raising chicks and kids in the city

[jedijess]

Hello! I am officially trying to own my own chickens... but i have no idea what i am doing! I am reading a lot before our family commits. I have 2 kids ( 4year old and a 4 month old). 2 cats and 1 dog. Here are my questions

1. safety/ cleanliness: is it really that bad? is there going to be poop everywhere and we will track it into the house?
2. space: Like i said i live in the city wondering if we have enough space for them. I would only want 2 at most 3. Our property is 6,000 sq ft, house is about 1,100 square feet. we have somewhat of a big yard
3. Diseases: are they really getting sick all the time? Lice? wierd things in their tongues... ( I came across some interesting pictures) I guess my question is are they very fragile? Worried about cost of medicines and overall grossness haha

Any tips and advice is much appreciated!!!

 

[rosemarythyme]

1. Have chicken-only shoes and leave them outside. Make sure the kids learn to wash their hands after handling chickens or chicken "stuff" (eggs, bedding, etc.)

2. As long as it's legal and you're aware of any setbacks, so there's sufficient space left to work with, I don't see space being an issue.

3. They're not THAT fragile. As a general rule if you look over your flock whenever you're out spending time with them, you can catch most issues before they become a problem.