Chickens

Local chicken eggs

Sometime in the fall of 2018 Bobby and I started discussing poultry while on a road trip. We had been having a conversation with friends about zero-waste and sustainable food choices. They had mentioned a specific type of duck that is fairly easy to raise. I thought,

"I have a backyard now. I could have ducks."

 And this is exactly why I love the internet. I came home and started researching ducks, specifically ducks vs chickens. There is a plethora of information out there. Ducks seem favorable to chickens in a lot of ways: less likely to catch disease, no need for roost or nesting boxes, less aggressive pecking order, and some claim they are more reliable with their egg laying. The one thing (in my opinion) that makes chicken's more favorable is that ducks need a lot more water. You don't necessarily need a pond or lake on your property, but you do need enough water for them to regularly submerge themselves (it has to do with a gland that waterproofs their feathers).  They also use water to eat by swishing the water around in their bills in order to sift out the food from the dirt. Because of this their water source gets muddied fairly fast you're recommended to change their water daily.

I could not visualize myself emptying, cleaning, and refilling a kiddie pool daily and so the chicken research began.

Chickens seem to be a little more work up front: their coop needs roosting bars as they prefer to sleep perched off the ground. Egg-layers require nesting boxes so that they feel comfortable and safe enough to lay. They get a little stinky and don't tolerate heat as well as ducks, so good ventilation for the coop is a must. However, the more I read about the upkeep the more I think in the long run maybe they are a little less maintenance than ducks - mostly because of daily feed and water requirements.

With a large run (enclosed chicken cage) and a smart feeding and watering system, you're really just letting them out in the morning, in at night, and checking food, water, and eggs each day. There are some pretty great DIY PVC chicken feeder plans out there that limit waste and can hold several day's worth of food. There are equally impressive DIY chicken water containers. Plus, small backyard flocks bought from reputable breeders are far less likely to have the diseases that most large scale chicken farms deal with.

So, I've got my heart set on chickens.

But how does does a lazy suburban girl go about researching, planning, and prepping for some backyard hens?

Lots of googling - that's how.

It's been a fun ride researching, planning out, and building a coop for under $200 and adopting 4 Barred Rocks on Earth Day 2018. I've experimented with feed and water methods and have built my own feeder that holds a 50-lb bag of feed! I love having the ladies around and their eggs are amazing.

Check out my over-the-top pinterest board and definitely set up an account on this online forum if you're thinking of taking the plunge!