If you want to go on vacation, you may struggle to find someone to babysit your chickens. … in fact, it’s pretty likely that they won’t get along, honestly. Plan on doing a deeper-cleaning of the coop about weekly, depending on how many birds you have and the size of your coop. I almost forgot about this one because I don’t eat eggs currently … Fresh Eggs. my porch several times a day when they are free ranging. So what’s so great about keeping chickens out back? The not-so fun part of cleaning the coop is, well, what to DO with all that poop? Stray or indoor/outdoor cats can also attack chickens, particularly bantam or young birds. Kids’ sandbox or play house? Eggs of all colors – there are so many colors besides white and brown eggs like pinks, olives and blues. Fun – chickens are fun. You may have been frightened by a protective hen or an aggressive rooster, or you may recall the surprise of finding eggs. Though the quality is already great, you can boost the appearance of egg yolk by including the right amount of brown seaweed in their feed. Your email address will not be published. If you are able to allow your chickens time out in your backyard every single day, then you will notice a huge decrease in the number of pests that you have. Brown seaweeds are particularly effective at amplifying the golden hue of chicken eggs. What Not to Feed Your Chickens: General Guidelines. March 16, 2016 by Tiffany Davis 2 Comments. Free range chickens poop….everywhere. For some people this is no bother at all, and they’re happy to allow their hens to live out their natural lives as pets, whether they are productive or not. Sure you’ll see the pictures of sweet little hens, with fluffy butts, enjoying an afternoon on green grass…easy to want that picturesque scene in your own yard. Your Kids Will Never, Ever Leave Your House. There’s about a 5 percent chance that your hen will turn out to be a rooster. Backyard chickens, the good, the bad and the ugly. I'm a firm believer that while blogs and YouTube are amazing resources, having hard-copy books on hand is invaluable. Five Reasons to Not Keep Backyard Hens: 1. This may mean using electric poultry netting or an enclosed run instead of free ranging, and you have to accept that you may lose a few chickens, despite your best efforts. You Will Be An Egg Snob. Backyard chickens are good for everyone and everything involved: your family, your land, the chickens, and the health of your spirit and your body. Ginger working one of my empty raised beds. (In fact, domestic dogs are one of the main predators you’ll deal with, even though they often just want to “play” with the chickens.) OK, let’s get the obvious one out of the way. As I mentioned, chickens aren’t hard to care for, but some people are hesitant to help out simply because they are a foreign critter for most people who are more accustomed to cats or dogs as pets. Bug Eaters – backyard chickens can keep your bug population down. People enjoy raising baby poultry including chicks, ducklings, goslings, and poults. Depending on the size of your coop and the number of chickens you keep, usually weekly or bi-weekly cleanings will keep everything under control. The park? Compost Material – chicken manure is a great addition to your compost piles. Chickens are also extremely entertaining. 7 Reasons Why You Should Not Get Chickens Chickens Can Be Expensive. Since everyone kept them, everyone knew about them: what they ate, when to expect eggs, what made them sick. Required fields are marked *. Help Preserve Genetic Diversity. Our little flock isn’t much extra bother to care for, and I enjoy the fresh eggs and the entertainment of seeing them wander around the farm. Keeping chickens is a big responsibility and does not fit every lifestyle. My family and I live on a little red farmstead in northwestern Pennsylvania where we raise dairy goats and poultry. You Have to Gather Eggs Daily. The mall... 2. Ultimately, you have to do your best to provide a secure environment for your hens, including a predator-proof coop. They don’t lay forever – so you’ll have to make a choice when your layers aren’t laying. More nutritious eggs – chickens that eat bugs, greens and live a healthy humane life produce healthier eggs for us. They are dirty, smelly, and the manure is a nightmare to deal with.” I think this is a huge exaggeration. So there you have it, backyard chickens, the good, the bad and the ugly. They’ll be happy to scratch and peck out your compost pile – very beneficial for breaking it down. While alcohol and caffeine are coping substances for many people, chickens don’t need an extra boost of caffeine to get going in the morning and don’t need a toddy to relax before bed. It's the 10th time since 2011 the CDC has identified an outbreak due to live poultry. I recently shared a post on the @littleredfarmstead Instagram feed and asked my followers what they’d like to read about here on the blog. Although, with the right know-how and a can-do attitude, one can raise and utilize backyard chickens quite successfully. Your patio or deck? Chickens may not take as much time as other pets but one thing they do require is a safe home and being locked up tight in the evenings. Pooped on. One of the worst parts about chicken keeping is that after about 2 to 3 years of age, a chicken’s egg production will drop dramatically. Day to day care – chickens, like any animal require work. But while keeping chickens may seem quaint, it’s a bit more complicated than you might think. You won’t find all those colors at your big box grocery store! I enjoy just sitting on my chair outside and watching them scratching and pecking. I debated on whether to put this in the “good” or “ugly” category, but ultimately settled on somewhere in the middle because I think its accurate to call it both good AND bad. But I do, wholeheartedly, believe in raising chickens for meat if you have the space. But they really aren’t anything new; people have been keeping chickens in their backyards for as long as we’ve had backyards. My beautiful Luna-Belle posed for some glamour sho, Thawing 15 pounds of ground beef. Scratched up. Roosters. With the rise in the price of eggs, this reason alone could be enough to convince many people that backyard chickens are the perfect pet. Why We No Longer Keep Backyard Chickens 1. Not only will they get rid of flies, ticks, spiders, centipedes, and grasshoppers, but I have seen my chickens eat small snakes on occasion. Chickens pecking at the feathers of other hens in their flock can lead to serious health problems if the habit isn’t stopped. Need I say more? They can attracts pests – flies, rodents & roaches. In this case, you might make the decision to cull the bird and use it for a stew hen. (Now duck manure–THAT is horrid! Error: API requests are being delayed for this account. Keeping chickens has been on and off illegal in International Falls for the past 40 years. That lovely flower garden? Backyard chickens have always been a popular subject here on TreeHugge. Chicken manure is considered a hot manure, which means it has to be composted before you can put it on plants. But this can be avoided with secure food like Grandpa’s Feeders & regular cleanings. I don’t think an acre is a backyard. It is generally difficult for a true “backyard” homesteader to have the room to raise meat birds; at least in my experience. Log in as an administrator and view the Instagram Feed settings page for more details. As with any other animal, however, chickens require a lot of work and loving attention—definitely more than your common dog or house cat. 1. Also even if you do free-range your birds they'll need a good layer feed. Somehow we got away from that after the 2nd world war, but they are making a come back! Inexpensive. The ‘Ewww’ Factor. They are garden gangsters – they get in where they aren’t supposed to and can eat / ruin your garden. It’s easy to see why keeping backyard chickens is becoming more popular, and here are our top reasons why you should start your own backyard chicken flock: Fresh Eggs . The most stressful part of having chickens is staying on top of predator issues. And if you’re lucky enough to have a 200-year-old house with bright red clapboard siding, you better believe chickens will enjoy the heck out of pecking and chipping away at the wood boards along the bottom of the house, and making a giant mess out of that too! Hi, I’m Amanda. Most people keep chickens for … This includes coyotes, foxes, raccoons, bobcats, skunks, weasels, hawks, owls, and even domestic dogs that might be roaming the neighborhood. The fact is that these birds are irreparably harmed by the selective breeding that has forced them to lay an unnatural and unhealthy number of eggs — between 250 to 300 a year — resulting in a host of painful and life-threatening reproductive diseases and premature death. By day she's a web developer specializing in WordPress and in her off time she enjoys working with goats and other livestock on the farm, canning, knitting, and crocheting. There are a … But I think the term backyard has been widely overused. Chickens can live 8-12 years, so that means a lot of years that you’ll be putting expensive chicken feed into an animal that may only lay a handful of eggs per month. Visit Sundaze Farm to meet our Nigerian Dwarf and LaMancha dairy goats, These goobers are super helpful cleaning up fallen. Many people keep chickens to have fresh eggs. They are noisy and worst of all, they draw in predators that your neighbors will have to deal with. Keeping backyard poultry (chickens, ducks, geese, guinea fowl, and turkeys) is becoming more popular. When I first talked about getting chickens, the immediate reaction I got from people was, “You don’t want chickens. This is Dizzy the Guinea. Chickens can get lice and mites, not to mention intestinal worms and other icky parasites. Access to the freshest eggs Eggs have gotten a bad rep based on cholesterol-related research conducted in the past few decades. Covered in chicken poop. After the initial startup costs, it is relatively inexpensive to keep chickens. Check out Secret Backyard Chickens – How to Keep a Stealth Coop. Chickens are one of the lowest things on the food chain, and everyone enjoys a good chicken dinner. You won’t be able to just go out of town; and finding a chicken-sitter can be challenging. Below are a selection of books I've found extremely helpful on our homesteading journey. But are backyard chickens right for you? Chickens are relatively easy keepers, especially if you have a small flock. If you’ve been thinking about getting chicks this year, here are 5 reasons why you should raise backyard chickens. 1. Your email address will not be published. New posts will not be retrieved. One of the biggest appeals of raising and tending backyard chickens is the fresh eggs right outside your door. I am a web developer and homesteader. This is may be a "duh" point for you, but it's a reality that you need … For all you people singing the praises of backyard chickens, let me give you a perspective of someone who hates my neighbor’s chickens! Snakes and possums are also predators you might find in your coop, but they much prefer eggs or very small chicks more so than full grown chickens. This is our fave chicken feed. Only you can weigh out the pros and cons, but for our family, I say YES! If you’re fortunate to live somewhere that you can allow your hens to free range, it is well worth the time to sit in a lawn chair and enjoy the free “Chicken TV” drama that goes on as they wander about the yard hunting bugs and interacting with each other. One of the worst parts about chicken keeping is that after about 2 to 3 years of age, a chicken’s egg production will drop dramatically. There really is no such thing as a free lunch. Amanda lives with her family on a little red farmstead in northwestern Pennsylvania. Another quick tip: best to stick with strictly hens if you’re going to be asking strangers to tend to your chickens frequently while you are away. Notify me via e-mail if anyone answers my comment. Lawn furniture? Your neighborhood birds will LOVE your yard – free food and water….aka more poop. They are not dogs and will poop places you’d really rather they didn’t. But if you need a little convincing, here are 10 reasons to keep backyard chickens (townies included!) Fresh eggs! Same with your vegetable garden. An Internet search for information on the cons of raising backyard chickens doesn't yield much useful information. Yup–you guessed it–POOP! Here's a newsflash, poor people all over the world keep chickens, and apart from a few dollars (note, not hundreds, or thousands) for chicken feed (there's a reason 'chicken feed' is slang for cheap, by the way), it costs virtually nothing. Most of us backyard farmers don’t have the space to keep hens they aren’t laying regularly; that means you’ll need to butcher them or give them to someone who will. Chickens need at least 14-15 hours of light a day. Vulnerable creatures: Chickens can easily be killed by predators. This means ideally, you’ll need a small area in your yard for a compost pile. And those wild birds carry diseases that can hurt your birds (like lice). Backyard chickens have really become a popular pet for the 21st century. But even backyard chickens have an environmental footprint. The Imperfectly Happy Home is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Most dogs, even very good natured ones, will enjoy chasing chickens for fun. It … Especially … They aren’t always legal – so you could get turned in by your neighbors and lose your flock. If you’re a traveller, best to ask friends or neighbors about chicken-sitting before you commit to getting a flock. Some of the exceptions for what not to feed your chickens are obvious. If you have some extra space, here’s why you should invite some chickens into your backyard. But a ballot measure in November put the question to rest — by a narrow margin. Chickens might be egg machines, but they are poop tornadoes. Whether you have a small or large backyard flock your egg-laying hens are on fire after winter ends. Backyard Chickens and Bird Flu: How to Spot It and Why It Matters Posted by The Happy Chicken Coop on December 30, 2019 Posted In: Features In December 2014 it was confirmed that bird flu (also known as Avian Influenza or HPAI H5) … Depending on the size of your yard and your interest in composting and gardening, this may be a good thing or an annoyance. Everyone is going to have differing opinions on this, but I thought I’d share my thoughts. Letting the behaviour continue often means it will get worse, and the chicken can be severely injured Chickens … Garden helpers – after you harvest your garden, let your chickens in there to dig out bugs, weeds, slugs, etc. But it is well worth the wait! Filed Under: Backyard Homestead, Backyard Livestock, Chickens. While this is the obvious reason, there is more to it than you might think. Fresh Eggs. One question that came up was asking about the pros and cons of keeping backyard chickens. You’ll fully understand where the phrase “Quit acting like a big chicken” came from!  Their coops, yards, roosts and nests need regular cleaning for your chicken’s health and to avoid the above pests. I clean poop off. While it’s easier to find someone willing to feed and water hens, when an ornery rooster is involved, much fewer people will volunteer! After all, there’s a certain appeal to a pet that provides breakfast daily. They can attracts pests – flies, rodents & roaches. Chickens aren’t silent, even the hens make noise during egg laying. Going to make la, This error message is only visible to WordPress admins, Trying out some hydroponics for a little home scie, Todayâs project: Sourdough Crackers using discar, Phoebeâs little girl is an absolute heartbreaker, Getting Started with Chickens: Picking Your Chicks, Meat Chicks Moved to the Great Outdoors (a 3.5-Week Update). There are food snobs, wine snobs, shoe snobs, but those of us who keep chickens are in a... 3. Poop–as in manure. An increasing number of people are crying “fowl” when it comes to supermarket eggs and embracing the trend of keeping live chickens in their backyard. Hawks, raccoons, cats or a giant slug can freak out chickens.  You’ll need to take measures to keep them out! They need to be cleaned up after and often. Remember all those play-dates you once attended? Secret Backyard Chickens – How to Keep a Stealth Coop, www.cafemedia.com/publisher-advertising-privacy-policy. Chickens can live 8-12 years, so that means a lot of years that you’ll be putting expensive chicken feed into an … I am absolutely smitten. You’ll need maybe 15 to 20 minutes each morning and evening to care for your hens. This is stressful for the birds, and often times one playful bite or pounce from a larger dog will injure them to the point that they can’t recover. Backyard chickens are to blame for yet another outbreak of salmonella. Infection may occur when you're handling live poultry, too, when you are cleaning out your coop area," said Davison, who gets calls everyday from backyard bird … I don’t want to talk you out of getting your own small backyard flock, because I love having mine. Scratch and Peck Feeds - Naturally Free Organic Layer Feed for Chickens and Ducks Keep in mind that chickens don’t start laying till at least 18 weeks of age (and 20 to 24 weeks isn’t uncommon), so you’ll need to be patient. That is the biggest problem I see with most of the backyard chicken ordinances; they treat the chickens as pets. The huge factory farms that produce eggs only use special hybrid … The most obvious reason to raise chickens is for the free, fresh, and convenient eggs. So while the idea of free range chickens is a lovely and romantic notion, if you’re someone who doesn’t want your yard messy or potentially damaged, you might want to think about an enclosed run or a mobile chicken tractor instead of letting your poultry wander. With growing interest in keeping backyard chickens, there are plenty of advocates to extol the benefits of having a home flock.No one really mentions the negatives of keeping chickens, yet there are many challenges. (I recommend 3 to 6 for beginners.) Getting in touch with where your food comes from. They need fresh food and water daily and for you to keep a close eye on their health. At dusk, you’ll want to lock up your flock safely from predators, collect eggs, and refresh their water. Fresh, Organic Eggs. Of course, the eggs! For others, backyard chickens are livestock, and as such, they have to be productive to be useful, otherwise they become a liability. But you should go into chicken raising with ALL the facts. Until the middle of the 20th century, keeping a few chickens was common. I recommend you read all you can, talk to experienced backyard chicken folk and then decide if your family is ready to raise them. Food In the morning you’ll let them out of their coop, give them fresh water, feed them, and collect any eggs that might have been laid early in the morning. But this can be avoided with secure food like. ) Chickens are somewhat messy, but not terrible. They’ll teach your kids a whole new level of responsibility. So, I give you chicken keeping: the good, the bad, and the ugly: Number one–obviously–is fresh eggs direct from your back yard! 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