I am a 71 year old, lifetime Gardner, who had a lung removed six weeks ago due to cancer. My heart was adversely affected by the surgery and they had to stop it twice and then shock it to get it going again.soooooo no more gardening for me. What do you think about me raising chickens? I have no experience with them,and do not know if there is a lot of physical labor required,once the coop is built. any thoughts? Mister Peterr
Mr Peter, I have a friend who went through the same surgery - did not have the heart complications. He pretty much continued on with his normal activities - just at a reduced rate. Welcome to BYC, and if you start out on a small scale I can't imagine why you won't be able to keep a small flock. Talk to your doctor about any possible problems he might anticipate. Welcome to BYC, and good luck.
Once the coop is built there does not need to be alot of physical labor. The biggest jobs in chicken keeping are daily food and water, and coop cleaning. Water can become a chore in the winter, so depending on where you live this could cause you issues. I do not know what your limitations are. Would you have a water source near your coop? Hoses freeze. My family drains the hose after every use by pulling the hose through a high hook. Other people haul water from their house using gallon milk jugs they pull on a sled or wagon. You can lighten the load by getting a large heater waterer, but that increase the amount of strength required for moving it. Coop cleaning is the next huge job. You might look forward into deep litter coops and runs. This would probably be the least physical solution for you, it allows the waste to decompose naturally, requiring little day to day work. So solve those two big issues and chicken care is not too physically taxing and very rewarding.
If you just get a small flock of hens I think you would love it. They are very entertaining and fun to watch. Would you have anyone to help you once in a while if you needed it?
Good morning Mr. Peters, I think raising a backyard flock is such a relaxing and rewarding experience, with the added bonus of great tasting eggs! The only concern I would have would be the dust generated by dealing with different substances used in the coop as bedding. Also, chickens themselves generate a lot of dust. There are masks with filters you can use for that, so talk to your doctor about ways to protect your lung while doing chicken related chores. Best of luck to you and I hope you come back to BYC with pictures of a lovely flock!
Yes, do speak to your doctor, there is always a chance of salmonella- and the dust. Welcome to Backyard chickens.
Thank you for bringing up the dust issue,I had not considered it. I live in southern South Carolina and it is mostly swamps around me, so dust is usually not an issue.I will need to see what my doctors say. Thank you. Mr. P
You're welcome! Remember chickens will generate their own very fine dust in the form of dander independently of the climate you live in. Best of luck.
