So You Think You Want To Raise Chickens

Top Ten Myths About Chickens

Myth 10: If you want your hen to lay eggs, you have to have a rooster. 

Truth: A hen will lay just as many eggs with or without a rooster. However, if you want baby chicks you must have a rooster. Having one rooster in your flock is beneficial to keep the predators away. Roosters are more aggressive than hens. If you choose to keep a rooster you can still collect the eggs as usual. Eating fertilized eggs is perfectly safe.

Myth 9: All chickens crow.

Truth: Hens cluck and carry on while laying an egg. But roosters do all the crowing.
 

 Myth 8: All chickens have a big red comb.

Truth: Only roosters have the big red or large comb. However...

...some hens have larger combs than others. But the rooster of that type of chicken still has a bigger comb than his female counterpart.


Myth 7: Chickens won't hurt you.

Truth: Baby chicks are very sweet and friendly. In fact, the more you handle them the friendlier they become. There is something you should know though...

Roosters have spurs. They use those spurs to flog their enemy. When a rooster flogs their victim it usually results in drawing blood or at the very least bruising. Hens have small spurs and never use them for fighting or flogging. As baby chicks become older, usually around 8 weeks their claws become very sharp and can scratch you accidentally. Overall chickens are nice according to how you raise them. However, they can be mean. It's always good to go into raising chickens knowing that it too requires a fair amount of respect from it's owner.


Myth 6: A coop is all you need to raise chickens.

Truth: Free ranging is best for your chickens. Our family likes to be outside with our chickens when they are running free. When we aren't able to keep a close eye on them we put them in an adequate coop that is kept clean. The coop is always provided with food and water. From dusk till dawn your chickens will need...

 ...a hen house. Roosting perches need to be inside the hen house for them to perch on while they sleep.  An egg box/nest must be available to the hens in their house as well.

Here is the hen house/coop combination that Joey is helping his grandpa build. Make sure you have enough square footage per chicken in your coop and in your hen house. Once you have all of this put together, you have to put up any and all defenses against raccoons, foxes, wolves, coyotes, bobcats, dogs and other predators. This can be very costly.


Myth 5: Chickens are low maintenance.

Truth: If you want a great egg laying hen you have to be attentive and feed them nutritiously. The lighter the diet, the paler the egg yolk. If the hens are getting a healthy diet they will produce earlier and the yolks will be a beautiful deep rich yellow. Chickens love fruits and vegetables and lots and lots of bugs. Do not feed your chickens anything salty (fries etc.), sugary (candy etc.), no green potato peels, nothing that has mold on it, no eggs (will result in them eating their own eggs), avocado (skins and pits are toxic to chickens) and uncooked beans. The biggest drawback as far as maintenance is the complete scrubbing of the hen house and coop that must be done at least once a week if you only have a few chickens. The more chickens you have the more scrubbing that is required. The good news is, the chicken poo makes for a great fertilizer for your lawn and garden.


Myth 4: Fresh eggs are cheaper than store bought, if you raise your own chickens.

Truth: It takes 6 to 8 months before the hens will starting laying eggs. You alone have to provide them with food, water, shelter and warmth until they about 8 weeks old. According to www.poultrykeeper.com, in the first 18 months of its life, an exceptional hen could lay up to 250 eggs. At a price of $2 a dozen, that is $42 worth. Multiplied by five chickens, that amounts to about $210. That means it could take three or four years to break even on the initial investment, and that doesn’t count labor or continuing costs for feed
Providing adequate shelter can cost anywhere from two hundred dollars to as high as you want to go. Our hen house and coop has about three hundred dollars invested in it.

Myth 3: There is no difference between a grocery store egg and a backyard fresh egg.

Truth: You decide.

  
Myth 2: Anyone can raise chickens in their own backyard.

Truth: No they cannot. You must have adequate room in your yard. The coop in the first photo is too cramped. Most subdivisions and neighborhoods do not have room to raise a nice flock of chickens. If the coop and hen house are not kept clean it would be a nuisance to the neighborhood. Not to mention the fact that both roosters and hens can be quite noisy. Also, don't forget that roosters can be quite mean. Neighborhood children can be injured by a mean rooster. One more drawback of backyard chickens, they draw mice. Living in a regular neighborhood/subdivision it isn't wise to have a chicken coop and hen house close to your home. The second photo is an open invitation to mice.



Myth 1: You should wash the eggs as soon as you gather them.

Truth: Fresh eggs have a protective coating over them. If you wash them as soon as you gather them, you are exposing the egg to bacteria. Most countries, excluding the United States bans washing eggs that are taken to grocery stores. Fresh eggs should be washed just before using them. So, if a friend gives you a carton of dirty looking eggs, she isn't being lazy. She is looking out for your best interest.