The truth about backyard chickens

[NonnasBabies]

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I completly agree with this! If you don't go and spend thousands of dollars on your coop you can definetly come out ahead. My chickens pay for themselves right now. Now if I took into consideration what the coop & run cost (Which is maybe $600-$800) it might take them a couple of years to pay that off but I consider it an initial investment! Try to recycle as much as you can, that's the best way to not break the bank!!

The ONLY time I have a problem with bad smells is right after it rains and if I would add more dirt I would alleviate that problem. My back yard (the part I fenced in for my dogs) is about 2 acres and that's the part my chickens have the run of. They have not destroyed my grass at all. I did have to fence my garden in because they were totally destroying that! Oh yes they will poop all over the place if you let them free range but since you have small kids I would prob build them a decent size run so you could just leave them in there!!

Their wonderful pets to have. You will totally enjoy them!! Good Luck!

Missi

 

[Tropical Chook]

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Sorry, but I have to disagree. There are millions of people here in Thailand who have backyard chickens without ever even knowing what chicken feed looks like. In fact, all the locals think I'm completely daft because they see me buying chicken feed for my birds. My excuse is that mine are in a run so they need it. Even with my birds in a run, I don't spend much on feed either because I grow plenty of food for them. There is always feed available to them, but it's their choice what they want to eat, and they always seem to prefer fresh greens and fruit. Yes, they do need protein, but that's why the feed is there for them. Oh yes, I should add that I've never yet had a sick bird, and my hens lay like clockwork.

If free ranging in a smallish garden, then sure you will have to feed them, but if they have enough space to roam about, they certainly can sustain themselves. Trust me, that's the way it works here in Thailand. Of course it would also depend on the breed I suppose, but these Thai chickens have been looking after themselves for thousands of years already.

My goal.........one year from now, and I will no longer be buying chicken feed either as all their food will be home grown

 

[Wolfwoman]

Ok, so first off, I'm totally new to this, so hello!

I've been reading lots so far, and I'm not sure if this is the right place to post this, but I have a question.
I have recently been thinking about keeping some chickens in our yard. We are very into organic foods and lifestyle, and I love the idea of having our eggs come from a source which I know and control. We buy organic free-run eggs, but they are quite expensive and I think in the long run, we would save by having our own chickens.

So I have been telling a few people my idea, and they all say that I am crazy. You might very well be, as we all are!

They say that chickens are filthy, No. poop all over themselves, No. ruin the yard, Yes they can do this because they scratch and dig. If you have a run, then only that area will end up bare. and stink horribly Only if you don't clean up after them. Another popular opinion is that chicken feces are full of all kinds of diseases Only if you have sick chickens. and it will be everywhere on the grass, and my kids will step in it when they play, Sure, if you let the kids play with the chickens, I'm sure they'll step on it. That's what hoses are for

etc. So, I basically am wondering if any of this is accurate? I can't imagine that all you lovely people would keep them if it were true!

 

[AKsmama]

OK, I stand corrected. You are in a different country though, so I assume things are a bit different on this side of the world.

 

[rhoda_bruce]

I don't free range, because I consider it unsafe, but I do pasture my chickens. Thats only one of my money saving methods. I have about 20 others. I seldom go to a feed store because that would eat up most of my chances at coming out ahead. I get my grain at a more direct source. I buy 700 LBs of grain every 7 or 8 weeks for 70 bucks for about 80 birds. I would come out ahead cancelling out my feed vs eggs only, but lets talk about my 2,000 dollar coop. It will be here even when I'm not; except for the chicken wire that I expect to change every few years. I can easily make up the costs for that by not selling my eggs, but incubating them. My eggs just went from 3/dozen to 3/each just by incubating.
A lot of people complain that you can't come out ahead, probably because that is their experience. There are tricks. Lots of them. We once did a thread on how to come out ahead on your chicken projects. It was cool.
Regardless, the people that have tried to discourage you from getting chickens are right and wrong. It all really depends on management. This forum is a good source for knowledge, but you might also want to borrow the biggest chicken book your local library has to offer. You can't just get the chickens. All kinds of problems can occur. You have to get the safest possible coop and decide on what breed/breeds. Then there is space, cover, amount of birds, temperment, meat or eggs and other considerations. Personally I think you should do it, but study and prepare first.

 

[Beekissed]

They say that chickens are filthy, poop all over themselves, ruin the yard, and stink horribly. Another popular opinion is that chicken feces are full of all kinds of diseases and it will be everywhere on the grass, and my kids will step in it when they play, etc. So, I basically am wondering if any of this is accurate? I can't imagine that all you lovely people would keep them if it were true!

Everyone's experience with chickens is individual to their setup and their management styles. I free range my chickens in my back yard, which is an acre of ground, and I have two large dogs that guard them from danger....coincidentally, the same dogs clean up all the chicken poop in the yard, so I can go barefoot in my yard without any problems.

I use the deep litter method in my chicken coop, so there is virtually no smell, no matter the time of year. I have an extremely well-ventilated coop and the chickens turn the litter for me, so everything is pleasant and no bad smells are noted.

Chicken feces are not full of all kinds of diseases, no more than the feces of your house cat or dog would be. You would have more danger from a pet lizard's feces than you would a chicken.

My chickens have never had any symptoms of any kind of illness or disease all these long years...they have healthy immune systems. So does my children and I...none of us, creatures or humans, have had to go to a doctor or have any antibiotics for nigh on 14 years now.

Here's a clue for developing a good immune system in your children...exposure early and often to environmental pathogens. Walking barefoot through a yard that has chicken poop is no more or less dangerous than playing on a carpet where your dog or cat has just sit down with its bare anus rubbing against the carpet fibers. Poop is poop and its everywhere....on shopping carts, money, hand rails, door knobs...everywhere.

I welcome you to the forum and hope you will prove to your friends that a good flock of backyard chickens that are well maintained are clean, odor free, healthy and will improve the health of your children...as well as their knowledge of the foods they eat.​

 

[TinyLittleFarm]

Save money? No. My girls just started laying and we finally filled up our first carton of a dozen eggs. That carton cost about $1300. The rest will be free.

I have 3 kids who are in the yard constantly and our chickens free range around our 3 acre lot. My youngest is 7 and even he knows that there are chicken shoes and if you step in poo with bare feet, you wash your feet in the hose before coming in the house and then wash them in the tub. It is totally not a big deal. The poop also doesn't last long. Sure, there are little "gifts" all over the yard, but they dissolve pretty quickly. It's not like the whole yard is just covered in poop!

The most important thing is that my kids (and my husband and myself) have learned so much about caring for animals and about valuing our food. Getting chickens was part of a gradual change we have made in many areas....we eat as much organic as we can afford, huge garden, shop at farmer's markets, no HFCS, etc. The children are learning to understand that the way our food is raised is important, that humane treatment and a quality of life for the animals is just as important as taste. It's a really neat feeling to see my little 50 pound boy carrying around a giant rooster and cuddling him like a baby!

We have 9 chickens and that's a good number for us, but they are addicting! You'll love it. Get chickens.

 

[marymac]

Well, ...... If all these postings haven't made you decide to get your own chickens, then nothing will. SOOOOOO, what have you decided??
I look at it this way, If you have a dog or cat you have to feed them and they poo, eat, give you nothing in return, but companionship, a bird in a cage, a reptile, fish, what ever, you have to take care of ,clean up after, and nothing feeds you back, but a CHICKEN will!! So in my way of looking at it is it's a hobby that , yea you will spend some money on, but what hobby doesn't cost some money, but you get so much in return. Most evenings when we free roam our chickens we sit and watch them, it's more entertaining than what is usually on tv. There's way more pros than cons ..... go for it!!

 

[Lucy_R]

Thank you all for all the fabulous replies. I figured that the initial costs would be quite high, but I assume that once you get going it somehow evens out eventually, LOL. I have ordered several books about chickens and keeping them from Amazon, and will absolutely be doing a bit more research before plunging in. I'm in Canada, Saskatchewan to be exact. We live in a small city, and I actually went to city hall to ask them about the laws to do with keeping poultry. Apparently there isn't any bylaw against it, but I have to get permission from the Chief of Police(Lol, can you tell this is an ancient bylaw?) If I were to go ahead with this, how would I even go about getting chickens out here? If there were certain breeds that I wanted, would I have to get them online?

 

[speckledhen]

They say that chickens are filthy, poop all over themselves, ruin the yard, and stink horribly. Another popular opinion is that chicken feces are full of all kinds of diseases and it will be everywhere on the grass, and my kids will step in it when they play, etc.

First of all, if the worst thing that happens to a kid is that he steps in chicken poop, his life will be a breeze. Secondly, chickens groom themselves constantly! They are very clean if you keep their quarters clean; after all, they can't do it themselves, but they do try to keep their bodies clean.

Stink? Gawd, dog and cat poop stink far worse than chicken poop that is properly managed! I pick up my hens daily, bury my nose in their feathers. Unless someone has pooped on them, they smell just fine.

I had naysayers. Now, they're converts. They love my chickens and have changed their tune.​