I’m not really saying that you shouldn’t keep chickens. You definitely should! We love our flock and always want to continue raising them.
But it’s important to know that life on the homestead is not always rosy. Otherwise we jump in with both feet without knowing the goods and bads.
So here are several of the bads:
1. Chickens are messy! They poop everywhere and are very untidy in their coops, including in the nesting boxes.
2. Chickens, especially roosters, are loud! They have no consideration for time of day, and love to hear themselves.
3. You are the vet, so you have to learn as much as you can to help them. Sometimes they get sick and die, and you don’t really know why. If you can’t fix it, sometimes you have to put them down.
4. Predators love chickens, and since chickens are vulnerable you have to always be on guard or hire out the job to make sure they’re safe.
5. Consider your yard gone. You won’t find insects anymore because they’ll take care of that for you…but you won’t find any grass either.
But don’t let this stop you! The goods definitely outweigh the bads. And if you have questions or aren’t sure what to do, just ask a friend who has chickens to help you navigate it!
Long live the chickens!
