Are Chickens Right For Me?

If you have enough space and friendly neighbors keeping chickens could help you be more self sufficient.

 

Being responsible for any living creature requires time, energy, and resources. Keeping chickens is pretty low maintenance once you get the hang of it. 

When I first got my "chickers" I was obsessively cleaning their coop and my bricked back walk way since I let them free range the backyard. This was exhausting and, as I've learned  unnecessary. I quickly adjusted my expectations on how pretty I wanted my backyard to look in favor of the health and happiness of my chickens. 

  A Happy Compromise

I love my hens, but I also want some space in the backyard that was not Chickenized  The solution is to divide the yard into their area and mine. I devised a fence divider so if and when I want to contain them for a while I can.                                                                                                   In answering the question of whether chickens are right for you consider the following and then ask yourself what is more valuable to you.

1. Do you have enough space to contain them?

This really depends on how many chickens you have. If you live in an urban area there is a limit. You will have to check with your city ordinances which will be specific on how much space per bird you will need to provide. For example my limit is 6 hens and I need to provide at least 3 square feet per bird inside the coop. 

2. Do you have enough time during the day?

Daily care doesn't require ton's of time, only 15 minutes takes care of getting fresh water and food, clearing the poop out of the coop, and collecting those delicious eggs. Other time requirements are coop maintenance and socializing with you new friends. 

3. Will your neighbors object?

Most places will not have a problem with it if your girls behave and stay in your contained area. Older hens know the rules but younger hens can be quite adventurous and the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. Containment is key. It also goes a long way to have an attractive set up for your chicken area. Places with HOA (Home Owner Associations) are probably not going to work. In my case I occasionally give my closest neighbor a dozen eggs out of the blue to improve my chances of staying in their good graces.

4. Cost

The reasons to keep chickens are many, but it doesn't make your eggs cheaper. This may come as a surprise to some, It did to me. I though to myself " I will have free eggs as long as I have chickens." Nothing valuable in life is free. 

The start up cost can be as little as your ingenuity allows. My second coop cost very little because it was made from found pallet wood. It only cost screws, nails, some roofing, and time. The first one I bought wood from the local home improvement store and everything brand new, still it cost around $300 total. Not bad considering the pre-fab coops costing around $500. 

Then there is the feed and that cost rises every year with inflation. The basic feed cost's around $13.00 for a 40 pound bag that lasts about a month and a half. I supplement with heathy greens, oyster shell, and canned Mackerel. This makes for wonderful nutritious eggs and happy hens.

Only you know if you can make this adjustment. As for me I think the compromises are worth it. I never thought I would be a chicken Mom, but here I am, lovin it.