What are the downfalls to raising chickens??

[kjw]

We have been researching this for awhile and are thinking of trying to raise chickens of course beginning on a small scale. We're just thinking that we must be missing some downfalls to it since it seems like more people would be doing it otherwise. We would love to hear from those of you with experience on what some of the major downfalls are. Thanks!!

[Altair]

Hm, what do you consider small scale?

[gregrag]

The other side of the coin is you have to keep your living conditions clean--this means shoveling poo mixed with feathers and bedding materials--wear a mask while doing so.Then of course there are the neighbors--usually willing and feel it their purpose in life to complain about any and everything---and of course their dogs have complete and God-given rights to roam and maurader where-ever they like....It turns out to be a lot of money and time spent for a few dozen eggs per week unless you are a poultry fancier that truly loves taking care of your birds--unless you really like poultry and are willing to spend the money on providing a safe environment,good feed and keeping your coops clean then don't get into it. If you do---Don't pick out a bird and say 'this is my favorite one'--it seems to put a curse on the bird and something will happen to it sooner or later--either varmit-disease or accident! Lots to consider before entering the gate.....Greg:neutral:

[Kymarose]

I have a small flock of chickens, both bantam and regular, ducks and geese. It's a hobby for me. When I go to the feed store I mutter something about... "this is going to have to stop"... but plunk down the plastic for the mega feed bill anyway. I love my birds. We have plenty of free-range space, we are in the country and neighbors don't complain. BUT price of feed is staggering. During spring and summer I get over 2 dozen eggs a day, chicken and duck combined. Lately, I get 4 eggs a day if I'm lucky. I suppose high feed bills are what keeps most people from raising poultry. I'm retired, and I enjoy my little flock. There are times I'm tempted to just let them free-range only. Something, though, inside me won't do that.

[littlebit6657]

Winter.

[kjw]

We consider small scale to be about 10 birds. What are all the things that have to take place in the winter that we may not be thinking about? Thank you everybody for the input!!

[jungle]

First of all, I think it is great that you are actually asking about the realistic side of keeping poultry rather than only focussing on the fun side. Honestly, much of what most people will consider to be the "downside"- that is the not-so-fun part of raising poultry- can be minimized by careful planning and not trying to cut corners. For me, the least enjoyable part is the cleaning which needs to be done regularly, and then winter care. The more space you provide for your flock the less frequently you will need to do clean outs. The better the design of your coop, the easier cleaning will be and less you will mind doing it. Winter care is simply much more challenging and I do not enjoy it at all. This morning it was 1.6 degrees outside and heated water bases are not that effective. Additionally, the smaller coop cups in my bantam cages all need to have the ice removed and warm water replaced into them. Doing any chore is just much more irritating when temps stay below freezing for weeks at a time.

Protecting your flock from predators can also be frustrating. Again, the more you put into it the easier it is and the less problems you will have. Disease prevention is the same as well. Keeping a closed flock and not adding birds from questionable outside sources, using proper quarantine practices and good hygene help make this easier as well.

All things considered, the enjoyable parts of keeping poultry outweigh the negative, most days, otherwise we would not be doing it. The important thing is to identify what it is you want to get out of it, focus on that and stay focussed. When you first start out it is easy to get distracted into wanting to keep adding more and more birds to the flock. Before you know it you are dealing with disease, stress, overcrowding and then quickly burn out on the hobby. Just like anything else, the more you put into it the more you get out of it.

[Patrick]

Excellent advice. I'd add that one downside is that you won't produce eggs or meat cheaper than you can buy them for, but there's no putting a price on knowing what went into them and how the birds were raised and slaughtered.
I tend to minimize as many individual cages as possible, to avoid some of the problems Richard noted. Make sure that they are all easy to access, and feeders and waterers are quick and easy to fill. Triple decker cages, the top tier tend to get less attention, unless you're very tall. Same with pens which are out of the way or difficult to access quickly and easily. READ about chickens before you start with them, as much as possible. We're always here for questions, but there's no substitute for firsthand knowledge.
Winter does stink, but for only 10 birds, assuming that your facilities have been set up for efficient service, and you keep up with cleaning during warmer temperatures, it'll take you less than 5 minutes a day, not including the time it takes you to get out there.

I honestly don't know why more people don't raise them, or some other type of small livestock. Prior to WW1, many more people did, even on small city lots. I suppose the answer is that we just don't need to, but I can't imagine not having a few birds wherever I lived, as appropriate for the space and situation.

[kjw]

Thank you everyone so much! We have read a few books, and we just want to make sure that we are not missing anything. It seems like all things considered, we have to agree that the positive far outweighs the negative. Thank you all again. Good luck this winter!

[Evy]

The one thing re: winter that wasn't mentioned was insulation. Make your coop draft-free but don't feel you have to insulate heavily. In the colder areas, choose a breed that does NOT have a large single comb & fleshy wattles to avoid freezing. Be sure the coop has adequate ventilation near the roof. Condensation is the culprit here. Wide, flat roosts also allow the birds to cover their feet & avoid frozen toes. I've noticed a lot of the ''cute, designer coops" in magazines & on BYC use dowels. Bad for their feet for several reasons.
In below zero temps, a handful of WHOLE corn late in the afternoon gives them extra calories to help them through the night.

[kjw]

Does anyone know where the best places would be to find blueprints for building a chicken coop? Thank you again everyone for all of the advice. We appreciate it greatly. Although we are only going to start with a small flock of about 10 birds, we want to do our best to make it go as smoothly as is possible.

[MKG]

The one thing re: winter that wasn't mentioned was insulation. Make your coop draft-free but don't feel you have to insulate heavily. In the colder areas, choose a breed that does NOT have a large single comb & fleshy wattles to avoid freezing. Be sure the coop has adequate ventilation near the roof. Condensation is the culprit here. Wide, flat roosts also allow the birds to cover their feet & avoid frozen toes. I've noticed a lot of the ''cute, designer coops" in magazines & on BYC use dowels. Bad for their feet for several reasons.
In below zero temps, a handful of WHOLE corn late in the afternoon gives them extra calories to help them through the night.
Raise a breed like Chanteclers or Ameraucanas and you won't have to worry about combs or wattles freezing. They are great winter layers and require a minimum of worry and care. Backyard quality Chanteclers are available through a number of commercial hatcheries, but if you are looking for quality go to a breeder.