On the fence about Owning and Raising chickens? Ask yourself these questions!
Posted by Catherine Ray on
With the price of eggs going up in stores many people have shown interest in starting their own backyard flock, but many people have no idea where to even begin with raising chickens.
As a chicken enthusiast and animal lover I'm here to help! I have owned chickens on and off for around 5 years. I have experienced A LOT of the ups and downs of owning poultry in an urban environment, and let me tell you it's not as easy as buying chicks, feeding them for a few months then getting eggs. Unfortunately it's never that simple. These are a few questions you should ask yourself if you are trying to decide if you are wanting chickens;
1. What makes you want to start your own backyard flock?
This is a big question, if it's ONLY because of the recent price increase in eggs at your local grocery store then starting a backyard flock is not going to be your best option, you're going to have to invest some money into a coop, a run, the chicks themselves, feeders, feed and whatever else is needed to keep them healthy and growing. If you start out with chicks depending on the breed it can take them 6-9 months before they hit the mature age to even start laying, because of this some people looks for mature laying hens but because it took money to feed and raise the hen to maturity they will cost more then chicks, for example buying a chick at a local Tractor supply could cost around $3.00 but buying a mature hen from a local homesteader could be around $10-15. So if you are only wanting to get chickens because of the current high price of eggs then I do not recommend starting you own backyard flock since owning and raising chickens costs arguably more then the price of grocery store eggs.
2. Do you care about what goes into your food?
One of the big reasons people start their own flock is because they like to know whats going in to their food compared to store-bought meat and eggs that may be full of additives and may not have given the chicken a great living situation during their short life. When raising chickens YOU get to decide what kind of food they eat, if you want them to eat commercial feed or mix your own at home. You know what kind of vitamins and nutrients they are taking in and what kind of medication they take (when needed). You can also decide the living situation, many backyard flocks don't have that stressful cramped, caged up environments.
3. Are you wanting to become more self-sufficient?
A large number of people dive into raising chickens because they like to have their own supply of food. These past couple of years especially we have seen how fast things can change and how easily food and supplies can run out in stores. Many people want the comfortability of having some kind of food source at our control. Some people raise chickens for eggs and meat, start gardens for fresh produce and do other things to make themselves feel more prepared for the unexpected. If you are interested in these things then you know and should be prepared for the time, money and sacrifices you may have to make for this kind of lifestyle.
4. How do you feel about handling dead animals?
Unfortunately like raising cats, dogs fish etc. chances are you will have a chicken die, it happens to best of us. It doesn't matter if you've raised chickens for 1 year or 50 years you will have a death in your flock. it could be do to sickness or a predator or even an accident. With that being said you will have to dispose of the body, it us extremely unsanitary to leave it where you found it and may even attract more predators and disease to the flock. If you cannot stomach the idea or action of cleaning up and disposing of dead chickens then I do not recommend starting your own flock.
5. Do you have the time to raise and care for chickens correctly?
Chickens are very low maintenance in my opinion, they don't need much but for the things they do require it will take some time and energy. Chickens like most other animals will not do well in a filthy environment and like most other animals chickens get sick, get hurt and can spread disease. Like cats and dogs they have specific needs; fresh clean water, a dry clean place to rest, a food source and protection (especially this because they are a prey animal!) This may all seem simple and easy but unfortunately too many people do not correctly care for chickens by giving them these basic needs. So if you do not have the time to check on your flock daily, clean their coop and run, or just take time to make sure they have fresh food and water then DO NOT get chickens. Chickens like any other living animal should be correctly cared for especially when you take on the responsibility of being their food source. If you hardly take care of your dogs and cats, and let your animals roam the streets to starve or get hit by cars then do not add another responsibility to your list that you will neglect.
Those questions above should help give you an idea is starting your own backyard flock is the right thing for you and if you are doing it for the right reasons. If you've decided that raising chickens may not be for you but you also don't want to keep spending money at the grocery store on those expensive eggs then consider sourcing your eggs from local farmers/ homesteaders/ hobbyists. One way is to check social media (facebook is a good one) and search "fresh eggs for sale" you can also check local farm supply stores if they have any contacts and search on craigslist. I am someone who believes that if something interests you and you're doing it for all the right reasons that you should definitely go for it! As long as you have the best intentions and will not neglect whatever animal you are choosing to care for then I wish the best for you in your new adventure. And there is nothing wrong with deciding that raising chickens is not for you after you've given it a shot, please just re-home your hens to a home that can give them the best care! I hope you find this article useful in trying to decide if you should follow through and get chickens. Check back often because I will be sharing more information like what I personally feed my chickens, how I clean and disinfect my coop along with other lifestyle blogs.
-Shelby Ray
Let Her Roam
Red Dirt Ranchette