The truth about backyard chickens

[kaddidle]

I have two hens who lay enough eggs for my two-person household and live in a pen in my suburban backyard. Today I had a gentleman come to service my air conditioner who spent about half an hour in my backyard before he noticed the hens and coop that he'd been working right next to.

When properly housed and maintained, they take only minutes a day to tend to and are very enjoyable pets. I never smell them outside of their coop and even inside it just smells like chickens, not poop, unless I step in some while collecting eggs. They're fun and inexpensive to care for. The coop itself was the only big expense I've put into them.

Tonight I had eight friends over for a fritatta made from my chickens' eggs--so fun! Just the two of them were able to lay enough in a week to make a dish that fed everyone, and then I fed the chickens back the veggie trimmings and crushed up shells. All of my compost waste goes to the birds first to pre-compost.

In my experience, people who think chickens are stinky have been around CAFOs (confined animal feeding operations, ie factory farms) and not properly housed and cared for chickens. They are truly enjoyable animals to have around.

 

[tnchickenut]

Quote:
I say they don't know the first thing about chickens. If organic is the lifestyle you want... chickens are a must. Period. THey compost, they fertilize, they feed you in eggs and meat. There isn't a better homestead animal if you ask me.

 

[noodleroo]

If you want chickens, you should get chickens. You can always put them in a chicken tractor (a mobile coop) so that you can move it around every day. They get to be 'pastured' and won't ruin they yard that way. And you get to 'spread' the natural fertilizer where ever you want.

The last thing you want is you or your children worrying about stepping in chicken poop. Do what lots of us do; have a certain pair of shoes that are worn in the back yard. I have a pink pair of rubber mules that I keep by the back door and slip on to go out and take off when I come back in. Poop problem solved. Easy. My chickens don't stink. And I should know, they are very tame and are usually in the neighborhood of my head when I'm sitting outside.

I guess what I'm try to tell you is; you don't need a reason or an excuse to have chickens. They make great pets, they are easy to take care of and they give you food about every other day! If you want 'em, get some.....

 

[marymac]

What an adorable picture

 

[cindy99]

I agree with everything posted. We went a little overboard with our coop (I think it was the camera... LOL) and so will probably be lucky if we even break even financially. But, I can tell you from experience - if you are ever stressed - take a chair and sit with the chickens - all of my troubles go away if only for a few minutes. Watching them chase a moth or bug makes me laugh even if I am upset about something. And when the baby girl Orpingtons snuggle into my lap or fight to sit under me when I squat down - it makes me feel loved and adored.

My sons (even the teenager!!) will drop everything and run with me if I say that I am going out to check for an egg.

I had only ever seen (many) chickens crammed into a small pen. I never in a million years thought that I would want to raise chickens. Then, my kids starting taking music lessons at a house that had a few chickens wandering around. While I was sitting in the car waiting for them - I watched the chickens and the time just flew by! I fell in love with fat happy healthy chickens.

I wouldn't change a thing. I love my babies! I agree with the poster that said that they only thing left for you is to pick a breed!

We went with Buff Orpington's because we had heard that they were good cold weather chickens and friendly with kids if raised right (kids & chickens). We also have two white chickens that are just now egg laying age. A hen and a rooster. They are so sweet with each other!

Definately do order what you want! DON'T just pick them from a box somewhere - you may get more rooster's than hoped for. And DEFINATELY bookmark this site - you will find the answers to any and all questions here and so far - I have found everyone to be friendly and encouraging!

Here is my Henry with his love Snowflake.

 

[thegoldengirls]

Lucy_R.. Welcome!
So glad you've decided to join the crazy chicken community!

Sounds like you're doing everything the right way by doing your research and asking questions first.

I've had my 9 girls for over a year now and LOVE THEM!
If you ask anyone who knows me, they will confirm that I too was one who always said "NO WAY!" to chickens. I had all the same concerns you have.
Now, I'm trying to figure out how I can get more!!

Ditto to what everyone else is saying.. they are as dirty as you let them get, and they poop where you let them go. Mine are in a run, but are let out to free range in a larger contained area when we are home. This is more for their safety because we have a lot of natural predators where we live, as well as a road near by.
My husband laughs at me now because no matter where I go in the yard, I have a chicken parade following.

As for the expense.. well, the coop is going to be as expensive as you make it. Or, you can spend very little by using recycled materials. It all depends on what you are looking for and what climate you are in. Everything on the inside of my coop is recycled boards, as well as the window and people door. The outside is all batton and board made from rough cut lumber. So, the only thing we purhased was the rough cut lumber, and some nails.

But, be warned!! Chickens are very addictive! We're already looking at how we can expand! LOL!!

 

[Morgan7782]

Read the OP and one thing caught my eye..

My chickens definately do NOT poop all over themselves! In fact they spend most of the day preening and making themselves look beautiful for the nonexistant rooster haha! I don't really even notice a smell of chicken poop. I spray my patio once or twice a day because my girls have run of the yard, but other then that the chicken poop is great for composting and gardens once it's aged

I have 5 chickens, raised in an urban backyard. Once you find a decent fly control mechanism, that is probably the biggest problem I see aside from needing more, more, more chickens. I started with 2 chicks, now I have 5 girls ranging in age from 3 months to 5-6 months.

Not only do you get eggs, but you will soon discover the theraputic release chickens give! Watching something you raised and grew yourself become such an indavidual is just awesome. And lately I have really been enjoying watching the pecking order work itself out. It really reminds me of a pack of dogs. They are funny, interesting, and just great to watch.

Chicken Craziness is permitted on BYC and not only that it is ENCOURAGED! In a few months you will have double the amount of chickens you originally were going to start with. LOL! Happens to us all!

Welcome to BYC by the way!

 

[Montana-Hens]

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.

If you are very in to the organic lifestyle, that I think that there is nothing better than understanding the lifecycle of food. So many people don't understand where our food comes from and all that goes into to producing it.

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.

Saving money, not sure that is true. Agriculture is a hard industry to make a living at. People complain about prices, but don't understand the cost of producing food, and to do it in a healthy human fashion is even harder. If you health is worth something that you will be better off. If you want to be able to look at a balance sheet, not likely to see anything but red ink.

So I have been telling a few people my idea, and they all say that I am crazy. 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!

Every animal poops. I don't think that there is a single animal who sits in their own filth unless they are held in inhumane conditions. If anything (dog, cat) poops in your yard and you don't pick it up it will eventually be ruined and stinky. I suspect that any feces can carry bad bacteria, but chicken poo is good for your compost pile. (I am assuming since you have one of those).

I have 7 hens. They have a large chicken run and it still has grass. They get to free range part of most days and I had to do some planning and conditioning to teach them stay off my deck. yess there is poop in my yard, dog and chicken. I occassionaly do clean it up.

I love knowing where my eggs came from, though the cost of my coop will never make them cost effective. I have been able to rehome most of the chickens that did not work out, but did butcher one of them no one wanted. Yes if you get in to the egg business you need to know what you plan to do when you want out, you get a bird you don't need or want.

I love it and do recommend to folks but go into it with your eyes wide open....there is a ying and yang to everything.​

 

[Lucy_R]

Quote:
Just wanted to re-post this in case you guys thought that I wasn't responding, lol. It was posted earlier.

 

[wsdareme]

I, too, have to admit that I never dreamed I would own, let alone LOVE, chickens. It started with a friend giving us fresh brown eggs, and I saw how simple her coop setup was. Then I made the mistake of finding MyPetChicken.com, where you can order as few as 3 chicks of different breeds. After getting my husband to admit that, yes, he had a pet chicken as a kid, and yes, he did really like his pet chicken, I decided to take the plunge into The Chicken Experience. I ordered 12 chicks (9 different breeds of brown egg layers) from MPC, and the ball was in motion.

I bought several books, but the best information I have found is from BYCers right on this website. Great, great, GREAT ideas on the BYC Forum. We made an inexpensive brooder out of a plastic tote (thank goodness we have a Wally World) and had it ready and waiting when the post office called to tell us our chicks have arrived. We were hooked.

The whole experience has been an educational and bonding experience for my husband and I. We had very (VERY) limited construction experience (as in, NONE), but we managed to build a decent looking and very functional coop from mostly recycled materials. I can't tell you how many times I asked for advice on the BYC Forum. We are almost completely finished (just need to add gutters and the nest boxes) and The Girls (now 3 months old) love their new home.

Of course, it didn't stop with the chicks from MPC. I started looking at incubators and bought a Brinsea Mini Advance. I had it for 3 weeks before I confessed to my husband. Surprisingly, he didn't get upset and even went with me to pick up some French Black Copper Marans eggs I found locally on craigslist. The night the eggs started pipping and zipping, we sat like 2 kids watching those eggs for 2 hours! Now we've hatched a 2nd batch of eggs, and my DH's boss gave him a dozen Easter Egger chicks. Somehow what started out being a dozen hens has suddenly expanded to 34 birds (and some roos that we're going to have to find new homes for).

I think the thing that has surprised me the most is that, every morning before he leaves for work, we have to go out and check on The Girls. And every night, when he gets home, he grabs a cold beer and he and the dogs go out to sit with The Girls and watch their antics. He actually said to me the other day that he was really having fun with this whole "chicken thing".

I, myself, had no idea that chickens have the personalities they have. I remember smirking and thinking friends were silly when they talked affectionately about their chickens. Well shame on me! Now I get it!

So, I sit here this morning on my living room couch, reading the BYC Forum posts (yes, it IS addicting) and watching my Girls happily scratching around in their run.

Welcome to our world!!