why backyard chickens are bad

At dusk, you’ll want to lock up your flock safely from predators, collect eggs, and refresh their water. They can also get egg bound (have a stuck egg) or just up and die, like our friend’s chicken, Mr. Fluffy Pants did. They are garden gangsters – they get in where they aren’t supposed to and can eat / ruin your garden. In this case, you might  make the decision to cull the bird and use it for a stew hen. There are a … Depending on the size of your yard and your interest in composting and gardening, this may be a good thing or an annoyance. Your patio or deck? Fresh Eggs. But are backyard chickens right for you? So, I give you chicken keeping: the good, the bad, and the ugly: Number one–obviously–is fresh eggs direct from your back yard! This is may be a "duh" point for you, but it's a reality that you need … For some people this is no bother at all, and they’re happy to allow their hens to live out their natural lives as pets, whether they are productive or not. Compost Material – chicken manure is a great addition to your compost piles. Your email address will not be published. Why is it important to stop: The sight of blood can cause other chickens to peck at the wound and make it worse. That lovely flower garden? Yup–you guessed it–POOP! Stray or indoor/outdoor cats can also attack chickens, particularly bantam or young birds. Below are a selection of books I've found extremely helpful on our homesteading journey. Access to the freshest eggs Eggs have gotten a bad rep based on cholesterol-related research conducted in the past few decades. My beautiful Luna-Belle posed for some glamour sho, Thawing 15 pounds of ground beef. Not only will they get rid of flies, ticks, spiders, centipedes, and grasshoppers, but I have seen my chickens eat small snakes on occasion. I enjoy just sitting on my chair outside and watching them scratching and pecking. They need fresh food and water daily and for you to keep a close eye on their health. Help Preserve Genetic Diversity. Chickens pecking at the feathers of other hens in their flock can lead to serious health problems if the habit isn’t stopped. Vulnerable creatures: Chickens can easily be killed by predators. After all, there’s a certain appeal to a pet that provides breakfast daily. Filed Under: Backyard Homestead, Backyard Livestock, Chickens. Covered in chicken poop. I debated on whether to put this in the “good” or “ugly” category, but ultimately settled on somewhere in the middle because I think its accurate to call it both good AND bad. In fact, those who own backyard chickens tend to become fairly attached, building a positive partnership. Some of the exceptions for what not to feed your chickens are obvious. Backyard chickens, the good, the bad and the ugly. You Will Be An Egg Snob. This is Dizzy the Guinea. I recommend you read all you can, talk to experienced backyard chicken folk and then decide if your family is ready to raise them. They are noisy and worst of all, they draw in predators that your neighbors will have to deal with. If you are able to allow your chickens time out in your backyard every single day, then you will notice a huge decrease in the number of pests that you have. Another quick tip: best to stick with strictly hens if you’re going to be asking strangers to tend to your chickens frequently while you are away. They are not dogs and will poop places you’d really rather they didn’t. I don’t want to talk you out of getting your own small backyard flock, because I love having mine. It's the 10th time since 2011 the CDC has identified an outbreak due to live poultry. Infection may occur when you're handling live poultry, too, when you are cleaning out your coop area," said Davison, who gets calls everyday from backyard bird … They’ll teach your kids a whole new level of responsibility. (I recommend 3 to 6 for beginners.) They can attracts pests – flies, rodents & roaches. Chickens aren’t silent, even the hens make noise during egg laying. Keeping chickens has been on and off illegal in International Falls for the past 40 years. The mall... 2. (In fact, domestic dogs are one of the main predators you’ll deal with, even though they often just want to “play” with the chickens.) This includes coyotes, foxes, raccoons, bobcats, skunks, weasels, hawks, owls, and even domestic dogs that might be roaming the neighborhood. Most dogs, even very good natured ones, will enjoy chasing chickens for fun. Chickens may not take as much time as other pets but one thing they do require is a safe home and being locked up tight in the evenings. Of course, the eggs! Chickens need at least 14-15 hours of light a day. After the initial startup costs, it is relatively inexpensive to keep chickens. My family and I live on a little red farmstead in northwestern Pennsylvania where we raise dairy goats and poultry. Ultimately, you have to do your best to provide a secure environment for your hens, including a predator-proof coop. Backyard chickens have always been a popular subject here on TreeHugge. But this can be avoided with secure food like Grandpa’s Feeders & regular cleanings. They can attracts pests – flies, rodents & roaches. This means ideally, you’ll need a small area in your yard for a compost pile. Roosters.  Their coops, yards, roosts and nests need regular cleaning for your chicken’s health and to avoid the above pests. Notice how how the garden barrier is next to my daughter – because the hens kept getting in there (yes their wings were clipped). Check out Secret Backyard Chickens – How to Keep a Stealth Coop. Depending on the size of your coop and the number of chickens you keep, usually weekly or bi-weekly cleanings will keep everything under control. Our little flock isn’t much extra bother to care for, and I enjoy the fresh eggs and the entertainment of seeing them wander around the farm. An Internet search for information on the cons of raising backyard chickens doesn't yield much useful information. Scratched up. Hawks, raccoons, cats or a giant slug can freak out chickens. Sure you’ll see the pictures of sweet little hens, with fluffy butts, enjoying an afternoon on green grass…easy to want that picturesque scene in your own yard. 1. Day to day care – chickens, like any animal require work. If you want to go on vacation, you may struggle to find someone to babysit your chickens. One of the biggest appeals of raising and tending backyard chickens is the fresh eggs right outside your door. Remember all those play-dates you once attended? Bug Eaters – backyard chickens can keep your bug population down. (Now duck manure–THAT is horrid! Food While this is the obvious reason, there is more to it than you might think. The fact is that these birds are irreparably harmed by the selective breeding that has forced them to lay an unnatural and unhealthy number of eggs — between 250 to 300 a year — resulting in a host of painful and life-threatening reproductive diseases and premature death. You’ll fully understand where the phrase “Quit acting like a big chicken” came from! Keep in mind that chickens don’t start laying till at least 18 weeks of age (and 20 to 24 weeks isn’t uncommon), so you’ll need to be patient. Here's a newsflash, poor people all over the world keep chickens, and apart from a few dollars (note, not hundreds, or thousands) for chicken feed (there's a reason 'chicken feed' is slang for cheap, by the way), it costs virtually nothing. While alcohol and caffeine are coping substances for many people, chickens don’t need an extra boost of caffeine to get going in the morning and don’t need a toddy to relax before bed. In the morning you’ll let them out of their coop, give them fresh water, feed them, and collect any eggs that might have been laid early in the morning. With the rise in the price of eggs, this reason alone could be enough to convince many people that backyard chickens are the perfect pet. You Have to Gather Eggs Daily. Everyone is going to have differing opinions on this, but I thought I’d share my thoughts. Backyard chickens are to blame for yet another outbreak of salmonella. Keeping backyard poultry (chickens, ducks, geese, guinea fowl, and turkeys) is becoming more popular. I'm a firm believer that while blogs and YouTube are amazing resources, having hard-copy books on hand is invaluable. Same with your vegetable garden. But this can be avoided with secure food like. An increasing number of people are crying “fowl” when it comes to supermarket eggs and embracing the trend of keeping live chickens in their backyard. If you’ve been thinking about getting chicks this year, here are 5 reasons why you should raise backyard chickens. But I think the term backyard has been widely overused. People enjoy raising baby poultry including chicks, ducklings, goslings, and poults. If you’re fortunate to live somewhere that you can allow your hens to free range, it is well worth the time to sit in a lawn chair and enjoy the free “Chicken TV” drama that goes on as they wander about the yard hunting bugs and interacting with each other. It is generally difficult for a true “backyard” homesteader to have the room to raise meat birds; at least in my experience. They are dirty, smelly, and the manure is a nightmare to deal with.” I think this is a huge exaggeration. , best to provide a secure environment for your chicken ’ s a more. Inexpensive to keep a Stealth coop – backyard chickens, the bad and the manure a. The decision to cull the bird and use it for a compost –! 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