thinking of getting chickens - many questions

[gymangel812]

i've been thinking of getting a few chickens and i have a few questions:
1. how much care do they require? my mom had chickens as a kid and is really discouraging me from getting them because there's a ton of poop to clean up and they smell awful. i have a horse so i'm not terribly sensitive to smells. i'm thinking of getting about 4-5 chickens.

2. i live on 5 acres but near a busy road. i assume i would need a run or a fenced area. ideally i'd like them free range but i assume they would likely cross the road. do the chickens automatically go into the coop at night and i would have to close the door each night? i'm guessing the run is the most convenient way is to have a run but the best for the chickens is free range. i have seen coyotes once in my yard. if i build a large fenced in area, do i need to worry about predators during the day?

3. i think i want silkies. i'm reading they can be low on the pecking order. is it best to stick with one breed? i also wanted the all black ayam cemani and/or lavendar olive egger. would these not be compatible?

4. should i get a rooster (for flock protection)? how noisy are they? it looks like some places are only selling unsexed birds. are most people keeping even numbers of males and females? does that mean the lots of baby chickens are being born? can you only have 1 rooster per x of hens?

5. what sites are best to order chicks from? mypetchicken is already sold out of silkies till late summer/fall and feather lover farms only sells unsexed.

 

[black_cat]

1. They're much easier than expected. I let them into the run in the morning, refill food and water every day, and spend 10 minutes cleaning the coop once a week. This is the bare minimum. I also enjoy spending time with them and letting them into the yard for supervised free range time.
2. The road is dangerous, if these are supposed to be pet chickens I'd keep them in a run. They will go into the coop each night with some basic training (placing them in the coop each night). I close the door to my coop each night to be cautious. Hawks are always a concern for daytime predators, as well as stray dogs. However, those are the two most common daytime ones.

3. Silkies are really not the ideal free rangers, due to their lack of proper flight feathers and poor eyesight because of their poofy crests. I wouldn't get only one silkie, as they tend to stick together. If you raise them together with the other chicks, these breeds would all be fine together. Not sure how you're going to find ayam cemanis at a hatchery, and I"ve never heard of lavender olive eggers.

4. You don't need a rooster, and I wouldn't recommend one for a beginner of if you have fewer than 10 hens. Roosters are fickle creatures and will likely overmate your hens if you have too few. They can also become very aggressive and cause serious harm. Once you become more experienced, for all means go for it, but for a complete beginner roosters aren't really a great idea.

5. MPC is the only place to get sexed silkies, but straight run are available at most hatcheries.

 

[Northwest_Wannabe]

1. If you own a horse (assuming on your own property) then I can't imagine keeping chickens would be too crazy. I assume you already go out at least once a day, you know how to clean poop, tend to sleeping quarters, carry a feed bag etc!

2. It's always a really smart move to have a coop and a run, so if you can't free range that day they're not just in the coop (and have room to spread out away from each other, we all love our family but don't wanna be locked in a bedroom with all of them!) Theres many many threads on here about making predator proof runs, one good solution I see often enough is electric fencing! but you can check out those threads yourself too <3 I personally feel like a covered run is the way to go to avoid hawks/owls as well as other predators, and being locked in a secure coop at night.

3. Silkies really usually are very low if not the bottom of the pecking order, they don't tend to free range well at all (can't really look out for hawks) and in just my own personal experience of having silkies in part of a mixed flock (I've got bantams and standards of many different ages and breeds) the silkies tend to group together, and sometimes get left behind. Might just be me but I feel like my chickens don't really see them as chickens haha!

4. I LOVE roosters, they're not for everyone though. Their crows can be noisy but I personally don't mind it, you may have to trial and error that for yourself though! If you're buying chicks from a hatchery you'll end up with a cockerel. Period. Even 'sexed' pullets, unless they're of an autosexing breed I believe hatcheries are generally only 80% accurate with their day-old sexing. I believe the current 'standard' is 10 hens to every rooster to make sure that there's no fighting over ladies.

5. I've never ordered chicks online, so I can't say. I've had pretty good luck from local feedstores and Wilco's however, as well as getting chicks from craigslist (just make sure the seller isn't keeping them in bad conditions! and don't overpay) Silkies are NOTORIOUSLY difficult to sex, I wouldn't blame hatcheries for only selling those guys as straight run xD

I think if you want free-ranging egg layers / pets I would avoid silkies. They just don't free range well, unless you wanted to give them monitored free time only, where they aren't out when you're not watching them. I love my silkies, but they do tend to need a little more care, where I'm at in the pacific northwest it can be tedious to keep them dry (a wet silkie can get cold REALLY fast). Theres tons of fun breeds, I'd recommend Easter Eggers (feedstores will label them Ameraucanas/Americanas but they're Easter Eggers) they're a little sassy and full of personality and most can lay a coloured egg (blueish/greenish/pinkish) I also adore my Cochins. I've never had these but hear wonders about them; Orpingtons, Plymouth Rocks, Black/Red Sex Links, Marans, and so on. Also, mixes tend to be really lovely birds, if you don't intend to show them then heritage technically doesn't matter ;D

 

[Kirkwooder]

Chickens are really not that much work. Feed and water them every day. Clean the coupe a couple times a year. Collect eggs as needed. Really not that much work.

The really tough part is learning to cull without mercy and as necessary. Raising chicks from cuddly little fuzz balls, caring for their every need, and becoming so attached you bring them inside every time one of them makes a sound you may never have heard before, then letting them crap on your couch, (they don't know any better you know.) and everywhere else. Having some of them turn out to be the most beautiful roosters to have ever walked the earth. Only to attack you the first time you turn your back, or to have some chicken eating critter kill them all in just a few minutes while you weren't watching, leaving a bloody mess only only rivaled by a horror movie set, behind.

Can you be realistic about the fact that they are just chickens and when you get tired of stepping in chicken crap, can you grab the ax and heat up the fryer? Can you honestly tell yourself that you can find one of your favorite hens sick or injured, you will be prepared to put it out of it's misery? Will you ruthlessly catch and kill critters who want to do nothing but kill your chickens for fun? If you can do that then sure, chickens are for you.

 

[3KillerBs]

You'll want to read through a lot of these articles to get a good idea of what you're looking at getting into: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/categories/getting-started-raising-chickens.21/

1. how much care do they require?

Depending on how you set up your coop and run they might need daily care or they might need weekly care (with eggs collected daily).

I personally don't like to have to be providing basic care daily so I'm set up with a feeder and waterer that hold multiple days' worth and I use a bedding management system that only needs to be cleaned out once every 6-12 weeks depending on the weather.

My only daily chores at the moment are to open the pop door in the morning, close the coop door at night, and collect the eggs. With a hardened, predator-proof run I'd be able to leave the pop door open all the time.

Sometimes I have to bring my fence charger in overnight for a plug-in charge since solar, though great, only works when you have enough sun.

2. i live on 5 acres but near a busy road. i assume i would need a run or a fenced area.

Even if you want to free range there will be times that you can't so a run of some kind is necessary.

While a fully-enclosed, roofed, hardware cloth run is often ideal, I'm doing quite well with 100 feet of Premier 1 electric poultry netting. (Yes, my chickens *can* fly out when they want to but they rarely do (except for the California White, who is more adventurous than the others)). The main thing with this kind of pen is that it's not proof against aerial predators.

3. i think i want silkies. i'm reading they can be low on the pecking order. is it best to stick with one breed? i also wanted the all black ayam cemani and/or lavendar olive egger. would these not be compatible?

You'll need to decide what you want chickens FOR. Silkies are poor egg layers, great broodies, bad foragers, and (often), great snuggle-pets.

My advice is to pick the prettiest chickens. Or, more accurately, pick the prettiest chickens that will accomplish what you want chickens for.

4. should i get a rooster (for flock protection)?

Opinions vary on how effective a rooster is at flock protection. Roosters vary on how willing they are to lay down their lives for their hens. Some will fight ferociously, some will run and leave the hens behind.

The usual suggested ratio is 1 rooster to 10 hens. Some roosters can be kept with fewer hens. Other roosters can handle more hens.

Getting a good flock rooster can take a lot of trial and error. Some breeds' rooster have reputations for being more docile than others, but it comes down to individual personalities.

5. what sites are best to order chicks from? mypetchicken is already sold out of silkies till late summer/fall and feather lover farms only sells unsexed.

Lots of hatcheries are already running out of the most popular breeds so the best place to get the breed you want is that place that actually has them.

Very few hatcheries offer sexed bantams. I'm not 100% sure why, but I believe that the tiny bantam hatchlings are either too fragile for vent sexing or too small to readily see the difference.

Most hatcheries have minimum orders, which may vary at different times of the year. These minimums have to do with safe shipping. Some also have breed minimums.

Farm stores and independent breeders are usually more flexible.

And to answer a question you didn't ask,

6. How big should my coop and run be?

For each standard-sized bird you should have:

4 square feet of space in the coop,
10 square feet of space in the run,
1 linear foot of roost space
And 1 square foot of permanent, 24/7/365 ventilation -- ideally placed above the birds' heads when they're sitting on their roost.

Bantams need less space than standards, but shouldn't be over-crowded.

Good luck!

 

[CluckerFamily]

Great advice so far!

I personally think chickens are more work than a cat and less work than a dog. But you will find yourself sitting with them more or drinking your coffee in the morning while watching them.

I personally love a rooster’s crow. I have only had nice roosters and I have had great experience with mine. Roosters aren’t for everyone though.

 

[Goatlover223]

Daily Chicken Care Tasks​

• Check the water, and clean/refill it as needed. Make sure your hens always have a clean source of fresh water. Chickens don't like to drink dirty water, and they can dehydrate if they're without a clean drinking source even for a short time. Shavings, straw, and poop can get in the water throughout the day and muck it up. So refresh the water if you notice any debris or sliminess in the container. Use dish soap and water for regular cleanings, and rinse well before refilling. Also, you can use chlorine bleach or oxygen bleach as needed to sanitize the water container, as long as you rinse it thoroughly.1
• Feed the chickens. You can free feed your chickens with a large hanging feeder, adding the chicken feed as needed. Or you can feed them a set amount each day.
• Collect eggs. Collecting eggs daily ensures that they are as clean as possible. It also minimizes cracked eggs and maximizes freshness.
• Observe the chickens. Spend some time with the flock, observing the chickens to make sure they are healthy. Active, alert chickens with bright eyes and smooth feathers are a good sign.

• Monthly Chicken Care Tasks​

  • Manage the bedding. How you do this depends on the litter method you are using. For flocks that only have a small area, typically change the bedding in the coop at least monthly. But flocks in larger spaces can use the deep litter method. For this method, begin with 3 to 4 inches of bedding. Each month (or when droppings build up), add more bedding until you have 6 inches or more. Then, remove all the bedding twice a year and start over. Moreover, you can compost chicken litter for use in the garden; it is rich in nitrogen.2
  • 
    
    
  • Freshen the nest boxes. When the bedding in the nest box becomes soiled with poop or broken eggs, pull out the dirty parts and put in fresh bedding material. This helps to keep your hens laying in the nest boxes, and it makes the job of cleaning eggs easier.
  • Sanitize the waterers. At least monthly, you should give the water containers a deep clean. Sanitize them with your choice of solution; the simplest is 1 part bleach to 10 parts water. Then, scrub the waterers with dish soap and warm water, and rinse well to remove any remaining bleach and soap before refilling with fresh water.
    

    Semi-Yearly Chicken Care Tasks​

    • Deep clean and sanitize the coop. Once or twice a year, remove everything from the coop, and wash down all surfaces with 1 part bleach to 10 parts water.3 You should also do this in between flocks or if a member of your flock comes down with a contagious disease. Some people favor a sprinkling of diatomaceous earth in the coop to cut down on mites and keep the hens healthy. Get food-grade diatomaceous earth, and don't worry if the hens eat a little bit; it is perfectly safe for them.
    • Prepare for the winter. Making sure your hens are ready for cold winter weather is an important part of maintaining your flock. Get heaters for your waterers if necessary. And consider whether you want to use a light (to mimic daylight) to keep your hens laying in the winter. Also, make sure you have roosting space for everyone; this is how hens stay warm. You should not heat your chicken coop.

 

[black_cat]

Chickens don't like to drink dirty water,​

I beg to differ. Mine prefer the mud puddles much better than the nice, clean, freshly filled waterer. However, I definitely agree with the importance of a clean water source.

 

[gymangel812]

Chickens are really not that much work. Feed and water them every day. Clean the coupe a couple times a year. Collect eggs as needed. Really not that much work.

The really tough part is learning to cull without mercy and as necessary. Raising chicks from cuddly little fuzz balls, caring for their every need, and becoming so attached you bring them inside every time one of them makes a sound you may never have heard before, then letting them crap on your couch, (they don't know any better you know.) and everywhere else. Having some of them turn out to be the most beautiful roosters to have ever walked the earth. Only to attack you the first time you turn your back, or to have some chicken eating critter kill them all in just a few minutes while you weren't watching, leaving a bloody mess only only rivaled by a horror movie set, behind.

Can you be realistic about the fact that they are just chickens and when you get tired of stepping in chicken crap, can you grab the ax and heat up the fryer? Can you honestly tell yourself that you can find one of your favorite hens sick or injured, you will be prepared to put it out of it's misery? Will you ruthlessly catch and kill critters who want to do nothing but kill your chickens for fun? If you can do that then sure, chickens are for you.

The part about having to put them down is probably the hardest part of the whole decision to get them or not.

slightly morbid question, if people are buying unsexed chicks and there's a 50/50 chance of getting male and people mostly want female, do people put down the males?

 

[gymangel812]

1. They're much easier than expected. I let them into the run in the morning, refill food and water every day, and spend 10 minutes cleaning the coop once a week. This is the bare minimum. I also enjoy spending time with them and letting them into the yard for supervised free range time.
2. The road is dangerous, if these are supposed to be pet chickens I'd keep them in a run. They will go into the coop each night with some basic training (placing them in the coop each night). I close the door to my coop each night to be cautious. Hawks are always a concern for daytime predators, as well as stray dogs. However, those are the two most common daytime ones.

3. Silkies are really not the ideal free rangers, due to their lack of proper flight feathers and poor eyesight because of their poofy crests. I wouldn't get only one silkie, as they tend to stick together. If you raise them together with the other chicks, these breeds would all be fine together. Not sure how you're going to find ayam cemanis at a hatchery, and I"ve never heard of lavender olive eggers.

4. You don't need a rooster, and I wouldn't recommend one for a beginner of if you have fewer than 10 hens. Roosters are fickle creatures and will likely overmate your hens if you have too few. They can also become very aggressive and cause serious harm. Once you become more experienced, for all means go for it, but for a complete beginner roosters aren't really a great idea.

5. MPC is the only place to get sexed silkies, but straight run are available at most hatcheries.

this is where i'm seeing the lavender olive egger (and the ayan cemanis):
https://featherloverfarms.com/collections/baby-chicks-for-sale/products/lavender-olive-egger-chicks

my plan would be to get mostly silkies and 1 or 2 of another breed or 2. i just like silkies because they're look very cute and they're supposed to be friendly.

thanks everyone for all this info, very helpful!