Is it worth the cost?

[Alex S]

I'm afraid I'm going to put all this time, money, and work into getting chickens and forget about them and not want them anymore. I just want to be %100 sure I want them before buying all the necessities. How do I tell if I really want them?

 

[abpatchy]

Maybe you should think about why you think you want chickens.

A little over a year I decited to have chickens... I was given the oportunity to breed for show. I wanted to be clear if that is really what I wanted to do. In order to make up my mind I watched youtube videos about chickens. Also about butchering, about cleaning the coop, about treating sick chickens. I never thought "I don't want to do this"... so I went ahead and got into breeding. I love it! Even more than I thought I would.
Maybe it helps you too.

 

[Ebony Rose]

If in doubt, don't bother.
Chickens don't take a lot of work but they do require *some* effort. Daily fresh water and feed, a quick cleaning of their poop boards, adequate housing and inspection of their living quarter daily for signs of mites, mice, or predators. A visual inspection of your birds once daily and a hands-on inspection at least once a week as wellness checks. Up in the morning to open the coop, and closing the coop at sundown. Not a ton of work, but they do require these daily tasks that must be done.

 

[cavemanrich]

My suggestion is to start small, and give it a test-drive. Minimal investment, and if you get GREEN LIGHT inside your thinking,,,, then advance further.
I only suggest these entry level inexpensive coops to peeps that are not sure about chicken keeping.
Get 3 chickens and see if it is for you. If not donate those chickens to someone else, and part with the coop. You are not that deep in the hole them.

WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,and

 

[Alex S]

My suggestion is to start small, and give it a test-drive. Minimal investment, and if you get GREEN LIGHT inside your thinking,,,, then advance further.
I only suggest these entry level inexpensive coops to peeps that are not sure about chicken keeping.
Get 3 chickens and see if it is for you. If not donate those chickens to someone else, and part with the coop. You are not that deep in the hole them.
View attachment 2419371
WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,and

I'm planning to build a small coop to hold 3-4 standard chickens

 

[B-Goock]

Worth the cost. What are you wanting them for? Eggs. Meat. Fertilizer for garden. Food waste disposers. Breeding. Selling.

You can make alot of things yourself out of junk. Feeders. Waterers. Coops can be made out of almost anything. If you look sometimes you can find people giving away birds for free. I bought some chicks for $1 each this year. I raised them all and about half went to the freezer.

Cost really comes down to what you want. My wife wants pretty coops & fences. Specific breeds that give colored eggs. So no matter what I do with them i'll never break even. Lol

 

[Alex S]

Worth the cost. What are you wanting them for? Eggs. Meat. Fertilizer for garden. Food waste disposers. Breeding. Selling.

You can make alot of things yourself out of junk. Feeders. Waterers. Coops can be made out of almost anything. If you look sometimes you can find people giving away birds for free. I bought some chicks for $1 each this year. I raised them all and about half went to the freezer.

Cost really comes down to what you want. My wife wants pretty coops & fences. Specific breeds that give colored eggs. So no matter what I do with them i'll never break even. Lol

I'm mainly planning to have them as egg layers and just plain pets

 

[B-Goock]

You'll like having the fresh eggs.
Look up some homemade projects on here for feeders & waterers.
Feed cost is your biggest expense once you have a coop & run. I spend about $15 for a 50lb bag and have feeders that take a whole bag. I fill feeders & waterers about once a week.

Great little food disposers to keep from throwing food away.
Mine just chewed down a whole turkey carcass. I've caught fish, fileted them for me, then gave the chickens the cooked carcass. Free food.

 

[rosemarythyme]

My suggestion is to start small, and give it a test-drive. Minimal investment, and if you get GREEN LIGHT inside your thinking,,,, then advance further.
I only suggest these entry level inexpensive coops to peeps that are not sure about chicken keeping.

x2, start small (3-4 is fine, I started with 4) and try it out for a year. If it turns out it's not for you, sell the birds and their housing to someone else starting out. If you do enjoy it, a small starter coop can be reused as a brooder, hospital coop, or as extra clutter in a larger set up.

If you have family members you can loop into helping with chores (i.e. kids) that might help spread out the workload and make the whole thing more enjoyable for all.

 

[Alex S]

I'm afraid I'm going to put all this time, money, and work into getting chickens and forget about them and not want them anymore. I just want to be %100 sure I want them before buying all the necessities. How do I tell if I really want them?

Next concern: My backyard is kinda on a cliff, and there is no fencing. If I let my chickens out will they be smart and stay clear or be dumb and tumble down the hill?