[mdueal]

We did open gardens in our Villages for the first time last weekend. As expected, there were loads of questions about our chickens rather than the plants.

One lady, who was seriously considering getting some (her husband didnt seem impressed) asked what the downsides were... I really struggled to find any!

This is all I came up with:
- Looking after them - feed/water/cleaning out but that this is less of a task than for a dog/cat
- Dealing with health problems yourself - but with the right advice this is easy
- erm..... They poo?!
- erm.....
- erm.....
- Nope really there are no downsides as their little personalities, the 'chicken therapy' watching them in the garden and of course the eggs make up for everything!!

Is there anything else I should have told her?

[Fifitrix]

   very funny!

Generally I agree.  Although my hubby would say they poo EVERYWHERE.  There are flies EVERYWHERE (despite the use of the Red Top fly thingy).  They eat EVERYTHING if you let them free range.  You can't leave them for the w/e like you can the cat.  And they make a terrific noise in the morning when they feel like it.

I can't make him out because he's extremely negative about them but whenever anyone comes to the house the first thing he insists on doing is giving them a tour of the chicken pen and instructing them in the different breeds of chickens.  :shock:  :shock:  :shock:

[GrannieAnnie]

errrrmmmmmm

You quickly run out of garden because you keep making the chook run bigger?

errrrmmmmmm

[mdueal]

Maybe if we didnt have a dog that hoovered up all the chicken poo from the lawn I would have a different list!

[mdueal]

errrrmmmmmm

You quickly run out of garden because you keep making the chook run bigger?

errrrmmmmmm

that is a plus side surely - expanding your capentry skills - we can knock a chicken coop up in a day now - our 8foot square one only took two - and thats cos we ran out of fencing staples!

[mtoyne]

Only downside weve found is weve let them free range and we are loosing grass. OH has finally started building them a big run so we can claim a bit of our garden back. As for going away overnight, ive got a neighbour who ive offered to feed her cat when shes away in exchange for her keeping an eye on my girls.
My OH is same as others, it was my idea to get some and he always calls them my chickens yet hes named most of them, its him who buys them sweetcorn when we are shopping and its him that digs up the garden to help them find worms.

[ck2day]

The only downsides to chickens is I WANT MORE and OH has said NO until a few go to chicken heaven!

That and trying to round the little b*****s up and lock them away if i want an early night       Fast as i get one in the shed another shoots out the door !

[Aunt Sally]

I find holiday time a big tricky.  I have neighbours who will feed them and collect eggs but they have to stay in their eglu run all the time instead of free ranging.   :cry:

[mdueal]

I said about holidays - but said that they only really require water and food topping up for the time and people are happy to do that in return for collecting their own eggs

[Vember]

Sawdust blowing everywhere whilst trying to clean them out.


When this this wind go away ?

[Roughlee Handled]

Getting paranoid about every little thing the the chucks do and could it be a problem.  Oh the worry!!!! :roll:

[Poolfield2]

Trying to plant a row of seeds with one hand while fending off 6 chickens with other?

[Lost in France]

The biggest downside is whenever you lose one, you can't help getting attached so it's heart-breaking!

Can't think of any other negatives but am surprised no-one has mentioned the horrible "F" word  :shock: , no not the rude one, but the visit we all dread...the appearance of Mr Fox  :evil: has, I'm sure, made people on this forum question keeping poultry.

Judi

[mdueal]

Too true about the fox. When we lost our grey chicken and she was nowhere to be seen, even though I knew deep down she would have been taken, I still spent the whole day looking for her. It was so pathetically sad. I kept seeing all these grey chickens in the distance over the fields and kept walking towards them thinking it was her - only for them to turn out to be pigeons!!

[too many girls]

know how you feel, i still look every day for my girls and Jake, i know in my heart that they're dead, we've seen the fox a few times and had a pop at him, (nearly got him tonight)  but he always gets away, my dad now believes i'll never be able to let the remaining ones free range again, he said "don't believe for one second that that fox doesn't know there are chickens in the stables, the minute you let them out he'll get them, it doesn't help that they don't stay together but go off in all directions, if we fail to get the fox i feel i'll have to rehome them, i can't keep them shut up for much longer, it's not fair, they're no better off than they were before i got them.