Newbie asks: If I get some, how much time will my chickens require?

[basicliving]

I agree with jvls1942 - if you already feel strapped for time, I would not start with day old chicks. Little Peeps can require some time if you want to make sure you don't lose too many. Keeping on top of Pasty Butt, monitoring their heat and environment, keeping the brooder clean, etc. requires more time than you may have - especially if you are both working full time. It just takes some time and it sounds like you really don't have much spare time.

If you really want chickens, I suggest layers - and start with pullets. Checking for eggs, feeding and changing out the water probably only takes about 5 minutes a day. Cleaning up the coop (scooping out built up poop, adding shavings every few days) takes maybe another 5. But if you have only 6 or so pullets, it would probably take less. We pick up feed when we need it and are in town for groceries anyway.

I spend a lot of time with my chickens, but it's because I want to. If I only worried about caring for them, it would probably only take 10 minutes a day at most.

You're smart to ask these questions before venturing into it. You'll get enough info here to decide.

Best of luck,
Penny

 

[EliteTempleton]

I got my chicks last spring March/April ish. Not sure exactly. I wish it was as easy as checking how long I have been a member, but I did not join for a while.

Anyway for one thing it seems like everyone is recommending you get some pullets, and while I agree you may not know what that is, maybe you do, but to be sure: They are usually about 5 months old and have made it past most of the hard stuff, like pasty butts. Oh and the LONG wait till you get your first egg.

The nice thing about that is, you have the spring to find a weekend to build their coop. Then you can look here in the Buy/Sell/Trade section or even just post that you are seeking some point of lay hens, you can look on the message board(think old way, papers tacked to a board...) at your local farmers market/hardware store, and check craigslist. Particularly a little while after Easter when people give away the cute furballs they found in a bin. Though nobody on here is likely to be giving away Easter mistakes...

Next is another good point, you won't make any $ by doing this, even if you got up to 6 and sold the extra eggs at that point you simply break even. Maybe you make a little cash, but for the time it takes, well if I offered to pay you $2 a month to come over to feed & water my chickens, check on their health, and shovel their poop out, and put the eggs in my fridge, would you? If your answer is yes and you live in MI feel free to send me a PM...

However, if you don't ONLY look at the $ part, I think it's well worth it. 3 less chickens are suffering in large scale facilities. I have a garden so rather then see a big pile of poop I view it as not having to buy any fertilizer, also prior to planting they do all the garden weeding & tilling for me. If the American just in time delivery system fails for any reason, like a Trucker strike over fuel prices, I if nothing else have eggs, to eat or even trade for something that goes well with eggs

.

Burb's huh? If your chickens would be secret(ya know if you were going to per say be harboring illegal's). You might consider quail instead, they also lay eggs daily but their noises blend in with the rest of the wild bird sounds rather then a distinct clucking. Yes the eggs are smaller but you can fit more birds in the same space.

The rabbit thing, with ya there, I am thinking about doing this myself. I would NOT suggest starting them both in the same year, that for one I am sure of. I have been looking into the care time and it does look to be more time consuming for sure.
You can check out this thread for a bit more info on the idea though: https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=81451

 

[patandchickens]

If you got meat chickens, they will be more time-consuming (because food and water must be refilled often, potentially twice daily, plus you will spend a lot more time on sanitation) but for a shorter amount of time (only 8 wks or so, for CornishX). They will stink, by the end, and be less fun than layers. The easiest thing processing-wise would be to take them to a commercial processor. If you do it yourself, plan on AT LEAST a half hour per bird (for now), potentially a good bit longer, depending. I've processed a grand total of 11 birds myself, to date, and one of the times was 5 birds in one day, and that was quite enough for me at one sitting. If you had a helper it would go faster though.

Honestly I think layers would probably be a lot more fun for you, and you get a lot more long-term benefit out of them. If you don't want to deal with chicks, you should be able to fairly easily get laying-age pullets of red or black sex-links, which are good layers and usually nice personable birds.

Constructing a coop and run IS time consuming, unless you have something that can easily be converted, in which case it is only somewhat time consuming <g>. Remember that predator-proofing is a big issue.

Once you have things up and running, though, if you're set up efficiently you need only spend maybe 5 minutes a day (max) on the chickens. Scrape the droppings board (optional but highly recommended), refill waterer and feeder as needed (which will probably be only every few days, maybe longer), collect eggs, make sure everyone's still alive; and let them into the run at daybreak and shut them in at nightfall.

If you cannot ALWAYS be home at daybreak and nightfall to let them in/out, you will need to put some SERIOUS more money/time into your run, and should probably build an extra-large coop as well, and still can't count on it 100% protecting them from predators. So I'd say that availability to let them in/out is probably the biggest time issue.

Once you are set up, it really doesn't take very much work at all to keep chickens. Thats' one of the reasons I like them

As long as your schedule is predictable, I really wouldn't steer clear just because you've got a busy life.

JMHO, have fun,

Pat

 

[smith2]

I started small with 5 dual purpose, point of lay pullets. If you get a good coop set-up, it doesn't take that much time, but it is like any animal--everyday, everyday, everyday--holidays, sick days, vacation days, etc. I can't leave them for more than 2 days without difficulty. I love having them, we don't go that many places anyway, and I need the stress release they provide. If you get too many you can get in over your head really quickly and then you will hate them. Don't get a roo at first. Get a calm and gentle breed to start and plan ahead. I have large feeders and waterers so if something comes up, I know they have food and water for at least 2 days. I have not had any "diseases" with mine yet, so keep everything clean and a few should be fine.

 

[SewingDiva]

Quote:
We have only layers, and our experience is identical to Jen's. I tell people they’re about as much work as a couple of cats. We both work full time, so having pets that live outside and not in the house is ideal . During the first three months of their lives, as they grow from chicks into young pullets, is the most work and that period is like having a new puppy, but the good part is baby chicks are irresistibley cute and adorable so it’s a lot of fun. Also as others have pointed out, getting a coop set up is the biggest hurdle/challenge

Once they are grown and producing chickens are very self-sufficient, although if you like to go away for more than 3-4 days at a time you’ll need to find someone to collect eggs and check on their feed and water on a regular basis.

Also - chickens are allowed in some communities but not all, so you might want to check your town regulations, chicken keeping laws are very much a town by town thing. And don’t get a rooster unless you're allowed to have them, you have lots of land and/or friendly neighbors!

Phyllis

 

[jjparke]

Broilers are a handful, layers are easy. Once you figure out how to butcher them it goes pretty fast. My father and I together were doing 10 birds an hour last year and that was from slaughter to brine. Totally worth it on both sides though- fresh eggs or fresh meat. BTW I respectfully disagree with sewingdiva. If it's allowed then get a rooster. They are so much fun. My flock just wouldn't be the same without grumpy old Aflack!

 

[SewingDiva]

Quote:
Oh I totally greet with you - we'd have a roo if we could! But you know how it is...I'm thinking of all the sad posts on BYC I've read about roos forced to be re-homed despite best intentions.

Still though - there is nothing quite like a handsome rooster.

Phyllis

 

[Tweeza]

Laying hens vs horse, cat or dog? The laying hens are a lot easier to keep, not as much time and or expense. I'm a full time college student and I have no problems taking care of 10 hens. I would say there would be no worries if you and your wife did this venture together.

You also asked about rabbits. I would suggest going to a rabbit show and talking to some breeders. Here is a link to a few shows listed by state: http://www.arba.net/Shows.php

My DD has show rabbits (she spends way more time taking care of them than I do the chickens). I'm not sure mixing rabbits and chickens would be a good idea. It would take more in expense in installing "poop shoots" to keep the rabbits from urinating and pooping (they create massive amounts) on the chickens. I would think the chickens would prefer to be above the rabbits and that would mean extra work to clean the poop off the "roof" of the rabbit cages. You would not want the chickens pooping on the rabbits either.

Both animals are great but I'd learn about one before starting the other.

Good luck and keep us posted on what you decide.

 

[JennsPeeps]

I kept closr track of my time this past weekend, keeping this thread in mind. It took me about an hour to:

clean the coop and put in fresh shavings
refresh all the water and feed
throw out some scratch to watch them go crazy over
take down the cover I'd put over the run (it wasn't working out)
rake up the dirt the girls had moved for me
put out fresh grit and oyster shell

All the while the girls were closely watching my work and doing quality control.