I try to be open minded with any issue, I like to do my research on both sides of the fence and then make my decision.
Now, chickens are not for every one! They are hard work. They can be expensive. So let start there. Here is a list of CONS as to why chickens should not be allowed in backyards or why chickens are not right for you.
1. Chickens can be time consuming. I spend probably close to a hour a day on my chickens. That includes feeding, watering, collecting eggs, checking food and water again, making sure everyone is healthy, cleaning the nesting boxes, etc. That hour doesn't include the every couple week coop clean out that can take up to 2 hours to do properly. Most people don't have the extra time to care for a flock properly.
2. A hen only lays for 2-3 years and then egg production drops off and can stop all together. Chickens can live up to 10+years. Are you going to keep up the cost of feeding the hens and not get eggs in return? Or what will you do once they reach 3 and stop laying?
3. Do you have the space needed for healthy chickens? A coop requires 3-4 sq feet/bird with a run of 10sq feet/bird. So for say 6 birds you would need approx 24 sq ft coop, and a 60 sq ft run. Does your yard have that space?
4. Chicken are fairly delicate and can get sick easy. I haven't checked so I cant say for sure if we have any local Avian vets. My guess would be no. You would need to be able to diagnose and treat sick birds. This includes washing poop covered bums. It can be gross and dirty.
5. Chicken feed can attract rodents if not stored properly. Mice, raccoons, skunks,snakes, and weasels which can kill your chickens. We haven't had a problem with any of these, we store our feed properly and our dogs and cats keep those rodents at bay.
6. Your hens need a safe secure well ventilated coop that will keep them warm in the winter and cool in the summer, as well as keep them safe from predators.
7. Chickens are social animals so you need to have 3 or more to keep them happy. They also don't do well being confined, it can lead to feather picking and even cannibalism. This is why it is important to have a proper sized coop and run and even allow free range time if possible.
8. Chickens can be prone to lice and mites just as your cats and dogs are prone to fleas. You will have to be able to treat the problem as the lice and mites can kill your chickens if left untreated.
9.You will need to fix/build your fence to protect your flock from predators from getting into your yard
10. Your own cat or dog can and will kill your chickens if not raised with them. Even dogs that have been raised with chicken should never be left alone with them.
11. Do your research. I spend 6 months and countless hours researching breeds of chickens, how to care for chickens, pretty much anything about chickens. I don't know everything about chickens but over the last 2 years I have learned a lot.
12. One of the biggest reason for NOT raising chickens is the cost vs production ratio. You can buy a dozen eggs from the store for around $2.50. For a backyard flock most cities only allow up to 8 bird/household. On average a hen lays 4-5 eggs/week. For arguments sake lets say you buy a chicken coop. Buy already laying hen because its way cheaper than growing them from chicks. Plus the cost of feed, your looking at something like this:
Coop $500+ (depending on size)
run $200+/-(depending on size)
laying hens 8 @ $10/bird $ 80
straw/ pine shavings $ 50/year
feed for 8 $ 25/month
medicines/health care $ 50/year
everything else $ 100/year
So just for the basics for a flock of 8 for the first year your looking at a total of $1280. The next year your looking at about $500/year/8 birds. Yes there are ways to reduce this cost. But if you are going to raise chickens you should do it properly and give those hens the best diets and care.
Lets say the average family uses 2 dozen eggs per week. Buying their eggs at the grocery store at $2.50/dozen they will spend about $260/year for eggs. That is about 1/5 of the start up costs and half of the yearly costs of having 8 birds. For people wanting to raise chickens to save money, its just not realistic. There are ways to off set this cost, for example, sell your extra eggs to your neighbors, trade eggs for free straw bales etc.
Time to switch gears here a little, lets talk about the some of the PROS.
1. The nutritional value of store bought eggs vs free range eggs. As well as the color,texture, and taste of fresh eggs vs store eggs. It is something you have to see in person to truly appreciate.
2. FREE FERTILIZER. When you clean the coop the dropping and straw can be added directly to your compost pile or your garden. For those of you who grow garden this is an excellent way to boost your production for FREE.
3. Chickens LOVE bugs. They will eat anything including ants,spiders,flies,caterpillars,slugs,worms, june bugs, grasshoppers, mosquito,moths and beetles. Really anything that is creepy and crawly. They will keep the bug population of your yard to a minimum.
4. Chickens will till your garden for you. They love to scratch and dig to look for treats. In the fall and spring let them into your garden area and they will eat the weeds, add fertilizer by pooping in it and then mix it all in for you. That means less yard work for you!
5.Chicken are great entertainment. No really they are and I'm not talking about cock fights! Every person that has visited my farm and seen my chickens say to me that they could sit there all day and watch them.
Its true, chickens have personalities just as dogs and cats do. Nothing is better than sitting on your deck at the end of the day watching your hens chase around bugs.
6. Chickens can teach children responsibility. Our kids do NOT own ipods/ ipads. They have very limited computer or Wii time. Not that we limit it as much as they enjoy being outside playing and running. They love checking for eggs and counting how many we have each day. They have chores to do around the farm. They feed the cats, dogs, and horses and they love it. They love having the responsibility and routine. It makes them feel important. It teaches them to do a job well done and be proud of their work. Last time I checked there wasn't an app for that.
7. This is where your eggs come from....
This is where mine come from...
As you can see my birds have full feathers and can walk. The health of the bird effects the quality and nutrition of the egg. I'm not vegan. I believe animals are here for us to eat. But I do believe in NOT being cruel to animals and giving them the best healthiest life.
8. Allowing chickens in town will help to boost our local economy. We are lucky to have a great local feed store and hardware stores. You'll remember cost breakdown above of $1280 for the first year. IF 100 families decide to raise chickens and buy their supplies locally that is $128,000 put directly into our local economy. In a town of approx 3500 people $128,000 is a lot! I also believe that it would bring new people to the community.
9. Chickens can actually reduce waste from going into our landfill. Here is a quote from Organic Gardening about backyard chickens "In Belgium, one city is actually giving three laying hens to 2,000 homes in an effort to reduce landfill costs. City officials expect to recover a significant portion of the $600,000 a year the city spends on dealing with this type of household "trash." According to Foreman, a single chicken can biorecycle about seven pounds of food residuals in a month. If just 2,000 households raise three hens, it could divert 252 tons of waste from landfills annually." You can find it here.
10. Some people have chicken for pets and not for eggs for meat. There are many breed of chicken that are some of the cutest things you've ever seen. There are also bantam chickens. They are about half the size of normal chickens and laying eggs half the size of normal eggs. Here is one example of a bantam silkie.
So now on the the Myth section of this post. There are so many misconceptions about chickens. I will try to clear up a few that I hear the most.
CHICKENS ARE NOISY Yes, chickens can be noisy, especially a rooster. Towns/cities that do allow chickens do not allow roosters for that very reason. You do not need a rooster to produce eggs. Roosters are only needed for fertilizing eggs. When a hen lays an egg she sings an egg song, its not loud yes you can hear it if your outside and the coop window is open. I have never heard the egg song when I am inside my house. If you don't have a rooster there is no crowing in the morning. We put out bird food to attract other birds into our yards to enjoy their songs and watch them play. Chicken are birds. They provide the same entertainment their smaller counterparts do.I lived in a city for 6 years. In that time, I can not count the times I was woken up by dogs barking. At least once a week I was woken up by cat fights. I've had chickens on my farm for 1 1/2 years. My bedroom window is less than 50 ft from the coop. I have NEVER been woken up by them and we even have roosters. Bottom line chickens are NOT as noisy as people think. They are way less noisy than the animals currently allowed in town limits.
CHICKENS SMELL They are NOT smelly. The birds themselves do not smell. The inside of the coop at times can get smelly when due for a clean out, but I have never been able to smell it from the outside. I've tried. If your neighbour says he can smell it he's probably lying. Tens of thousands of chickens in a commercial farm stink. A few backyard chickens do not. Yards full of dog poo stink. Garbage's that cats get into stink.
CHICKENS BELONG ON FARMS So do dogs. Dogs shouldn't be confined to a backyard or run their whole lives. They require walks and care. As do chickens. Chickens thrive just fine in backyard settings.
Those are the main myths that I have heard people express at their concerns. Which is fine to express concern but learn the facts. Find the answers to your questions. Don't just assume.
Being a chicken owner I would have suggestions for cities or town considering allowing chickens. I think they are fair and represent all members of the community and address certain concerns
- Before they open the town to chickens they should do a pilot project. Only allow so many household to have chickens for a year see how it goes and go from there.
- There should be licences or permits as there are for dogs. Hey! it will help the town earn a little extra cash.
- There should be a maximum number allowed per household. Anywhere from 3 up to 8 depending on lot size.
-There should be building codes for coops as there are for decks and sheds etc.
- A neighbourhood agreement. Having your neighbour's on both sides give their consent.
- In Mundare AB (near Edmonton) in 2010 they allowed up to 5 chickens per household but anyone who wanted to have chickens had to complete a course on chicken care. Which include keeping the coop clean.
-apply fines for breaking any of the rules.
I believe there are ways to keep both sides happy. I think you would be surprised to find out how many chickens there are already in our towns and cities. And you don't even smell them or hear them. I know a family in Lethbridge who had chickens for YEARS before there neighbour found out and eventually reported them. Their children were devastated about giving away their family pet.
I will always have chickens. I am lucky to be able to live on an acreage where me and my chickens can live in peace. I raise chickens for eggs and meat. For peace of mind knowing where my food comes from. God forbid I ever have the grand misfortune to live in a town or city where I cannot have chickens. If that day ever comes I will either a) fight for the right to have chickens in my yard. or the more likely answer b) just have chickens anyway, my neighbours most likely would never know and if they did I would just bribe them with fresh healthy eggs.
But in all seriousness I beg you to take the time to do a little research before you make up your mind. I encourage you to visit the Hutterite egg farms or any other egg/chicken farms and them visit farms like mine and then decide where you want your food to come from. I open my farm up to anyone who would actually like to learn more,see or ask questions about chickens. To see what they would actually be like in a backyard setting. I would suspect that you would be surprised. And if not change your mind on the topic, you would be more open to the idea.
