Why chickens are worth it

[sophieethompson]

Hi guys, I'm considering getting some backyard hens and I don't know if I want all the work that comes with having them. I guess I'm just wondering why are chickens worth all the work? Do you enjoy having backyard chickens or do you regret getting them?

 

[boskelli1571]

I find chickens very calming to be around, I love their crazy antics - they are the best psychotherapy in the world & give you eggs! Yes - they can be a lot of work (I have 30+), but the reward for me is paid back many times over.
If in doubt - don't. You have to get up early, feed,water, collect eggs, play nursey and put them to bed. It is a long term commitment since hens can live to 5+ years.

 

[a crime most]

What Boskelli said.
You don't have to get up early to let the chickens out if you have food and water in the coop
with them.

pros:
#1. they are fun to watch,
#2. they are cute (that kinda goes with #1.)
#3.They provide sustenance (i.e. eggs)
#4. Choices! Choices galore! the word chicken is as generic as the word car, so many breeds to choose from so little coop space.

cons:
#1. initial cost will be high. Coops can be expensive depending on how many chickens you get and the chickens themselves can be expensive depending on what age you get them.
#2. taking care of them is not that different than taking care of a dog... but you do have to take care of them.
#3.this is part of taking care of them, If you go on a trip you either have to make them stay in the coop with plenty of food and water or leave the coop open and risk them getting eaten at night or get a nice friend or neighbor to open and close them and to make sure that food and water is taken care of

Phew! that went longer than I intended. I know the pros list is shorter than the cons list but I don't in any way regret getting chickens.

In conclusion of this poorly written reply I simply conclude with one piece of advice, start small and if you decide that this is a thing for you than you can always expand coop size and get more chickens.

 

[b.hromada]

I find chickens very calming to be around, I love their crazy antics - they are the best psychotherapy in the world & give you eggs! Yes - they can be a lot of work (I have 30+), but the reward for me is paid back many times over.
If in doubt - don't. You have to get up early, feed,water, collect eggs, play nursey and put them to bed. It is a long term commitment since hens can live to 5+ years.

said perfectly!

 

[CluckerCottage]

We truly enjoy our flock of 37! Yes, there is work involved but if your heart is in it, it's a labor of love. I work a high stress job and look forward to some relaxing when I get home. Nothing like a glass of wine and chicken t.v. for me! Can't really explain it but after a half-hour of that, I am calm and ready to go in to start laundry and supper.
Wait until you are ready because it really is a commitment. Good luck.

 

[Peaches Lee]

The only time I regret having my flock is when one passes away as losing pets is never easy. I think the work put into them is very minimal (well, compared to horses). I'm a baker, so I love having lots of eggs at my disposal and eating the fresh eggs, you forget how good they are until you've eaten eggs at a restaurant. For the gourmet it is a sure bet to superior taste. Everyday one of the members of my flock make me laugh or smile, it's a welcome relief!

 

[Backyardchickenjoy]

Oh yes, backyard chickens are worth it! This is a common question I get from neighbors and friends! One of the best articles online about this is:

"Are Backyard Chickens Worth it? A Resounding Yes!"

I love it. I feel it's an honest and very helpful overview of the benefits and potential downfalls of chicken keeping for beginners with clear guidelines on how to avoid any "cons" of chicken keeping It explains the benefits of chicken keeping and the ways to make chicken keeping easy and beneficial (how to avoid pitfalls for beginners. I think when you have to make all the mistakes yourself to learn it can be harder but if you use resources like this backyard chickens website you can have success and a lot of fun by avoiding common pitfalls.

 

[Dinogrrl]

I've had my two girls for going on three years now, so I'm a relative newbie to the whole chicken-keeping thing...but they are definitely worth it!

The biggest reason I got chickens was for the eggs. I have a difficult food allergy, which causes me to not only react directly to the offending food, but causes me to react to animal products if the animals they came from were fed that food! With my chickens, I have 100% control over the eggs I use, and I know they are safe for me to eat. That alone makes owning chickens worth it for me.

I don't find them to be any more work than my cats, and certainly a lot less work than my many fishtanks. They are, however, a DIFFERENT kind of work, which is probably an obvious thing to say, because they're an entirely different sort of animal! But they are really funny creatures and I enjoy them a lot. They've definitely got unique personalities and they are a lot more endearing than I thought they'd be!

The one thing I wasn't prepared for was how much they dig. I've got so many holes all over my yard now. So if you're someone who is super picky about their yard, or has someone around who could seriously injure themselves if they trip in a hole, then you may want to rethink chickens, or at least be considerate of where they're allowed to roam. I don't mind it too much because I'm lazy about my yard, but it does sometimes interfere with the ease of rolling their coop around.

The coop is definitely a major expense. If you're a DIYer, you can find countless guides online for all sorts of DIY coops.
That being said, I'm on DIY coop #2 and I am definitely going to pay someone else to make one for me next time .

 

[365username]

Hi guys, I'm considering getting some backyard hens and I don't know if I want all the work that comes with having them. I guess I'm just wondering why are chickens worth all the work? Do you enjoy having backyard chickens or do you regret getting them?

I love my chickens, and treat them like my own children! I would be very sad without chickens

 

[365username]

I find chickens very calming to be around, I love their crazy antics

I always sit in my coop and watch them. I believe it gains there trust and that makes me very happy! I always love to take at least an hour out of my day to gain more trust from my chickens, and at least 2 days out of my week to fix up their coop some more. I would hate to get rid of any of my flock, but the roosters are always the favorites!