No Chickens Yet!!

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For the garden, I am planning to do raised beds and am going to find something to put around the border to help keep the chickens OUT of the actual veggies. I just want them to be able to eat the bugs around the beds and outside of the fence.

I have been doing a LOT of research lately and it's beginning to dawn on me that this will not be an inexpensive venture. The coop that I want to build will probably cost us upwards of $400, and then buying all the supplies and feed and whatnot to get started. I don't mind spending the money if the investment is worth it. I do have a few questions for you experienced folks though:

1. Would you say owning chickens costs as much as or less than the typical cat or dog as a pet? We have 2 cats and a dog now, and we really only spend about $50 a month on them, and then maybe around $100 annually for shots. For three or four regular sized chickens, what kind of monthly budget am I looking at needing to carve out for them?

2. How easy to keep healthy are they? I understand all animals get sick, but would you say chickens are relatively healthy animals or are they more prone to sickness than your cat or dog would be? What preventative measures should I be taking?

3. If we go away on vacation for a few days, will we need to have someone drop by to collect the eggs every single day? We are planning to have an automatic coop door so that there isn't an issue with that (although I am really not sure how you can be sure all the chickens are inside when the door closes?). How many days would you say is okay to leave them alone with plenty of food and water without someone coming by to check up on them? This is probably one of my biggest concerns about getting them since I feel like it's a lot to ask for a neighbor to be there EVERY day.

4. The noise: I know people say chickens aren't that noisy, but I want honesty here. I have neighbors on either side of me that will be about 30 yards from the coop. Are they going to be loud enough to annoy them?

5. Free ranging. This part scares me the most. I want to be able to let them roam our yard, we have about a half-acre for them to hang out in, but I am really worried about them wandering into the neighbors yard (one side has a tall fence, but the other side has no fence at all, only some trees/underbrush between ours and their yard). I am planning to clip their wings so at least they shouldn't be able to jump/fly the tall fence into the yard with dogs, but do they pretty much stay close to the coop or will they wander off to anyplace they can get to? And the yard is surrounded by trees so I think they are a LITTLE safer from hawks on the prowl, but it scares me to think they could be snatched up by a hungry bird even if I am out there with them. What can I do to make free-ranging them safer? Is there any way to keep them from getting into the neighbors yard without having to put up a fence?

That's all I can think of for now, but I am sure I will have more! Is there a better place than here that I could be asking these questions in? Or is there a way to look up the answers to these questions in the forum since I am sure some have been asked before?

Thanks everyone! :)
 
Use google to search this site, instead of the site's own search engine. Yes, most of your questions have been answered with varying opinions. This makes for very informative reading.

I am a total noob, but I will take a brief run at your questions before the more learned fill in the gaps.

1. You can spend as much or as little as you want. I've bred and raised everything from hamsters to Thorobred horses. Chickens are on the low end of expense and the high end of enjoyment and cost effectiveness. At the risk of sounding callous, I would not vet a $2.00 animal. Therefore, the vet bill to treat one serious injury or malady in a cat or dog can equal more than you would spend on a flock of chickens from chick to soup.

2. They are generally healthy. Some breeds/bloodlines less so than others. Still immensly cheaper than any properly vetted cat or dog.

3. You could probably leave them for a day or two, but I make arrangements to have mine checked on every day.

4. From what I've read, not from my experience, I understand that some breeds are more "talkative" than others.

5. I choose not to freerange mine out of respect for my neighbors and out of fear for my flock's safety. I'm only on 2.5 acres.
 
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Hello n Welcome!! Congrats on your marriage! I just started raising chickens in april'13, found this site in Oct, I have found so much info, learning center n thru forums and by posting. Everyone here is awesome for answering questions, I pick brains alot, never hurts to ask! good luck!
 
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HVernier84 said:
Hello everyone, my name is Heather! I am 29 and recently married 6 months ago. My hubby and I purchased our first home 3 months ago in Wake Forest, NC and even though I have never had chickens, one of the stipulations when we were house hunting was that it HAD to be in an area where chickens were allowed, and with a yard big enough for them to enjoy.

I don't really know how I got this chicken notion in my head since I have never had chickens! My only experience with them was when I was about 10 or 11 at the farm where I rode my horse. I used to sit in front of the chicken run tossing grass in for them to eat. I always thought they were interesting animals lol. That is the extent of my chicken experience and I would say my knowledge of them is minimal at best.

My main goal of having chickens is as a compliment to our vegetable garden that we will be starting in the spring. I have heard tell that they are great at eating the backyard pests and their poop is awesome for composting and fertilizer. The fact that they are adorable and birth food for us to eat is an added bonus!

Right now I am just doing a LOT of research and we are planning to build our coop in the coming months before we get our chicks around March. We do live in an area with lots of wildlife so I am trying to find out everything I can about how to make this coop iron-clad so no predators will have them for lunch! I am also researching everything I can about their behavior, nutritional needs, and looking into which breeds will be the best match for us. I think we will start with three hens and see how it goes.

All my friends think I have lost my mind. I feel a little alone in this venture (the hubby is just going along with the idea, but is not that enthused about it) so I joined this message board so hopefully I can chat with some experienced like-minded folks! See ya around! :)
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Good for you! By now you probably have your chickens although it took me years of dreaming, researching and studying chickens before we took the plunge. I am in wake forest too and would love to meet for coffee and talk chickens.
 
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