pross/cons of chickens?

[eatwhatyougrow]

20 ressons for me For me... I have 20 chickens... (I'm getting 12 more in Apirl!)

Bad...
1. Roosters are mean at times
2. Cost $60 per month for 50 pound bag
3. Eggs only sell for $5 or less
4. Have short life span
5. Have to take your time out for them (like I Care About That)
6. They can be gross
7. They get hurt easaly
8. Walking out side may stink
9. Can pass on disseses to you or someone else
10. Once you get them you'll be getting more!

seriously 60$ for a fifty pound bag. And you pay that? I pay 11.00 a 50lb bag. And that is from the mill where they grind and mix it for me the day i pick it up. My chicks pay for it themselves out of their egg sales.

 

[Phoenixxx]

I can't believe I forgot the BIGGEST pro of all!

Having chickens is like a major first step towards a self-sufficient, healthier lifestyle. And, as mentioned by others, this is beneficial to the chickens as well when you take a look at their commercial counterparts. Both these things make a person feel all warm and fuzzy inside, like we're doing something RIGHT.

 

[MackChick]

Do it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The cons are so minimal and manageable. Even if your costs were higher than buying eggs, you can't put a price on healthy, fresh eggs straight from the source. Nothing beats walking out to the coop in the morning to see hens happily clucking away, getting FRESH eggs, cooking them up for a delicious, healthy breakfast before heading to work! Really no better or happier way to start off your morning

 

[Our Roost]

Yaa, nothing ventured, nothing gained! Get yourself addicted like the rest of us! Pick out some good ones and just go for it.

 

[rancher hicks]

I can't believe I forgot the BIGGEST pro of all!

Having chickens is like a major first step towards a self-sufficient, healthier lifestyle. And, as mentioned by others, this is beneficial to the chickens as well when you take a look at their commercial counterparts. Both these things make a person feel all warm and fuzzy inside, like we're doing something RIGHT.

having chickens keeps me activie. I don't think I'd leave the house if I didnt' have to go get feed and supplies. Well to the library to get more books and DVD's.

I do garden too. Move it or lose it I always say.

Did I post this already ?

In 1999, Pennsylvania pastured poultry producer Barb Gorski used a grant from the USDA’s Sustainable Ag. Research and Education program to have meat and eggs from her won birds and those of two other farmers tested for a range of nutritional factors.
The pastured eggs were found to contain 10 percent less fat, 34 percent less cholesterol, 40 percent more vitamin A and four times as much omega - 3 fatty acids compared to the standard values reported by the USDA for commercial eggs.
Numerous studies suggest that diets high in omaga - 3’s can help protect against heart disease, mitigate the effect of Type II diabetes and benefit the humans body’s immune responses.)
The pastured chickens meat (with skin on) contained 21 percent less fat, 30 percent less saturated fat and 50 percent more vitamin A than the USDA standard.

 

[rancher hicks]

Yaa, nothing ventured, nothing gained! Get yourself addicted like the rest of us! Pick out some good ones and just go for it.

Look at it this way. If you get chickens and you decide it's not for you, Just make soup.

Ya can't do that with a dog or a cat. Well you could but that's just gross.

 

[wendychicklawyr]

There is ONE con ..they are terribly addicting. I started with 8 then I added 4 then I added SEVENTY NINE hahahaha
Because they are AWESOME

Buyer beware!

 

[eatwhatyougrow]

There is ONE con ..they are terribly addicting. I started with 8 then I added 4 then I added SEVENTY NINE hahahaha
Because they are AWESOME

Buyer beware!

I guess i am doing good then because i started with 45 and am only at 80 now. Unless you count the meaties that come and go so quickly

 

[Mamaganoush]

Yes, this is a fairly low maintenance way to do it. We have a lot of Pine straw in our yard, so I just throw some more in the run every couple of days. I've cleaned it out completely only once in the last year. I clean out the house part of the coop more often, and clean the nest box as needed. Poopy straw goes into the compost or into a flower bed to be. I see chicken poop as a "pro"! The coop does not smell -- not even in the summer, and it's hot and fairly humid here.

The coop was a bit expensive, but my husband had a good time building it, so I didn't feel too bad about that. Feed is not too expensive, and I free range them when I am able to be in the yard at the same time, or nearby. Too many predators. They eat all sorts of scraps. Love the eggs. And they crack me up. I love watching them, and they are good girls -- I tap their fluffy butts with my "chicken stick" and tell them to go home, and off they go to the coop!

I have an Easter egger, barred rock, Faverolle (crazy fluffy toes!), and Delaware.

ETA, I'm in Raleigh NC, near the university. Chickens are the thing around here!

 

[D'Angelo N Va.]

I could not imagine living w/o my birds. I have 30 and plan on getting about 20 more in a month. They make me happy. I love the eggs, I use the manure and I have the most luscious flower and vegetable gardens. All pros.