Backyard Chickens - Is it for me?

Three birds should have been enough.

Ringo, Lily, and Nugget

I remember thinking that we might one day go as high as seven, but that would start to toe the "crazy chicken person" line.  Just the egg volume alone should have kept us in check - what were we going to do with a dozen eggs per week?

Raising chickens can be a bit like collecting.  Once you get a unique breed, your  quest to add to your collection begins.  "These Polish are beautiful", and "I just love our little D'Uccle!".  "Hey hon, there's a sale on Lakenvelders, and OH...Wyandottes too!".  I fear the State Fair.

Tip one - if you're in it for the money, don't be.  Keeping chickens can be very rewarding in many ways, but unless you're running a full fledged farm, don't expect to make much money.  Even selling a few dozen "farm fresh organic" eggs is not really going to cover the cost of food and time.  Breeding can be lucrative, but let's face it; unless you've stepped over that line I mentioned above, you're not looking to setup incubators in your spare room.  The value you get from chickens most likely will not be monetary.

Tip two - chickens can become pets.  At most, I was thinking that our birds would be fun to watch run around and look for things to eat.  I never envisioned sitting on my porch rocker, with a bird nestled up against my side while I pet her back feathers.  Chickens have a way of making you start to view them as a pet.  This is not a bad thing, but do keep one thing in mind when this happens - these pets are much like the cartoons of yore. To most other animals, they are walking meals, complete with steam coming off of them.  It's easy to get attached, but at the end of the day, you have to be more pragmatic about it than you would be with a dog or a cat.

Tip three - Kids love chickens, and it's a great way to let them have some responsibility.  Checking for eggs in the evening is now a regular affair, as is filling waterers and food holders.  It's a great way to introduce the idea of a j-o-b, hidden under some soft feathers.  Kids and chickens are well suited for each other, because each have the attention span of a gnat.  Unlike a dog, who will chase after you, nudging you to keep petting them, chicken will pretty much be ok if you just up and walk away.

Tip four - Chickens can be easy or complex, depending on what you want.  A few 2x4s, some plywood, some chicken-wire  and you're set.  Your coops don't need to be mansions, they just need to cover the basics:   protection from wind, a place to lay and roost, regular water and food, and something that you can keep somewhat clean.  How you deliver these needs can span a very wide spectrum.  Before you order the megalochickenhaven for a mere $299 (plus $499 shipping), be sure to check craigslist for a bargain.  On the other hand, you may find yourself going a bit overboard...

Tip five - Chicken health and wellness will be a do-it-yourself affair, unless you happen to know an exotics vet that does pro-bono work.  Illnesses such as Fowl Pox, Coccidiosis, Marek's, Newcastle Disease, and a whole host of others can have you up at night with worry.  Our advice?  Don't.  Keep your coops and brooders clean, ensure plenty of fresh food and water, and know major symptoms such as blood in the stool or lack of coordination that can key you into when quarantine is needed.   Realize that you are going to lose a bird at some point, no matter how good you are, and find your zen place with that.  They are not quite like dogs and cats, but you do still miss them.

Tip six - Water.  Water, water, water, water.  Chickens hate to be without food, but lack of fresh water is the  fastest way to weaken them and open them up to disease and illness.

Is keeping chickens hard work?  It has its spikes, but for the most part, not at all.  The joy that you get from happy birds who leave you little presents each day, and come waddling toward you each evening like they haven't seen you for years, far outweighs the amount of effort required to keep them.