Official BYC Poll: Which Challenges Did You Face in Getting Backyard Chickens?

Which Challenges Did You Face in Getting Backyard Chickens?

  • Building/buying the coop

    Votes: 103 47.2%
  • Arranging a secure run

    Votes: 91 41.7%
  • Limiting myself to only a small number of birds and breeds

    Votes: 82 37.6%
  • Picking out the best breed for me

    Votes: 32 14.7%
  • Hatching enough females

    Votes: 20 9.2%
  • Finding the best place to buy sexed chickens

    Votes: 42 19.3%
  • Convincing my significant other

    Votes: 47 21.6%
  • No hurdles; it was easy

    Votes: 37 17.0%
  • I had to change the laws in my area

    Votes: 7 3.2%
  • I’m still not there, yet

    Votes: 5 2.3%
  • Other (elaborate in a reply below)

    Votes: 23 10.6%

  • Total voters
    218
I checked easy. Read a great 10 page article in Organic Gardening in Dec 1992. Asked DH if he would build a coop for me & our 2 young sons. Got 12 Barred Rocks at the local feed store on April 12th. DH built an 8 by 8 coop & the chicks moved in by the 1st week of June 1993. Lumber was up because of the 1st Gulf War. I think we spent $500. He did save money by making the coop 6 foot tall in the front & only 4 in the back, still a point of frustration & we put the nest boxes he made higher than the roosts. They were our 2 biggest mistakes. He ran electric out immediately. Got free fencing from a pheasant game farm & we were off. Only the run has changed over the years. It's now a 400 square foot dog kennel. Over the years it has been all different things including plastic garden fence. I did add an automatic door 6 years ago. I may soon need a new coop, but we will see.
 
i’d be interested to hear some law changing stories! thats quite impressive.
Fortunately we didn't have to work too too hard at changing the law, we just needed a lot of patience. First we lived in a townhouse in an HOA, so of course no chickens there, although the municipality would have allowed any animals at all in the tiniest yard possible. Finally we found a house with plenty of land - in a municipality that didn't allow animals at all. We had the police called twice shortly after we moved because our friendly dog wandered off to explore his new neighborhood. However, other residents had started begging the council for chickens, and as 2020 started, the council started "studying" and "subcommittee-ing" the subject. They spent such a loooong time in subcommittee. Finally this spring the council told the subcommittee to submit a draft proposal already. All we really contributed was emailing the friendliest council member a few times to let him know we really really cared about chickens, and then attending some zoom meetings to keep an eye on how things were going. They added a ton of nonsense restrictions (only 2 chickens per acre!! no roosters; so many regulations on siting etc etc) but in the end they permitted chickens, with just enough warm weather left for us to hurry up and start some chicks. So thank God they finally got around to it! Now I just need to figure out protecting the chicks from hawks and we'll be all set.
 
They added a ton of nonsense restrictions (only 2 chickens per acre!! no roosters; so many regulations on siting etc etc) but in the end they permitted chickens, with just enough warm weather left for us to hurry up and start some chicks.
i’m glad you finally got to have your birds! those random restrictions are such a pain, especially the lot size per bird ones. i have 14 hens on 2 acres and they choose to only use about 1/8th of that lol.

Now I just need to figure out protecting the chicks from hawks and we'll be all set.
it is tricky with hawks if you have an open field. if you give them an area with cover they’re likely to stick to it more. planting trees, leaving brush and saplings, and stringing netting between structures are good ways. hawk protection doesn’t even have to be something they can go under, the sides of buildings or tall fences also help keep them safe because the hawks don’t want to risk colliding with structures.
 
Irresponsible dog owners. Just trying to keep the neighborhood dogs out of my yard & attacking my chickens has been & still is a battle I have to deal with. They used to be free range dawn till dusk, but now only can let them out when I am outside doing yardwork or when my Border Aussie is out. She has been the best protector, but I can't have her outside 24-7.
 
Irresponsible dog owners. Just trying to keep the neighborhood dogs out of my yard & attacking my chickens has been & still is a battle I have to deal with. They used to be free range dawn till dusk, but now only can let them out when I am outside doing yardwork or when my Border Aussie is out. She has been the best protector, but I can't have her outside 24-7.

Is electric poultry netting an option for you?
 
I don’t build, so for me the biggest challenge is coop and run/fence construction.
I purchased a chicken coop from a Imish builder 7 years ago and it is still in great shape. They built it and delivered it. Look local for shed builders and have one custom make a coop with nesting boxes on the side of it. . A lot of companies that have sheds for sale may have chicken coops all ready built.
 

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