pross/cons of chickens?

[rancher hicks]

You should see the cute little silver chick that hatched out today. Very pretty. I'm still waiting for the rest to hatch.

 

[PrairieChickens]

Cons:
-Establishing a flock can be expensive. The cost of building a coop and run, a brooder if necessary, acquiring your birds, and purchasing the necessary materials and feed can add up to a very hefty price tag.
-Predator proofing can be stressful and challenging depending on your location and how you plan to treat your flock. Free ranging chickens will need extra care while outside of the run, while confined chickens will need extra consideration to keep them occupied and fed.
-Owning chickens will make it difficult to take long trips away from home, especially if you don't know anyone that you can trust to care for them in your absence.
-It's a lot of work to take care of chickens. They will need to be fed and watered regularly, their coops and runs will need to be cleaned, and the structures they live in will need to be maintained. It can be a lot of heavy lifting and tiring work.
-Chickens may get sick, injured, and/or die unexpectedly, causing emotional distress. Additionally, they may exhibit undesired behaviors that leave their owners frustrated, such as egg eating, bullying, or aggressive behavior towards their humans.
-There will be poop. Chickens do not have the restraint of animals like dogs and cats, and interacting with them will come with certain fecal hazards.
-You will have to pay to feed them. (This con is mitigated by the pro that chickens, in turn, provide us with food/income)

Pros:
-Fresh eggs, obviously. Eggs from pastured hens are rich in omega-3's, vitamins, and good cholesterol. Their storebought counterparts, on the other hand, pale by comparison--literally. Pastured eggs are more nutritious, tastier, and of a higher quality for cooking, and with some basic coop maintenance and egg-handling care, they're safer than many storebought eggs.
-Pest control. In regions where ticks are a problem, chickens are invaluable for pest control. They will also happily contend with infestations of crickets, grasshoppers, and any other insect that strays within their reach.
-Chickens are good for your compost. Not only is their poo a great fertilizer, but they will help with the composting process as well! Chickens with access to your compost pile will happily dig and scratch through it for hours, turning it, adding their own contributions, and removing weeds that may be trying to sprout in it.
-When cared for properly, chickens have very little smell. It's a common misconception that chickens stink--any animal stinks if it's forced to live in its own poo. With sufficient bedding material and moisture control (translation: Don't let things get wet and stay wet) chickens are remarkably odorless backyard guests.
-Chickens make excellent companions. It came as quite a surprise to me to discover chickens were capable of affection, and that a chicken would seek out a person's company for reasons other than food. Although not all chickens will express an interest in your company, others will happily sit in a person's lap for hours if permitted to do so.
-Chicken ownership, even on a small scale, helps turn the tide away from non-sustainable forms of agriculture. Every egg your chickens lay is an egg that won't have to come from a factory farm, and every chicken you raise for meat is one more bird that won't have to spend a short, miserable existence in a filthy, windowless coop. Your food will not only be better for you, but better for society and the world itself.
-Chickens can be a source of income. Even if you're only selling a couple dozen eggs to your neighbors here and there, it's hard to argue against an animal that pays for its own feed. My dogs and cats could learn a thing or two from our chickens!
-Owning chickens is a deeply personal experience, and with over 400 breeds and varieties, countless color variations, and infinite designs and styles of coops to house them in, ways to raise them, means to tend them, and uses to utilize with them, you are free to explore the wonderful world of chickens in your own way. Want to keep a small flock for eggs? Go for it. Want to raise a hundred or so for eggs and meat? Okiedokie. Want just one chicken that will live in your house and watch TV with you? I can link you to a site that sells chicken diapers. The point is that there's very few WRONG ways to keep chickens--the possibilities are endless.

And finally....
-Photo ops. You will be the envy of everyone you know when you share your chicken photos:

 

[illbuildacoop]

Not going to worry about the cost . You me and the next guy are going to have to buy feed. The egg quality and quantity should offset that.

 

[Chaneys Ranch]

I skimmed the posts and its all been said but... really. What do YOU want?
Healthy chickens give you healthy eggs and meat for the table from the roos they hatch.
For me, I will keep my birds and enjoy their eggs, and the joy my flock gives us.
I can tell you, I will always keep chickens going forward, as my family always has.

 

[wendychicklawyr]

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

And now I have a broody white cochin that wants babies!!!! so I gotta give her babies right?! Lol

 

[rancher hicks]

I skimmed the posts and its all been said but... really. What do YOU want?
Healthy chickens give you healthy eggs and meat for the table from the roos they hatch.
For me, I will keep my birds and enjoy their eggs, and the joy my flock gives us.
I can tell you, I will always keep chickens going forward, as my family always has.

If one keeps in mind that one can keep as few as three hens, it's really not a big deal to have chickens.

In my mind they're just as comforting as a cat or dog and easier to tend to. No litter box to clean, no poop to scoop, cheaper food and supplies and no stink in the house.

 

[bluebirdnanny]

I agree with it all EXCEPT I do pay more for my grains as I use certified organic layer grain that I ferment and feed as a wet mash.

Oh yeah one other thing CATS ARE NOT useless..... mine earn their keep by keeping vermin out of the house! So they DO work too. lol

Since I have to buy organic as much as I can to eliminate or lessen health problem symptoms I can cut their feeding costs by mixing left over grains from making my cereals into their feed. This way I eat the freshest and suppliment them too. I also free range so I have only bought three bags in a whole year! But it is much more around here for the "non organic" feed so for a few dollars more I stay healthier and if I could afford to I would certify things.

I don't use chemicals of ANY kind in my garden either.

My biggest problem is protection from predators so wire skirting to prevent digging costs more than feeding. But in summer I am outside with them all day anyway doing something.

 

[rancher hicks]

I agree with it all EXCEPT I do pay more for my grains as I use certified organic layer grain that I ferment and feed as a wet mash.

Oh yeah one other thing CATS ARE NOT useless..... mine earn their keep by keeping vermin out of the house! So they DO work too. lol

Since I have to buy organic as much as I can to eliminate or lessen health problem symptoms I can cut their feeding costs by mixing left over grains from making my cereals into their feed. This way I eat the freshest and suppliment them too. I also free range so I have only bought three bags in a whole year! But it is much more around here for the "non organic" feed so for a few dollars more I stay healthier and if I could afford to I would certify things.

I don't use chemicals of ANY kind in my garden either.

My biggest problem is protection from predators so wire skirting to prevent digging costs more than feeding. But in summer I am outside with them all day anyway doing something.

If that's for me, you are of course right. Merlin was fine with the chickens, God rest his soul. I once found Norma Jean sleeping in the brooder under the heat light with the chicks, if you can believe that. They're all gone now but I'm strongly considering getting another just cuz there are so many squirrels around now and I think the cats keep them away.

I was just musing on indoor house cats. Having to buy litter and sift the box is not my cup of tea. Its just that here there are coyotes and cats disappear, if not kept inside.

I have five coops to deal with and I might spend 20 mins. taking water out and letting them out. Not much I think. If you have a good system they are not a lot of work. IMO. I rotate cleaning so that's not a big deal. Being country I have plenty of places to dump the litter. Or I hire a kid to help.

 

[PrairieChickens]

Yeah, a lot of the pros and cons in my post depend a lot on the style of chicken keeping you prefer and your own personal limitations. For example, if you only have a few chickens and don't suffer from any severe health problems, cleaning their coop would be a breeze. If you have a LOT of chickens and/or have health problems like severe allergies, asthma, or back pain, cleaning a coop and run becomes a much more daunting task.

Since I maintain our flock of chickens with my dad, we share the duties. I tend to handle the everyday drudgery like food, water, egg collection, and letting them out/closing them up, and he handles the heavier and dustier jobs like building new tractors and cleaning out the coop when it needs it.

And to clarify, my cats aren't useless, but they could still learn a thing or two from my chickens! XD

 

[rancher hicks]

There are days when I drag, but such is life. I must like it cuz I just hatched out 28 more chicks. I'll replace some of the older girls and boys. I'm retired and while I do a volunteer job, if I didn't have chickens or garden what would I do? Seems to me for a successful life you gotta have hobbies that don't just benefit yourself.

Golf just don't cut it.