I think the article wants people to know that there are things to consider before getting chickens. They have become quite popular. Many people buy them but they don't know anything about them, and than are surprised by most of the things mentioned in the article.
Chickens are noisy and destructive. Setting up and keeping a big enough coop is expensive. I can definitely buy cheaper eggs in the store than what I produce, and they do require maintenance and I can't just leave them and go on vacation.
If you read enough posts on this site you will start to realize that many new keepers don't even know the basic biology of a chicken, or what it's needs are. They buy those tiny coops, they feed only scratch, they try to keep chickens illegally than are wanting to know how to quiet them down.
Many don't think about diseases, and injuries. Many can't cull or have even imagined that they would have to. So from what I read I think it was a decent article that will hopefully make some people think more before buying chicks in the spring without even having thought about them until they see them in the store and than desire to take some home because they are cute.
