Egg Prices Got you Down? 3 Reasons to Not Get Backyard Chickens
Despite the fact that in an earlier blog post I sang the praises of getting backyard chickens (and I still do believe in raising them), in these crazy times of sky high egg prices, don't be tempted to rush into getting backyard chickens. Here are three reasons to consider whether you really wanna jump into the world of chicken stewardship:
Care First off, it's almost chick season and it can be hard - especially if you've been thinking about getting chickens - to resist the urge to buy a bunch of the little fuzzballs. But as far as care goes, chicks take a lot of care. We had an incident in our neighborhood where a family saw chicks on sale at Tractor Supply Company, bought six chicks and a bag of feed. Four chicks were dead in a few days and they let the other two loose. So you don't worry, they ended up in the yard of a friend of mine and we got them to a chicken-owning friend of mine. The point is, had those folks done their homework, they would have known that chicks have very specific heat requirements that change almost weekly. Chickens are less work than you think if you've done your homework and a whole lot more work if you haven't. Even if you make it through the chick phase, grown chickens have an element of work that's needed on a daily basis. Ensuring they have food, water and a clean living area requires your attention daily. Best source: City Chicks by Patricia Foreman
Cost Costs can vary wildly, especially once you factor in if you're committed to feeding your chickens organic or standard feed. Some initial costs to consider:
Coop setup. This can have quite a wide range, but typically can start around $500. The fewer chickens you have the smaller coop and run (the outside area where contained chickens hang out all day) you'll need, but keep in mind that most folks who are committed to raising chickens humanely agree that 20 ft² per chicken (in the run) plus 3-4 ft² inside the coop is best.
Supplies. A water container, food container, treat balls (if the chickens don't have access to the yard) are helpful. Sand or straw, grit (which helps them digest their food) bedding supplies, just to name a few things. The more contained your chickens are, the more the costs are because you'll need to supply what they can't get on their own.
A light (or heavy) supply of medical supplies. Just be warned: for most folks (not everyone), there is no trip to the vet. You're it for your backyard chicken, so best to learn what you can and stock up for an emergency.
Permit fee if you live within city limits.
Us backyard chicken wranglers tend to spoil our chickens with treats and fun doo-dads to decorate the coop, so I'm just throwing it out there that there's another cost to consider...
Time This may be the one thing you underestimate is the time you'll spend enjoying, stalking and watching your chickens! I'm not going to lie: I actually spend less time than I expected tending to the mundane things (cleaning the coop, filling food and water, etc.) and more time taking selfies with the chickens, putting up portable fencing so they get out in the grass and all that stuff. But in all seriousness, if you're someone who is barely holding your schedule together and/or you're maxed out with the demands of life, then I'd advise you against getting chickens for now. They're one more thing that requires your almost daily attention (mostly for water check and egg collection) and you'll resent and regret if you're already stretched too thin.
I should also add that it does take time to simply observe your chickens on the regular so that you can detect early if there are signs of trouble, illness, distress, etc. Not that I'm an expert on chicken maladies, but I know how my hens behave and when one looks off, I keep my eye on her so I can dole out some "field medicine" and try to get her through and get better. Again, best to educate yourself ahead of time and I can't stress this book enough: City Chicks by Patricia Foreman It's an easy read and extremely thorough. I really felt prepared and ready to take on owning chickens!
I hope I've left you with some helpful things to think about, but also not discourage you from getting backyard chickens. I've written about various aspects of this before, but I'll share my handy phrase again: "Chickens are more work than you think if you've not done your homework, but far less if you have"
They're entertaining, they give you food and there's not been a day that I've regretted getting them.
*I may receive a small commission on products linked in this article, at no extra cost to you.
コメント