Are Backyard Chickens Right for You? 10 Important Things to Consider Before Getting Chickens
Are you thinking about adding chickens to your homestead? Rising eggs prices have been all of the talk lately which has resulted in so many people considering getting chickens! I decided to add more laying hens to my flock this spring and it has proven to be a little difficult finding chicks let alone the exact breeds that I want. Our local feed store gets in a 100+ chicks in each week and they sell out within an hour! I have also noticed that some of my favorite hatcheries are sold out of pullets for the season and some for the rest of the year.
I love that more people are wanting to get into backyard chicken keeping. Chickens are so entertaining and its a good feeling knowing that you don’t need to rely on anyone else when there are egg shortages or high egg prices. There are a few things that you need to take into consideration first such as cost, chicken care and more before you bring home your first chickens. In this post I will go over 10 important things that will help you determine if keeping chickens is right for you.
10 important things that you need to know before getting chickens
1. Local Zoning Ordinances and Regulations
The very first thing that you should do before considering chickens is to check your local zoning ordinances. The last thing you want to do is to get chickens just to find out that they are not allowed. Each place has their own set of rules on how many chickens you can have, the size and location of your coop and more. You may also be required to obtain a permit. So save yourself the heartache and trouble and check your local regulations before doing anything else.
2. Chickens are Expensive
If you are considering getting chickens solely because you want to save money on eggs then you might want to rethink getting chickens. Unfortunately, you are probably going to spend a lot more on chickens than you ever would on high egg prices at the grocery store but the security of knowing that you don’t rely on anyone else for eggs is worth it in my opinion.
The start up cost for getting chickens can get expensive really quickly. For starters, you need a well built, predator proofed chicken coop. Depending on the size of your coop and whether you are building the coop yourself, the cost of a chicken coop can very easily cost upwards of a $1000 or more.
Chicks also cost money and they can range anywhere from $2- $25 a chick depending on your breed of choice, though you can usually expect to pay around $5-$8 for your average chick. Not only do the chicks themselves cost money but you also need to buy the necessary supplies to house your new chicks when they are small such as a brooder pen, bedding, a heat source, food and water containers as well as chick feed.
You can always choose to skip starting with chicks and buy laying hens or pullets that are close to laying. There are few advantages to this such as eliminating the chance of getting a rooster and saving yourself the trouble of raising your own. Your average laying hen will usually cost you around $15-$25 a hen depending on the age and breed.
Chicken feed is another cost to take into consideration. Feed prices are increasing and the amount of feed that you feed your flock will depend on certain factors such as the size of your flock, whether they free-range or not and the amount of extra food scraps that you feed them. The expense of feeding your chickens can add up quickly.
3. Chickens are a long term commitment
Many people are surprise to find out that healthy chickens can have a long lifespan of 10 or more years given that they don’t succumb to any predators or illnesses. So keep this in mind when getting chickens, they are just like any other animal and need to be cared properly throughout their lifespan.
4. Chickens dont lay eggs every day
There are a few things to take into consideration when it comes to egg laying. For starters, if you decide to start out with chicks then you need to know that chickens can take up to 6 months to begin laying their first eggs. This is 6 months of feeding and caring for your chickens before you start seeing any return. If you want to get eggs sooner then I suggest that you begin with pullets (young hens) or laying hens.
You can expect to get an average of 3-6 eggs a week per chicken. The amount of eggs that a chicken may lay depends on many factors such as breed, age and seasonal changes such as molting and daylight hours.
Hens will lay the most eggs in the first year but as your hens get older their laying begins to slow down. While many hens will lay eggs during their entire lifetime, it will be less and less each year. If eggs are your main concern then make sure that you do your research and pick breeds that have been bred to be the most productive layers.
While you may get a few eggs here and there, hens typically take the winter off from laying when the daylight hours begin to shorten. This is when they get a much needed break and usually begin to molt. Molting is when chickens loose most of their feathers and grow new ones. This requires a lot of energy as does egg laying so during the winter they take a break from laying eggs and put their energy into growing a new set of feathers.
5. Chicks Grow Super Fast
When you bring your chicks home it is important to already have their coop set up. Chicks grow SUPER fast and will quickly outgrow their brooder. Trust me, you don’t want to bring chicks home and not have their coop done by the time they’re ready to go outside. Time flies and it will sneak up on you fast! By the time most breeds are 6-10 weeks old they are fully feathered and can be put outside given that the temperatures remain above 50 degrees F. So play it safe and have your coop ready before you bring home your new chicks, that way your not rushing to get it done before they are ready.
6. Chickens can be Destructive
While chickens can be good for your garden they can also be very destructive. They will destroy your vegetable plants, eat your fruit crops and mess up all of the mulch in your garden beds. They also poop A LOT! If you have them free-ranging you will have poop on your deck, walkways and anywhere else your chickens decide to hang out. You can fence in an area for them to free-range in to prevent them from getting into places that they are not wanted.
7. They Poop A LOT
As I mention previously, chickens poop a lot so you will need to regularly clean their coop in order to keep any smells down and keep a healthy environment for your chickens. Before you get chickens, you need to decide what you will do with all of their poop and bedding when you clean their coop. Chicken manure is a great fertilizer for the garden once it has been composted, so a great way to solve that dilemma is to start a compost bin. This is a great way to put their waste to good use.
8. Chickens are noisy
Everyone knows that roosters are typically noisy but what many people do not realize is that hens can be noisy as well. While most of the time hens are quiet they can get noisy if they are spooked or laying eggs. Often times before or after a hen lays an egg and sometimes for no reason at all, they will do what many call the “egg song” which is more like a series of loud squawking than a pleasant song. So keep this in mind if you think noise may be an issue.
9. Illnesses, injury and predators
Just like any other animal, chickens can get sick or injured. As part of a survival mechanism, often times when a chicken gets sick they are very good at hiding their illnesses until it is too late. So it is important to monitor your chickens often and treat for any signs off illness.
There are two ways that you can care for your chickens in the situation where they may be sick or injured. You can find a local veterinarian who can treat chickens, this can sometime be difficult to do depending on your location because often times vets do not have experience with chickens. For many reasons such as lack of veterinarians or treatment expenses, many chicken owners choose to treat their chickens at home. It is helpful to have someone who is experienced with chickens to help mentor you when you need assistance. Whether you choose to treat your chickens at home or take them to a veterinarian it is always good to have a chicken first aid kit on hand.
Another thing to know is that, no matter where you live, there will always be something that wants to eat your chickens. Chickens have many predators such as dogs, coyotes, raccoons, and hawks to name a few. So it is important to keep this in mind when building your coop or letting your chickens free-range. You will want to make sure that your coop is secure and predator-proofed before adding your chickens.
10. Who will care for them when you go on vacation
The final thing to take into consideration is having someone to care for your chickens when you are gone. I can often go on vacation for a week and keep enough food and water in their coops but you will want to at least have someone come check on your chickens to collect eggs and make sure that they have food and water available. Just like any other pet, they will need to be cared for when you are not around so make sure that you have someone who will watch them when the time comes.
Final Thoughts
You dont need a Rooster
One thing that I have been asked is whether you need a rooster in order to get eggs and the answer is no. Roosters are a beneficial addition to your flock because they help to protect the hens from predators and other threats as well as help keep order within the flock but they are not necessary when keeping chickens. Your hens will still lay eggs and do fine without a rooster.
Where to Get your New Chickens
Finally, if and when you decide to get chickens it is important to get your chicks or hens from a reliable source. There are many reputable online hatcheries to get your chicks from or you can choose to get them locally from a breeder or feed store. You can choose to hatch your own eggs, buy chicks or buy laying hens. Which ever option that you choose, just make sure that your source is reliable and reputable. Also watch out for scams, there are many of them floating around online. It is always best if you can see your chickens before buying them!
Conclusion
If you read through all of that and have still decided to get chickens then congratulations! Chickens are a fun and exciting addition to the homestead that will provide you with eggs, fertilizer and entertainment for years to come. If you decide to get chickens, prepare to become addicted because chicken math is a real thing! I hope that you found this article helpful on deciding whether chickens are right for you. If you have any questions feel free to leave them in the comments below! Also, if you found this post to be valuable I would greatly appreciate if you spread the love by to sharing or pinning this post!
