How challenging is chicken keeping?

[Emma Miriam]

You've already gotten excellent replies, but I'll add my two cents! I just got my first four chicks last month (they're three and a half weeks old). You asked a great question about heat earlier, so I'll tell you my experience. Have you looked into heat plates at all? I bought a Premier heat plate (the other commercial option is the EcoGlow, which I've heard doesn't run quite as hot but is more expensive and, from what I've heard, more difficult to adjust), and honestly it was the best decision for me. I'm brooding in a cardboard box in my basement, and that way I don't need to worry about securing heat lamps, adjusting temps, overheating chicks...they can come and go whenever they want. The legs on the Premier are super easy to raise, which I've done maybe twice a week, and I made one side of the heat plate higher than the other to accomodate different heights and heat preferences. It's been excellent for me. I agree with other posters that chicks may not need as much heat as we typically give them...my chicks go under the heat plate much less often than I had expected.

As for brooding in your coop, I've read about people who've done that. If you did choose a heat plate and could run an extension cord out to your coop, I can't see why you wouldn't be able to start your chicks outside from day one. If they're cold, they'll go under it, but you won't have to worry about excess heat in a closed coop like you would with a heat lamp. If you use a heat lamp, my personal suggestion would be to brood indoors through week two or three...then they'd likely be fine outside without a heat source with your hot weather. At just under three weeks old, I brought my chicks outside on a calm 80 degree afternoon. I kept watching them, expecting them to huddle or at least move into the sun, but I ended up leaving them outside for hours (the temp probably dropped to 76 or 77) and they were perfectly content in the shade.

I too spent lots of time researching before I dived in, and I'm definitely glad I did! Keep asking questions...you'll love your chicks.

 

[shortgrass]

Oh they are challenging, yes. Sometimes frustratingly so, sometimes delightfully so lol... Money on feed, then redoing the entire farm to accommodate chickens, redoing all my fencing around the garden and not keeping them from demolishing their favorites.... Roosters learning to crow then competing... Hens spending nights in trees making me worry... One snagged by a coon. No major diseases. No rooster attacks (yet lol), wonderful compost addition with the poop...

I'm a mom of 2 little girls. Whatever cost and challenge there is to it, for me, 2 things come to mind lol...

1. Something better than video games for my 2 girls (they get silkies and responsibilities)

2. A place I can RETREAT to and no sassing back ha-ha

They are wonderfully challenging, real treats to have the privilege of owning.

 

[baah]

I luv my Buffies. Have about 75 total chickens: buffs, Ameracaunas + EEs. We like LARGE eggs & buffs lay nice lrg browns. A few will always get broody but you just put a glove on & take those eggs anyway. Or don't & let them brood your next generation. Overall they are very docile, easy to handle & have big fluffy bottoms which I love! We do petting zoos for local schools & churches in spring & fall, & I always bring some buffs with me bc they are calm & easy for the kids to hold & pet. Don't get freaked out about all the "rules" of chicken raising. You will learn as you go. As a previous post said: food, clean water, room to roam & protection ag predators. Keep young chicks really warm for the first 4 weeks...heat lamp & wind protection with enough room for them to move towards or away from the heat source depending upon their temp. Once birds have feathered they can tolerate less heat. Just use your common sense & don't sweat the small stuff. Piece of cake!!!!

 

[chicknextdoor]

You guys have no idea how thankful I am for all of the insight you've all provided me with!
I'll be looking into those heat plates and automatic door openers, for sure. Anything to make my (and the chickens') life easier is a plus!

If you guys will indulge me in one last question (sincerest apologies to all for all of the tangents this post has taken!) - has anybody found that their EEs or Buff Orps fly over fences? One of my reasons for choosing the BRs was that they're unlikely to make it over a fence. We have a fence around 5-6ft tall, but on the other side of it lies the neighbor's lower fenced yard containing a Chow and German Shepherd - neither of which look like they would have a second thought about taking a bite out of a chicken, let alone ME. So I suppose I'd be much more willing to look for a breed that, like the BRs, won't be making escape attempts every day. If anybody has suggestions for that - and I'd be willing to look at breeds beyond EEs and Buff Orps - I'd be very appreciative!

Seriously everyone, thanks again! These replies are so darn helpful!

 

[DebFR]

My EEs flew right over my 4' electric POULTRY netting, as did my barred rocks, and just about everyone else, including my enormous black australorp rooster. Poultry netting - ha! They even occasionally flew up to the top of my little gypsy wagon hen house that is 6' tall. When a friend showed us how to clip one wing on each bird we have had no escapees! I was concerned they would look odd with one wing's feathers clipped short, but you can hardly tell. It does not hurt them to do this and the result is they cannot fly very high at all. You do have to clip again after they go through a moult though. The feathers grow back.

 

[JoPop]

I started my flock about a year ago and I will say it is both easier and more challenging that I expected. Problems will come up, but you'll research them on this site, solve them, and then feel great when you do! It's definitely worth it!

 

[uzisuzuki]

I started chicken keeping by chance after a car accident left me bedridden/in a wheelchair for about 3 months. I had just started walking again when I got my rooster, had been walking for a month when I got my first 4 hens. If I could do it during winter using a walker and a cane without incident, I'm confident everyone else can do it too if they want. You can do it!

 

[Emma Miriam]

Oh yes, definitely look at automatic door openers! Glad someone mentioned that. If you don't want to plug your door in or are worried about power outages, get a door that runs on batteries. I bought the VSB doorkeeper from Amazon, and I know Brinsea's new doors take batteries as well. Expensive, but a great investment!

I don't have any personal experience with high flyers yet, as my chicks are still in the brooder, but for reference, I have an EE, a Speckled Sussex, a Light Brahma, and a Welsummer. If you want birds who can't fly your fence, get heavy birds: BOs, Brahmas, Sussex, birds like that. All of which I highly recommend — extremely friendly birds! I honestly don't know how high they can fly without their wings clipped, but they'd be your best bet. EEs I would imagine could clear that fence easy without wing trimming.

Keep the great questions coming!

 

[diana507]

I had done alot of research before one day I was at TSC and decided I was finally going to dive in head first and bring home 12 ISA Browns. I was second guessing everything I was doing with my chicks. Even though I asked alot of questions on here, everyone was so helpful and patient with me and my million questions. It took longer to build my coop this spring due to lovely Maine weather. So the chicks were inside longer then they should of been. The dust was bad and changing the brooder shavings and the wee wee pads definitely got old. But coop wise, I paid close attention to what everyone said worked the best for them and what they wished they had done differently. And then decided the final layout for my coop. I will tell you the best thing I ever did was put a poop board in under my roost. Cleaning is literally a 5 minute job scooping the poop out of the PDZ. Even though somethings have been frustrating from time to time, I can't imagine not having my chickens. All 12 have different personalities and are so much fun to watch. So my best advice is: Don't over think it, cause you will make it more difficult then it needs to be.

 

[shortgrass]

You guys have no idea how thankful I am for all of the insight you've all provided me with! 
I'll be looking into those heat plates and automatic door openers, for sure. Anything to make my (and the chickens') life easier is a plus!

If you guys will indulge me in one last question (sincerest apologies to all for all of the tangents this post has taken!) - has anybody found that their EEs or Buff Orps fly over fences? One of my reasons for choosing the BRs was that they're unlikely to make it over a fence. We have a fence around 5-6ft tall, but on the other side of it lies the neighbor's lower fenced yard containing a Chow and German Shepherd - neither of which look like they would have a second thought about taking a bite out of a chicken, let alone ME. So I suppose I'd be much more willing to look for a breed that, like the BRs, won't be making escape attempts every day. If anybody has suggestions for that - and I'd be willing to look at breeds beyond EEs and Buff Orps - I'd be very appreciative!

Seriously everyone, thanks again! These replies are so darn helpful!

I have to warn you lol, Barred Rocks will go over your fence Mine do, mostly because I have Anconas and Buttercups that are semi-wild, and 4 of my BRs have joined the "wild" club. They can and will "climb" the fence to help them get out. The nice thing is, they are easy to catch and put back if I need to; they're just excited to go find bugs in the garden .. My Cochins and obviously, the girls' silkies stay put. My EEs and Red Stars stay put too... Barred Rocks are sneaky smart But I love them; they're honestly my fave group out of the whole bunch