Is it worth the cost?

[hayley3]

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?

Can you get a picture of your backyard?
Chickens are like a new puppy, they have to be contained or a predator is going to take them, or they are likely to wander off.

 

[Duckee]

If you decide to go with chickens...BEWARE OF CHICKEN MATH! You can, and most likely will, catch it!!!
Hahaha

 

[3KillerBs]

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?

Cliff or no cliff, you will probably want to enclose your chickens so that predators can't get them. And yes, you DO have predators in town -- raccoons, opossums, stray dogs, stray cats, coyotes, and more are surprisingly common even in dense urban areas.

 

[2006powerstroke90]

I knew I wanted chickens for about 4-5 years now. I just never made the commitment.
One day I found a cheap coop on Facebook market place and I was like what the hell-called my buddy and we went and picked it up. He said I was nuts but I didn’t care.

the day I bought my coop I went to tractor supply and bought 6 chicks. Got the coop all set up and ready and now what? My chicks had a month before they could even consider going in the coop. What did I do? Went on Facebook and found 2 ISA browns who were egg layers and bought them and in the coop they went.

fast forward to now. I have 8 chickens inside the coop and my run all set up. Changed the design a couple times because I didn’t like it. But now it’s all set up and fully functional.

the best part? Every time I go out to the coop all the chickens run up to me and say hi.When my wife is making the kids eggs and we’re a couple short. I go out to the coop in the morning grab the fresh eggs and she’s happy and the kids are happy.

is it a lot of work? No. They do require daily attention. Maybe not cleaning the coop,giving them water/food. But just a check up. Cleaning out the coop/run doesn’t take more then 10 minutes.Food is cheap. Bedding is cheap.

End result 10/10 would recommend.

 

[Alex S]

Can you get a picture of your backyard?
Chickens are like a new puppy, they have to be contained or a predator is going to take them, or they are likely to wander off.

Here ya go

 

[rosemarythyme]

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?

Not sure how steep the drop off is from the photo, but they may/may not be smart enough to avoid trying it. I say that because I have a creek and a pond, and I've had chickens walk into the pond, and fly over the creek and get stuck on the other side.

 

[Alex S]

Not sure how steep the drop off is from the photo, but they may/may not be smart enough to avoid trying it. I say that because I have a creek and a pond, and I've had chickens walk into the pond, and fly over the creek and get stuck on the other side.

It's less steep with all the leafs

 

[rosemarythyme]

It's less steep with all the leafs

They might go down there willingly to scratch around in all that leafy goodness. That said, if you can train them well enough, they could probably make it back up on their own with some incentive.

 

[human1]

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

but you should *probably* look for a place to donate them first

and

 

[FloorCandy]

I keep quail, and have found they are a good starter or test for whether poultry is right for you. They only live a couple years usually so they aren’t a long commitment, you can easily make a ground enclosure with pvc and hardware cloth, and they have a lot of the same needs and requirements of chickens. If you find getting eggs in the cold and rain is too much hassle, or the stinky cleaning isnt for you, it’s easier to just deal with it until they pass and not get any more. I tell people looking to get a guinea pig that they should try a hamster first because they only live 2 years and give a taste of pet rodent life, and I think quail fit the same category as test or starter.