Wife and kids want to raise chickens?

[Jim]

Here we go. They are really pushing to get a little coop and 4 chickens. What’s going to happen if we go through with this, is that I will be taking care of them full time.
I would be lying if i didn’t say they almost have me convinced. Is raising chickens a heavy lift? Any of you raise chickens?


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[MN Fisher]

Here we go. They are really pushing to get a little coop and 4 chickens. What’s going to happen if we go through with this, is that I will be taking care of them full time.
I would be lying if i didn’t say they almost have me convinced. Is raising chickens a heavy lift? Any of you raise chickens?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Couple things for you
1: Chickens STINK - walking into a coop that hasn't been cleaned in near a week will make you wish you were noseless. Twice a week full clean at minimum.

2: Some municipalities prohibit the raising of 'livestock'...my town prohibits chickens for instance.

 

[Jim]

Here we go. They are really pushing to get a little coop and 4 chickens. What’s going to happen if we go through with this, is that I will be taking care of them full time.
I would be lying if i didn’t say they almost have me convinced. Is raising chickens a heavy lift? Any of you raise chickens?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Couple things for you
1: Chickens STINK - walking into a coop that hasn't been cleaned in near a week will make you wish you were noseless. Twice a week full clean at minimum.

2: Some municipalities prohibit the raising of 'livestock'...my town prohibits chickens for instance.

Great, that's all I need. A stinky neighborhood.

My town allows 24 chickens.

 

[Kismet]

You won't be saving money, if that is part of the motivation. Feed and housing will put you on the red side of your ledger (and you need to keep one to
drive home the point that chickens are a luxury item.)

The stench has already been mentioned.

Then you have predators, and you will have predators--from domestic cats to feral one, wild meat-eaters will make your chickens' house a swing-by dinner must, and the occasional dog will just love chasing squaky feathered things.

Best wishes.

(By the way, out here in the country, the only folks raising chickens are the transplants from the city, all the dairy and beef farmers don't have the time and the no-return-on-investment attitude to do so. Another point, the meat is cheaper at the store.


Again, best wishes.

 

[Jim]

Perfect, exactly what i want to hear. I think once the “excitement” wears off it would be a headache.

The more research We do, the less appealing it becomes.


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[GTS225]

Sounds like the womenfolk want some "pets" that will also supply a modicum of food. Bad idea......they'll get attached, and won't view them as a source of meat.

Predators......the worst ones will be neighborhood dogs. If they get into the enclosure, it's a sport. They'll catch and kill one, drop it, and go after another. Mom had chickens when I was a kid. One incident, we lost 8 chickens to one dog before we could get out there to end it.

If you REALLY have to persue it, I suggest you investigate building a chicken "tractor", especially if the available enclosure area is limited.

Just my thoughts.....Roger

 

[Jim]

Bad idea......they'll get attached, and won't view them as a source of meat.

This was already clearly stated by my youngest daughter! :LOL2:

 

[BigTerp]

I know several people that raise chickens. I've heard much complaining from all of them. Everything from the mess, maintenance, stench, predators, etc. Makes it extremely easy for me to never consider raising chickens. Even if it was cost effective, for me, it wouldn't be worth the headache. My family goes through 5+ eggs a day. Say 7 a day at $1.65 per 18 (my local cost for eggs) is rounded up to $20 a month on eggs. I'll easily pay that to avoid the headache, mess, etc., etc. of raising chickens. FWIW, it looks like it'll cost about $25 a month for 3 chickens. That'll get you a max of 3 eggs a day.

 

[Jim]

Last Sunday at my goto market a dozen eggs was $2.39 and climbing.

A few months ago they were consistently 99 cents.

 

[BigTerp]

Last Sunday at my goto market a dozen eggs was $2.39 and climbing.

A few months ago they were consistently 99 cents.

Yeah, I'm sure the cost varies across the country. At that price it would make a bit more sense. But it would still take a LOT for me to get to the point of raising chickens though. I'm cranky enough currently raising 2 kids under 5!!

 

[Jim]

Yeah, I'm sure the cost varies across the country. At that price it would make a bit more sense. But it would still take a LOT for me to get to the point of raising chickens though. I'm cranky enough currently raising 2 kids under 5!!

I'm at the tail end of that spectrum, 20, 18, and 13. Different ages, different problems. :lol:

 

[MrGiggles]

I don't know what your property is like and what kind of setup you have in mind.

If you want to free range them, they will put a hurting on ticks and other insects. They'll also crap all over everything and for whatever reason love porches and sidewalks. Plus you have predator problems. If your city doesn't have much for stray enforcement, forget about free ranging, they will just be lunch for Scruffy from down the block.

Chicken litter is really good fertilizer/compost for the garden if you have one.

If I was going to have them, I'd have one of those wheeled coops with a run so they can be moved around the yard, spread the waste around.

They can eat just about anything and will happily peck away at whatever kitchen scraps you toss them. Waste not want not.

You will never save any money, but the entertainment and self sufficiency factors are worth something.

 

[LDUBS]

Here we go. They are really pushing to get a little coop and 4 chickens. What’s going to happen if we go through with this, is that I will be taking care of them full time.
I would be lying if i didn’t say they almost have me convinced. Is raising chickens a heavy lift? Any of you raise chickens?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Couple things for you
1: Chickens STINK - walking into a coop that hasn't been cleaned in near a week will make you wish you were noseless. Twice a week full clean at minimum.

2: Some municipalities prohibit the raising of 'livestock'...my town prohibits chickens for instance.

My town rescinded the prohibition against livestock, that is chickens to be specific. Reason was a push from a small group who had a romantic notion about how nice it would be to keep them. Growing up my family was in the poultry business. Layers, fryers, and turkeys. Like others say, smell can be bad if not on top of things. Feed bill, predators, disease, noise, flys, etc. Not as romantic as it might seem. On the positive side, great fertilizer for the flower beds.

Jim -- you should check out a documentary named Chicken People.

 

[Jim]

Jim -- you should check out a documentary named Chicken People.

Will do! It's "free" on Amazon Prime. :lol:

 

[eeshaw]

I'm at the opposite end of the spectrum. I enjoy having them around just for the antics they provide. Yes, they can get smelly if you don't stay on top of things. I have a 50 foot run that I keep mine in made out of old kennel panels. The top is covered with the same panels so nothing can get in or out. The ground that the run is on is rocky so nothing is going to tunnel in. Any gaps along the fence line are bordered with rail road ties so it's about like a prison for the most part but they don't seem to mind. They can eat a lot but when grass hoppers and ticks are in abundance they tend to take care of them. I had one incident with a coon(my fault it got into the coop) but it's no longer with us. No problem since. You'll never get rich off them but I find them entertaining and they're pretty much pets. I have 11 of them total right now but I'm planning on getting a few more.

 

[gogittum]

Years ago, living in the mountains of north Idaho around 1980, my parents decided to come for a visit. Some friends got together and planned a BBQ for them and one of the ladies donated some chickens to the cause. Over age, free range chickens at the end of their useful (laying) life, as it turned out.

The big day arrived, nice and sunny and warm and we were all gathered around, drinking beer, talking, watching my buddy play with the birds on the grill and all was well. Then, buddy decided he needed a potty break, so my dad stepped up.

Dad was justifiably proud of his prowess as a BBQ-er and started re-arranging the pieces on the grill....then said, "uh oh, we may have a problem." He couldn't get the big fork into them to turn them. He finally managed it by really stabbing them, but he had everyone's attention.

Time to eat came around and we dug in....and bounced. Those chickens were as tough as tire rubber. You could work strips of meat off them with your teeth, but they were tasteless and tough. No such thing as biting a chunk off. Even the dogs refused them. Fun to look back on, but Hans was sure embarrassed at the time. Chicken supplier was his mother-in-law....and everyone was eager to show my big-city folks some small town, back country hospitality. Oh well.

 

[Jim]

I just left the grocery store.......2 dozen eggs for $8 or 1 dozen for $4.48. #-o

 

[Kismet]

I just left the grocery store.......2 dozen eggs for $8 or 1 dozen for $4.48. #-o

Hey Jim,

Now go price chicken feed and storage containers for it.

aigs is cheep.

Have fun.

 

[Jim]

I just left the grocery store.......2 dozen eggs for $8 or 1 dozen for $4.48. #-o

Hey Jim,

Now go price chicken feed and storage containers for it.

aigs is cheep.

Have fun.

I bet the price for those things has gone up as well, am I right?

 

[KMixson]

Growing up on a farm of 115 acres we raised chickens, hogs and rabbits. We had up to 270 chickens at a time. We had a coop about 20' X 40' in size which did smell a little but was not unbearable. They used the coop to roost at night and were in the yard during the day. They had the run of the yard (2+ acres), so they were not kept in the coop 24/7. With them in the yard the insect population was kept under control. We did have to worry about foxes, snakes, predatory birds and such but it was not too bad. The worst incident we had was a stray dog killed about 15-20 chickens one time. It would catch a chicken and when it quit flapping it would go after another one. A fox would catch a chicken and carry it off to eat it leaving the others alone for the time being. As for snakes we didn't have too many because they would have to get past the hogs first. Hogs eat snakes. We had up to 30 hogs at a time. Suffice to say, we ate a lot of chicken, pork and rabbits.