How much work are chickens

[Belle7]

Hello I want to get chickens and want to know how much work they are. There are a lot of breeds I like and want to try, but how much work would about 20 chickens be. Do keep in mind I want to handle them, hand feed them, and do everything I can to take the best care of them. Can anyone give me an idea on time and cost, thank you.

 

[Mountain Peeps]

Welcome to BYC!

Since you want to have about 20 birds that you wish to hand feed, handle, etc they will take a good amount of time. With hand feeding, you have to make sure all the birds get to eat. Lower ranking birds will eat last. You have to hand feed them at least twice a day and with 20 birds, it will take at least 20-30 minutes to insure all eat and get filled up.

Handling birds is fun but also takes time. I usually spend about 10 minutes a day cuddling with each of my hens. I have 5 so that's 50 minutes right there! It's up to you how much time you want to spend with your flock each day.

When it comes to work, chickens generally take care of themselves quite well. There's no need to walk them like a dog or bathe them. You need to clean their living quarters COMPLETELY twice a year and spot clean about twice every month. Clean their feeders, waterers and nests as needed.

It's impossible to say how much it will cost to raise them. But, you can pin point certain things. You'll need to pay for bedding, food, feeders, waterers, a coop, medicine, possible vet bills, treats, not to mention the birds themselves. It's cheapest to buy chicks; not full grown birds or hatching eggs.

I hope this helps a bit! Feel free to ask any other questions. Good luck!

 

[MeepBeep]

It's cheapest to buy chicks; not full grown birds or hatching eggs.

This can vary by breed and other factors...

In many instances for more expensive or exotic breeds you can save a lot by purchasing eggs and hatching them over chicks, easily negating the cost of an incubator an potential losses... In many other instances when you factor in the time and cost to raise a chick from day one to production age, many times it can be effective to purchase mature pullets or adults on the 2nd hand market....

To the OP, if you want to raise 20 chickens as pampered pets consider it a decent several hour a day part time job or possibly a full time job... On the flip side there are all sorts of levels below that, that take less time and are perfectly acceptable...

 

[Belle7]

Thanks for your help this sounds like about what I thught it would be (I do not have a real job still in school).

 

[RJSorensen]

I have found that it takes as much time as I wish to invest in my birds. I enjoy it so it is not a chore, it takes a lot more time if it is a chore for you. Keep your flock a manageable size and work your way up. You can always add as you go, and you may have a change of favorite breeds and not be locked in to your start up flock. There is time… take the time to grow into it.

Best to you and your new flock,

RJ



This is Henny Penny, an OEGB BBRed hen. She likes to be held.

 

[elkinsacres]

The easy answer is...more than you think.

We are raising a variety of breeds for a variety of purposes, including turkeys, ducks and guineas (and sheep, and cattle...). Tending to the incubator (candling eggs, rotating through lockdown, cleaning/disinfecting), feeding/watering chicks, feeding/watering juveniles and adults, cleaning brooder boxes and pens, construction projects to house and tend them, etc, etc, etc.

But, for me, I don't think of it as 'work'. This is a lifestyle choice, one of self-sufficiency, living in concert with the land. Keep that mindset, and it will never seem like 'work' at all.

Cost-wise, wow, that varies wildly depending on so many things. Can you free-range them at all? Will you be building your pens/coop? If so, will you need to purchase materials? What is your water source like? Lots of factors will determine your 'cost' - not to mention your hours put into this (ad)venture.

Again, don't think of it as work. Enjoy yourself and your birds!

 

[MeepBeep]

The easy answer is...more than you think.

I don't know if I fully agree with that, as I said there are all levels to be considered and some of them can take a lot less time...

I have a fairly large flock of chickens, guinea fowl and peafowl as well as goats and llamas... I also have the incubator running and brooders with young birds all summer...

I have done a lot to automate the processes to save me time, I also don't treat the animals like pampered pets, nor do I treat them at the other extreme as just livestock, I work in the middle...

At the end of the day, all combined I probably spend about an hour a day taking care of them all... And every so often I have to devote maybe a weekend day to something like cleaning, maintenance or what not...

I have done and continue to automate processes to save me time, switching over to the deep litter method for birds was a huge time saver as was automating daily watering for all the animals... They all still get daily check ins and some socialization but I don't regularly spend a lot of time with them...

I understand others will spend a lot more time with their animals, but I'm a stay at home father taking care of three young children, my 'free time' is severely limited thus the compromises.,, ..

 

[ChickenCanoe]

All good answers here. I'm not like mountain peeps since I don't cuddle each one daily but I get it.
I guess I'm a bit more like MeepBeep but only have chickens.

A single flock doesn't have to take much time. Coddling them does. However, even with my hands off approach, one should take some time to observe each flock when they are let out each morning. 10 or 15 minutes just watching them interact every day and you'll soon be able to detect if something is wrong or about to become a problem.

I don't have any pet chickens but I currently have 65 chickens spread out in 6 flocks and the incubator is running. It takes more time to have multiple flocks but it is very useful and I've never been mad at myself for having multiple housing options.

One way to cut cost is to limit feed waste. I cut my feed costs dramatically when I ferment feed as the fines get bound up in the moistened feed and not wasted.

 

[elkinsacres]

I hear you, MeepBeep. I, too, am working to automate my systems whenever and wherever possible. I guess I was speaking generally in terms of getting started. Unless you know a lot about poultry, learn insanely fast and/or are able to immediately apply learned knowledge, starting off can be a bumpy ride that is a lot more work than you anticipated. Keep at it, take awesome notes, learn from your mistakes, work efficiently...and it most certainly gets a LOT easier!

Since I switched over to 5 gallon buckets for feeders (using a 90-degree street elbow for the opening) and waterers (horizontal nipples), my outdoor tasks are much, much quicker. Just run the RTV along the pens and check the buckets, hauling back to the barn anything that needs to be refilled. Since I started using 'pallet boxes' for brooders, same thing - much, much quicker. I can check on a LOT of chicks in 8 different boxes, feeding and watering them as well as mucking out boxes weekly, in about an hour. If it takes me longer, it's because I am evaluating or just generally handling birds. Work is done in no time, leaving me plenty of leaway for 'fun time'!

 

[RonP]

I don't know if I fully agree with that, as I said there are all levels to be considered and some of them can take a lot less time...

I have a fairly large flock of chickens, guinea fowl and peafowl as well as goats and llamas... I also have the incubator running and brooders with young birds all summer...

I have done a lot to automate the processes to save me time, I also don't treat the animals like pampered pets, nor do I treat them at the other extreme as just livestock, I work in the middle...

At the end of the day, all combined I probably spend about an hour a day taking care of them all... And every so often I have to devote maybe a weekend day to something like cleaning, maintenance or what not...

I have done and continue to automate processes to save me time, switching over to the deep litter method for birds was a huge time saver as was automating daily watering for all the animals... They all still get daily check ins and some socialization but I don't regularly spend a lot of time with them...

I understand others will spend a lot more time with their animals, but I'm a stay at home father taking care of three young children, my 'free time' is severely limited thus the compromises.,, ..

Wholeheartedly agree.

My personal health issues, will at times, unexpectedly keep me away from my birds.

I must insure that my flock is prepared for my absence at all times. I do and can not trust their care to others...

That said, my coop and feeders are designed for unexpected long term absences.

This summer I was MIA for 2 months straight.

My birds were visited 3 times during that period...more than necessary for their care.

I designed the coop and feeders for 30 plus day survival.

Other than many discarded eggs, the birds and coop were fine.

I missed them more than they me...