did. But I would plan for a dozen hens. Good Luck! = )

 

[CTChickenMom]

Quote:
Agreed...plan for more than what you initially buy. I built my coop to hold 25 standard chickies. I have 13 now, ordered 8 more, but will likely max out this year.

 

[JP33]

Yes! I regret ever getting any, I have no yard left, I'm always building or improving something I already built for them, when I go out of town I'm always thinking of them, my wife thinks I just might love them more than her, (especially Goldie), can't stop talking about them, even joined a chicken forum, where other chicken nuts like myself talk about chicken stuff to the wee morning hours, yes, I regret ever getting them, they have taken over my life!

BTW, as soon as I find three more that lay dark chocolate eggs, I'm adding those to my flock. Yes, I regret ever having them & I hate chickens, every last, stinking, squatting one!

Edited cause I couldn't get the wee wee thingy to stop!
Edited again cause the wee wee thingy made me see things that shouldn't belong on a post!


...JP

 

[M To The Maxx]

I've never regreted having my chickens. I wish I would of gotten into them sooner.

 

[Royd]

Depending on your travel schedule, you can set up a feeder and watering system, which will relieve your worries. Go to the local farm supply and buy a watertank float, and buld your system, with that.
You could, easily, set up a gravity food supply, which would handle as much food as you needed.

My biggest problem, would be having to leave the girls caged, day after day...They get distraught, if I'm an hour late, letting them out, to freerange, even though there is plenty of food, in the feeder.

 

[ChickyLaura]

Nope, I never regretted it. It will definitely be a learning experience for you. I am at my one year anniversary for having chickens. I have lost some, which is sad, but you will learn along the way! I'm hoping to get more eggs this year, so I can give eggs to my neighbors.

I do regret not having more land. I have chickens and live in town. I would love to breed and show, but I guess now is not the time for that.

 

[nsanywhere]

Nope, not a single regret! My only issue now is not getting more, and More, and MORE! But, to address your questions....

* the smell in hot Georgia summers
Smell often comes from improper ventilation in the coop, so if you plan ahead its not too bad. I have windows that I open in spring/summer, close in our cold northeast PA winters. I also scatter a layer of pine shavings in the coop. This helps a lot, and makes it easy to clean out. With only 5 chickens the smell and poop would be manageable.

* dealing with all the ways they die - sickness, predators, accidents, killing each other
Well, this is an inevitable part of owning any animal, but there are plenty of things you can do to minimize issues. Since you are in a development, I wouldn't recommend a rooster. Hens don't do the fighting and I've never had hens kill each other. If you get all your chicks together (not adding in animals from unknown sources) the chances of illness are cut way down. predators are always a factor, but in your development I would think dogs would be the biggest issue. Just be sure you have a coop that is completely secure with a top on it so they are safe at night. The activities of the neighborhood and your presence will most likely keep away most predators. I live in a heavily wooded area without people but with hawks, eagles, racoons, the occasional bear or fox, and I still haven't lost a single chicken to a predator.

* chicken mites
As long as you have enough space per bird in the coop you should be fine. If you let your chickens roam around out in the orchard, they will take dust baths in the dirt and solve that one themselves. Again, I've never had an issue with mites, except for a few silkies I rescued from a bad situation.

* pasty chicken butts and all things related to poop
Weeeellllll, this one is harder. If pasty butts really are an issue, don't get chicks. You can buy your chickens as pullets, or find older birds on places like craigslist.org. But pasty butts are a big deal - usually solves itself after 1-2 days of pulling off the dried poop. Pen poop is pen poop. you can't avoid it. Putting down pine shavings in the coop helps manage it, cleaning the coop out, and giving your birds space all make it much easier. In the winter here my birds stay in their pen and the concentration of birds in the smaller space makes the poo situation noticeable. But in the spring/summer/fall I let them out of the pen and they run around 1/2 acre. The poop droppings are scattered all over, fertilize the grass and I don't even notice it.

* trying to find someone to care for them when we are out of town, or would we never get to leave town again?
I free feed my chickens - a big hanging bucket with feed - so I can leave for about 3 days before I worry. The eggs will stack up, but I'm ok with that. The main issue is to make sure they have enough water, especially in hot GA summers. Once you get the hang of your set up and how you like caring for your chickens, you can figure out the holiday care. I go away for a week or so at a time and have my neighbor check on the birds every few days, add some food and water, and they get to keep the eggs. Works well!

* Initial setup cost (mostly the time and money to build a coop that would not be an eyesore)
Ha! the actual set up really doesn't need to cost much, but we all go a bit bonkers with design of our chicken mansions All you really need is an enclosed coop with perches and nesting boxes and a door to the outside, an enclosed outdoor run/pen, food, and water. How much you spend is entirely up to you. An easy start is a used shed with a chicken wire pen, but there are zillions of ideas out there.

Get some chickens! they are awesome and will change your life!

 

[Blueggchick]

No regrets at all! Addicted here big time!

Now DH....he sometimes does because of the feed bill and because I just want more and more and more.......LOL! Even for Valentines Day, instead of flowers or candy, I wanted more hatching eggs. It is like a disease.