Of course, it's our humble opinion that everyone should raise chickens. We just have so much fun with ours. We purchased our first flock of layers last summer to raise as pets, although eventually we hope to additionally raise chickens for meat. We just don't have that mind-set yet. We had purchased 11 started pullets and 1 cockerel. If you're considering purchasing your own, we thought we'd share a few things we learned throughout our "rookie year" that we didn't find in the books.
They are:
1. Veterinarians - perhaps I was naive, but I believed getting medical help for any chicken concerns would be as simple as dialing my vet that we use for the cats. Not necessarily so. We have a wonderful vet who cares tremendously about our cats. She doesn't, however, have any experience dealing with chickens. When we had a chicken suddenly showing signs of severe upper respiratory problems we didn't know where to turn. Prior to purchasing your chickens you may want to call around to your local veterinarians to seek out someone you can consult with in case you are faced with a severe medical issue. Find out if they would require you to bring the chicken in, or if they could just give consultation over the phone based on symptoms. The only person around that I was able to find who had knowledge of poultry was an exotic bird vet….with exotic prices. She wanted me to catch all 4 pullets who were now coughing and sneezing and bring them to her office. It didn't happen. It was a 90 degree hot and humid summer day and the chickens had only been in our care for a few weeks. Being picked up was not anywhere near the top of their list for enjoyment, as chasing them around a small, smelly coop in the heat was not at the top of mine. I took one chicken. A couple of hundred dollars later I went home to treat all affected birds........ This leads me to the next bullet point.
1. Veterinarians - perhaps I was naive, but I believed getting medical help for any chicken concerns would be as simple as dialing my vet that we use for the cats. Not necessarily so. We have a wonderful vet who cares tremendously about our cats. She doesn't, however, have any experience dealing with chickens. When we had a chicken suddenly showing signs of severe upper respiratory problems we didn't know where to turn. Prior to purchasing your chickens you may want to call around to your local veterinarians to seek out someone you can consult with in case you are faced with a severe medical issue. Find out if they would require you to bring the chicken in, or if they could just give consultation over the phone based on symptoms. The only person around that I was able to find who had knowledge of poultry was an exotic bird vet….with exotic prices. She wanted me to catch all 4 pullets who were now coughing and sneezing and bring them to her office. It didn't happen. It was a 90 degree hot and humid summer day and the chickens had only been in our care for a few weeks. Being picked up was not anywhere near the top of their list for enjoyment, as chasing them around a small, smelly coop in the heat was not at the top of mine. I took one chicken. A couple of hundred dollars later I went home to treat all affected birds........ This leads me to the next bullet point.
2. Medications - I had believed we would never give our flock antibiotics, so I didn't bother looking for sources of medications. Well, it all changes when you have a chicken gasping for air. We were faced with a decision and decided to administer antibiotics. The problem was - where do we get the medications? The veterinarian is a great source, but not if you're going to diagnose on your own. There are many companies out there and I would suggest familiarizing yourself with sources prior to the time when you urgently need them, which brings the next dilemma. Do you purchase a "general" antibiotic to keep on hand for the "just in case" times, or do you wait to see if they're ever needed? We had to pay overnight shipping in order to get a medication in a timely manner. I am now keeping a few basics on hand - a general antibiotic that can be added to drinking water, electrolytes for the summer heat and an herbal-based liquid (Vet RX) for coughing and sneezing that I've had great success with. (I've had good luck with the internet-based companies Randall Burkey and EggCartons.com)
3. Purchase of pullets - We chose to purchase pullets rather than chicks for two reasons: The first, we wouldn't have to figure out where to raise the chicks without other animals harming them (our cute Caity-bug was the main concern), and second, we only wanted a dozen birds. If you decide this is the route for you, there are a few places to look. Some choices are the mail order companies that advertise in all poultry and small farm magazines, local farms, local Universities that have a poultry program, and we've also been told that the Cooperative Extension sometimes have birds for sale following their chick-hatching program for elementary schools. Remember that pullets aren't typically as friendly as chicks if they haven't been held regularly. Ours are coming around…slowly. I had read about keeping chickens from more than one source quarantined, but neglected to do so. We've found it to be extremely important to find the space to do this wherever you can. We purchased Plymouth Barred Rocks from a farmer in Connecticut and Araucana's from the University of Connecticut. We didn't have the room to keep the two groups separate so we did lose one pullet to pneumonia. We've since been fighting upper respiratory concerns in the others, but I think we're finally winning our battle. Also, if you purchase pullets or full-grown birds, check for mites and lice. When we finally realized ours were affected, it took a couple of treatments to get rid of them. It was suggested that we give them all a bath. That was, well, interesting....
4. Keeping busy - Our chickens are not fully free range because of our fear that the neighborhood dogs might decide chicken sounds good for lunch. Instead, our flock has an indoor and an outdoor coop and are allowed to free range when we are home. Because they don't have the ability to cruise thru the backyard all day, they get bored. I found that suet holders are a wonderful and inexpensive way to house greens, and it keeps them busy as they're pecking away at the food inside. Additionally, freezing lettuce and greens into ice seems to be intriguing and keeps them out of trouble.
5. Nothing is off limits - We've found that to a chicken, if it's accessible, then it's theirs for the taking. Jay built a beautiful chicken coop with two beautiful roosts, a shelf for storage of straw, wood chips and food and a window with a ledge by the roof for ventilation. Guess where they chose to sleep? You've got it, the shelf and the ledge. We've made it so they can no longer enjoy either, because where they sleep they also poop which means quite a mess. Jay felt so bad for them he built an additional shelf that's easier to get at for cleaning. They're quite spoiled.
6. Dust - Chickens LOVE to dig. Where there are chickens there will be lots and lots of dust.
7. Do they smell? This is the most frequently asked question. The answer is "it depends". If you clean the coop regularly (we clean every morning) or use a deep litter method then no. I think you could even do every 2 days and be ok with this. At night, wherever they roost there is going to be a lot of "fertilizer". Scoop it out and throw it in your compost pile. I've had many people comment that they're so surprised that the coop doesn't smell.
8. Wood chips - It seems that whatever book you read, each author has a different opinion about the coop "litter". They all seem to agree that it should be wood chips, but they seem to disagree on which type. We've had very good luck with pine. It's also important to try to find a larger style of wood chip so there's less dust.
9. Are they easy to take care of? This seems to be the second most popular question we're asked and the answer is absolutely yes. They love attention, are very curious, and appreciate special treats from time to time. They are really easy going and the only trouble we've had is with the ongoing upper respiratory issues.
All in all, if you can arm yourself with a few good books and do a little research prior, it really is a great experience. We have a lot of fun with ours, and what's better than farm fresh eggs? They love to send us off with well wishes for the day in the morning (including numerous cock-a-doodle-doos from Clyde) and greet us when we get home at night. Chickens are very social and love attention. They would chat with me all day if they could. Our rooster, Clyde, is a wonderful boy and adds a bit of balance to the coop, but if you've got close neighbors or don't want the noise, don't get a rooster.
Additional helpful posts:
So You Want To Raise Chickens Part 1
So You Want To Raise Chickens Part 2
The Chicken Coop At Cobble Hill Farm
All in all, if you can arm yourself with a few good books and do a little research prior, it really is a great experience. We have a lot of fun with ours, and what's better than farm fresh eggs? They love to send us off with well wishes for the day in the morning (including numerous cock-a-doodle-doos from Clyde) and greet us when we get home at night. Chickens are very social and love attention. They would chat with me all day if they could. Our rooster, Clyde, is a wonderful boy and adds a bit of balance to the coop, but if you've got close neighbors or don't want the noise, don't get a rooster.
Additional helpful posts:
So You Want To Raise Chickens Part 1
So You Want To Raise Chickens Part 2
The Chicken Coop At Cobble Hill Farm