What is The Risk of Keeping Chickens?

[knjinnm]

The real risk .... your twelve chicks will exponentially multiply until you have 144!

 

[SilverPhoenix]

A.T. Hagan :

There's a risk of insanity when chickens are involved.

Do a board search on the following phrases:

"chicken math"
"house chickens"
"duck diapers"
"double stacking"
"outlaw chickens"

There are others, but those will give you an idea.

I think this is the biggest risk of all when one starts the chicken hobby. Insanity and sudden, unexpected explosions in numbers. Suddenly, there are chickens everywhere! Where did they come from? Why are they in the bedroom and bathroom and living room and garage? How many coops does one need before one can be satisfied? Where does the urge to buy a second (or third or fourth) incubator come from? How does one stop the madness?

In all seriousness, I've been doing this for fourteen years and I'm not even that strict with my birds, and I've had very, very little disease in my flock. Yes, I have lost many birds to sad circumstances, had my heart broken many times by the deaths of beloved birds, but that comes with the fact that I've had hundreds of birds in the time that I've been in this hobby. When one has had hundreds of animals of any kind, there will always be tragedies and sadness among all the happiness. For every sad story, I can tell so many happy stories and times that my fowl have made me smile, laugh, and feel a deep sense of contentment and happiness. Ultimately, it's all worth it.​

 

[cackydoodledoo]

If someone posted this already I apologize as I didn't see this. OP seems to be worried about diseases etc... and I don't see where anyone told OP to make sure to feed medicated starter.

 

[mmaddie's mom]

Quote:
I have never feed medicated feed?

 

[7L Farm]

Quote:

I think this is the biggest risk of all when one starts the chicken hobby. Insanity and sudden, unexpected explosions in numbers. Suddenly, there are chickens everywhere! Where did they come from? Why are they in the bedroom and bathroom and living room and garage? How many coops does one need before one can be satisfied? Where does the urge to buy a second (or third or fourth) incubator come from? How does one stop the madness?

In all seriousness, I've been doing this for fourteen years and I'm not even that strict with my birds, and I've had very, very little disease in my flock. Yes, I have lost many birds to sad circumstances, had my heart broken many times by the deaths of beloved birds, but that comes with the fact that I've had hundreds of birds in the time that I've been in this hobby. When one has had hundreds of animals of any kind, there will always be tragedies and sadness among all the happiness. For every sad story, I can tell so many happy stories and times that my fowl have made me smile, laugh, and feel a deep sense of contentment and happiness. Ultimately, it's all worth it.

You mean something like this

 

[Harrisheart]

Lady Feathers:
It's reassuring to hear your flock is healthy

. I'm not so worried, anymore. I'll just check them often and keep risks minimal.
Chicken math O.O. More self control...no XD. But less space, yes. I could hold a MAX of, say, 30 birds here. Unless I penned the whole yard.
I hope I don't get that bad...XD

7L Farm:
Good advice ^^. All of these things I've been doing/providing - save for space. They're still in the brooder, so they haven't gotten much outside time yet. Our weather has been undecisive. But I've been planning to double the pen next year, with funds saved, so they'll have twice as much room as minimum.

Schellie69:
Ha! I now have a good use for my old, worn shoes XD.
I did read the flock management rules, several times already. I'm planning on printing them and some other things out to stick on the freezer. When I fix my printer -.-;
Bumblefoot - ick/ow. I did find posts on that, as well. And an...interesting video. Grossed out my grandmother XD. But It didn't seem any worse than what I have to treat at times with my cats and dogs.

Mmaddie's Mom:
Yeah, not the best of people -.- - never even had chickens. But on the other hand all other advice I've ever gotten from her has proved true o.o.
I will be sure to come here for my advice from now on!
Predators are my more realistic worry. We have plenty of coyotes, dogs, hawks, owls, skunks, and cats out here. And more I'm not thinking of, probably. Everything built will be/is as secure as we can make it.
I do hope I prove my 'friend' wrong - it seems likely

.

knjinnm
144 chickens! Eek! My grandmother would murder me XD.

SilverPhoenix:
Pretty username ^^.
I hope I haven't started this madness already. We went for five or so chicks, left with 10. Went in for food, left with three chicks plus the feed...Maybe I can have minimized madness?

If it's all as worth it as you say, then I am glad I've started.


Medicated feed - We fed it for a while, but I don't believe the feed we bought last was medicated. It was a giant bag rather than the little ones we were getting, cheaper per pound...
Ducks O.O. At least chickens wouldn't hop in the sink....right? XD.

 

[mommyofthreewithchicks]

I bought 45 chickens last year and 30 ducks expecting loss since I was so new to chickens. Here is the deal- most of the chickens that I lost were due to a stupid DOG- Mine.... Chicks I have found are pretty easy in that you keep them clean and fed with the temp mostly correct and they are fine. I would say that in summer they are pretty hardy (above 90 degree's I would find some way to get them to cool down), winter I have found to be a hardship but we had a week or more of -30's.


Out of those chickens and ducks I have 33 ducks (as well as some of their ducklings)- Have lost 3, 1 we butchered and 2 the darn dog... Out of the chickens darn dog has gotten close to 15 and we have had 2 get lost, we have also butchered a few chickens as well.

Death is going to happen. Really bad news if you have children to discuss the death with but it is also a life lesson we all have to deal with on some level.

Chicken Math is worse as it seems to get out of control... Mostly if you go to chicken swaps (oops we bought turkeys at a swap and hubby went unchecked 14 more chicks)!

I don't do medicated feed (will if I have to but so far have not had to). If they get poopy butt I don't have that many so I have enough time to wash it off their butts but the big guys don't have that kind of time (at least that is what I tell myself). I have only lost one chick so far and I am unsure of what happened it was the second day it was here so perhaps it just was not thriving. I have had more issues with the ducks than with the chickens.

I have had a hospital running for the poultry over the winter- which was a dog crate in the house so I could help those in need, it was warmer and I could keep a close watch on my patient. I helped 3 ducks and a few chickens that needed it. Some people think I was quite crazy for helping out those birds but they are fine today.

I think that the research you are doing is great. I too have looked into a lot of the issues I could face but take a deep breath as I think that most of the time your flock should be fine and you will just deal with the issues at hand. Most of that time is adjusting the feed and double checking for holes plans/designs for preditors.


Good luck- and keep posting about your questions. This is a board where we are all the crazy chicken people

Where on the outside my friends think it is just me... (and perhaps my hubby is also in the camp that thinks I am out in deep waters)

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

My advice is to never get too many small coops. (Been there, done that.)

Just go for BIG shed coops if you can so you don't have so many feeders, waterers, cleanout jobs, etc. to handle. (If you increase your numbers exponentially as might happen to the best of us.)

I have since sold off some of my tiny coops, and moved my chickens out of the remaining small coops into the shed coop. Life is good again.

I am also down from a high of 102 or so chickens, to 28. Hee hee.

 

[kla37]

Prevention is the best medicine. Practice good animal husbandry like keeping their quarters clean and dry, feeding good food, allowing for plenty of space and exercise, and that should keep most problems from ever occurring. I use poultry dust every month on my girls too prevent parasites. It's been a year and none have shown up. All animals (and people) can get sick or injured and die. Biggest thing, don't be paranoid and worry too much! Have fun chickening!