New here! Just moved to the country, weighing the pros and cons of getting chickens

[Norcalnewbie]

Hi everyone,

I just moved with my husband and 2 young daughters to the countryside in Northern California on some acreage and initially thought, what better way to initiate the new lifestyle than to get 6-10 chickens as pets and let them free range all over our property. Catch is, I get sick if I eat more than 1 egg in a sitting, our family only uses maybe half a dozen eggs a week, we travel A LOT, I’m somewhat lazy when it comes to cleaning, and we have too many birds of prey in the area to free range.

Am I crazy for still wanting to get chickens? I’m beginning to rethink this..

Has anyone ever regretted having chickens, or am I just speaking an alien language to a bunch of chicken fanatics?

 

[cherrynberry]

Hi everyone,

I just moved with my husband and 2 young daughters to the countryside in Northern California on some acreage and initially thought, what better way to initiate the new lifestyle than to get 6-10 chickens as pets and let them free range all over our property. Catch is, I get sick if I eat more than 1 egg in a sitting, our family only uses maybe half a dozen eggs a week, we travel A LOT, I’m somewhat lazy when it comes to cleaning, and we have too many birds of prey in the area to free range.

Am I crazy for still wanting to get chickens? Has anyone ever regretted having chickens, or am I just speaking an alien language to a bunch of chicken fanatics?

Nope! Chickens are amazing! I did not really like cleaning the chicken coop, but with the deep litter method you only need to clean the coop 2 times a year. Plus some chickens lay less eggs if you dont want too many eggs. I am pretty sure your girls would LOVE chickens. Your choice though

 

[cherrynberry]

Hi everyone,

I just moved with my husband and 2 young daughters to the countryside in Northern California on some acreage and initially thought, what better way to initiate the new lifestyle than to get 6-10 chickens as pets and let them free range all over our property. Catch is, I get sick if I eat more than 1 egg in a sitting, our family only uses maybe half a dozen eggs a week, we travel A LOT, I’m somewhat lazy when it comes to cleaning, and we have too many birds of prey in the area to free range.

Am I crazy for still wanting to get chickens? Has anyone ever regretted having chickens, or am I just speaking an alien language to a bunch of chicken fanatics?

To fix the traveling problem you could get larger feeders and waterers.

 

[N F C]

If you're undecided about whether a flock is a good fit for you, you might find this article helpful: the-pros-and-cons-of-raising-chickens.64359

Best wishes!

 

[cherrynberry]

Hi everyone,

I just moved with my husband and 2 young daughters to the countryside in Northern California on some acreage and initially thought, what better way to initiate the new lifestyle than to get 6-10 chickens as pets and let them free range all over our property. Catch is, I get sick if I eat more than 1 egg in a sitting, our family only uses maybe half a dozen eggs a week, we travel A LOT, I’m somewhat lazy when it comes to cleaning, and we have too many birds of prey in the area to free range.

Am I crazy for still wanting to get chickens? Has anyone ever regretted having chickens, or am I just speaking an alien language to a bunch of chicken fanatics?

Welcome!

 

[416bigbore]

Hello and welcome to BYC, You found an Awesome poultry Forum to be a part of with many great knowledgeable members who are more then willing to jump in and help you with any questions you may have.

 

[Xouie]

Hi everyone,

I just moved with my husband and 2 young daughters to the countryside in Northern California on some acreage and initially thought, what better way to initiate the new lifestyle than to get 6-10 chickens as pets and let them free range all over our property. Catch is, I get sick if I eat more than 1 egg in a sitting, our family only uses maybe half a dozen eggs a week, we travel A LOT, I’m somewhat lazy when it comes to cleaning, and we have too many birds of prey in the area to free range.

Am I crazy for still wanting to get chickens? Has anyone ever regretted having chickens, or am I just speaking an alien language to a bunch of chicken fanatics?

Welcome! Many folks keep chickens just as fun pets. If you’re not looking for eggs, a few older hens would provide fun watching and good bug control without overwhelming you with eggs.

Note: My parents free-ranged chickens by Placerville for years. Just had to lock them up if the mountain lion was in the neighborhood. The birds learned to stay under the predator mesh other times on their own. Food was free choice, extra if we were going to be gone a bit (neighbor topped off if it was an extended absence).

Head on over to our Northern California thread and you’ll see chickens looking for new homes — maybe you’ll make a special connection with some hens there.

 

[DobieLover]

Hello and welcome to BYC! Glad you joined.
There are ways to design your setup to minimize the work load. You would need to find a highly reliable caretaker to hire to look after the flock when you travel.
Chickens are very addictive. I have zero regrets.

 

[Norcalnewbie]

We were planning to raise as chicks this spring- BCM, Silkie, Polish, Lavender orpington, EE, Ameraucna, Cochin. I’ve been endlessly researching night and day to my family’s dismay (when I get into something, I go DEEP). Coop design, breeds, deep litter vs poop board, etc. But now feeling overwhelmed.

 

[DobieLover]

We were planning to raise as chicks this spring- BCM, Silkie, Polish, Lavender orpington, EE, Ameraucna, Cochin. I’ve been endlessly researching night and day to my family’s dismay (when I get into something, I go DEEP). Coop design, breeds, deep litter vs poop board, etc. But now feeling overwhelmed.

Well, I'll take some of the load off: the correct answer is "poop boards".