7 Reasons Why You Should Not Get Chickens

Hey there! Welcome to The Happy Chicken Coop KZbin Channel.
Today we are going to be talking about 7 reasons you should not get chickens.
I know we always talk about why chickens are great, but I also want to make you aware of some of the reasons you should not get chickens if it's not for you!
Chickens can be a lot of work and you need the time and energy to do so!
9:00 Here is the article where we interviewed 47 different chicken keepers: www.thehappychickencoop.com/k...
If you want to read more about this topic check out the article: www.thehappychickencoop.com/w...
Also make sure you subscribe to our website using this link to receive your free ebook: pixelfy.me/g7i3zd

[@WickedAwesomeGardening]

I have now had chickens for almost 2 months. And I find myself completely obsessed lol

[@thehappychickencoop6460]

Us too!

[@rogerknight2267]

I researched chickens and coops for a good year before I made the commitment. I built my own coop, and bought four red leghorns from a local chicken dude. I never looked back. We care for our girls like they’re our children. No regrets.

[@rexwoodville-price2995]

Building your own coop is the best way. Some of the factory made ones aren't very protective

[@roadkillscjim]

Just got 17 babies from the Happy Pecker Farm...outside of zoning or personal health reasons I can't think of an excuse not to have them. Crazy times ahead and a personal supply of eggs and meat (if you're so inclined) will become far more valuable than the relatively small cost of raising them.

[@patriciajohnsonson8639]

I have eight chickens. I had nine but one got egg bound and had complications. I gave her to my daughter’s in-laws who knew what to do. They nursed her back to health and got four more chickens. It all started when my daughter got three chickens. Now we, her parents, and her in laws have chickens. LOL and we all love our chickens and have provided them with a wonderful fortified run and cozy coops. We all love our ‘Girls’!

[@roadkillscjim]

My "coop" cost $57...I built a chicken teepee. No joke. 10 feet diameter, 78 square feet floor space with room to build up since it's 8 feet tall inside. Super easy cheap build, great ventilation, easy to secure...and bonus your neighbors will think you've utterly lost your mind. :-)

[@atherapeutictouch]

I would love a picture of this!!!

[@daveyboy8907]

I used a old Costco kids kitchen playhouse..It's cedar to and has windows..Then I used a 6 by 10 dog pen for the run..It's a great set up and didn't cost a dime..

[@roadkillscjim]

@@daveyboy8907 love it! My wife who don't know much about chickens asked the same, couldn't you use a big doll house? Yes, yes you can

[@brysonalden5414]

My chickens and Indian Runners consistently warm my heart and make me laugh, every day. I just built the Coop De Ville for them, lots of bells and whistles, but it was fun to build and they love it. We have 8 now, and the Mrs. wants to add another 20 next Spring, so I'm glad I built a large coop. Family farm, so no worries about zoning or neighbor complaints about the rooster.

[@juanisme2]

Also , your chicken could be fine during summer and spring . But when the cold hits and predators are out of options ,they will try HARD to get your chickens. If you free range consider just letting them stay in the coop and run in the dry,cold season . The most chickens I’ve ever lost was over winter .

[@DuaneT64]

I've raised chickens on and off for 20 yrs........I enjoy every minute of the responsibility that comes with them

[@ericwilner1403]

Good points all around. After a little bit of research, we bought a half-dozen chicks this Spring, and kept them in a cage (actually a series of cages) in the kitchen while they were growing - and while I was building a coop, mostly making it up as I went along, using salvaged materials as much as possible (not the best plan, as it turned out). Those $400-on-sale coop-with-run dollhouses may look big enough when the chicks are a week old, but once they've grown a little the offerings at the store do look mighty cramped, and the attached run isn't even a joke. Good thing I didn't hastily buy a coop to go with the tiny birds before getting a handle on how much space they'd really need! As they got bigger, and the weather got warmer, we built them a pen (640 square feet), put the coop in it, and took the birds outdoors - where they promptly devoured every bit of greenery in their pen. The predator situation here is such that a pen covered over with bird netting seems prudent; there are raptors of many sizes here, out hunting in broad daylight, in addition to the nocturnal mammals. At some point, I assume we'll start letting the hens run around on the lawn with a human on hand to act as a scare-eagle. With Summer now past, it's time to learn about chickens and the cold season. I think the main consideration here will be keeping the water from freezing, but there's always so much to learn! Some of the neighbors are also pondering backyard chickens, so we might end up with a cooperative chicken-sitting arrangement for vacations and such. And, I'm thinking that chickens could be put to work eradicating weeds (and spreading fertilizer) in fallow garden areas.

[@wandawilliams2397]

Chicken math is REAL. I got 6 Rhode Island Reds. Did my research and that was the perfect number to cover my needs. Or so I thought. They are still my favorite girls, but I now have 21 girls. It’s a lot of work to introduce the 2 flocks… 2 coops/ runs that will be obsolete when integrated. One boat and 2 cars will have to move… just for the new coop. It’s a labor of love

[@themotheroffaith4222]

I have a neighbor that has a rooster they had two hens but died quickly. Shortly after they got him they were planning to move. Now they expect me to take care of him even though I have enough animals. Please, please, please really think about getting any animal and make sure you are willing to take care of them.

[@LeoTheYuty]

Great video! I love hearing your own personal experiences with chickens, wish you'd include more of them in your videos

[@beebop9808]

Spent many years traveling around the country working, not able to think about keeping anything like chickens. Now I'm retiring and going back to my childhood being on a farm and getting back to some chickens. I love birds of all kinds. One of Gods blessings in living breathing beautiful flowers called birds.

[@stephanier9820]

I have 4 barred rock, 2 sapphire gems and 2 bantums. I enjoy them so far. Got the original 6 May of 2021 and adopted the bantums from the neighbors this past June.

[@jonwinston7529]

Great video! Thanks!!!

[@ammymorales1501]

We clean our coop and run once a week no matter what!! We turn the straw and add new straw as needed .. I live in the South and this VERY important.. also we use DE and I add garlic powder to their food. We give them fresh water everyday and I do add apple cider vinegar once a week to their water .. I have a timer light in my coop so when I go in to close up shop I can check on them before the end of every night..some people say I have the Hilton for chicken's 🤣 Love my flock. We also raise pigs they are also treated the same way... also we ferment their food.

[@roxannachism1904]

Excellent realistic video!

[@springhollerfarm8668]

I built mine a coop and a run but let them free range most days unless we will be gone late. Chickens are fun. They definitely have their own personalities.

[@user-vq4mt4zd4e]

great content thanks

[@mikemacinnes6120]

Good info. I have 40 plus chickens. Started with 16. Got well over 6k into them. Built coops my self. Except for Ez coop I bought 2. Very good for price

[@Flicker_thefo0x]

Ima go through and give reasons why this was a great idea for me. (Owned them for 3 years allmost.) 1 coop. My coop is made out of scrap wood, only bought 6 pieces of wood for the roof. And then the tin. The nails was honestly the most expensive part coop was probably 50-75$ 2 feed. Yes feed is expensive, but so are eggs and meat. Theres pros and cons. On the one hand feed is expensive, on the other eggs are even more expensive. (I get 25¢ per egg while store bought eggs of the same quality and hens (blue/green + brown) is close to 75¢-1$ per egg) 3 lice. I buy one container of Dalmatians earth, it lasted me one year. I throw one cup to half a cup depending on what bedding I use. If I use hay 1/4 if I use hay and pine shavings 1/2 if I only use pine 1C. It kills the wood lice. You could also fill a tote with water and salt bath them and flood the run with water and clean the coop. Make sure to *deep* clean the coop. Leave no spec of dust. 4 poopy butt, I dont get maggots, or trim the butt feather on adult hens, I do however, deal with this on chicks. Stress is the biggest issue with chicks. Now I bought a high maintenance breed of bird. (Black coochin) so I will need to learn how to do this. 5. Time. I spend roughly 1 hour with my chicks every day I can. I let mom and babys out and hang out with them. I was unable to do it with one chick. And that chick is very skittish. I will need to work on them. But that works. Ive had two amazing cockerels because of it. Both are so friendly and sweet. One of them even loves lap time. 6. Zoning. Not an issue, most our neighbors have chickens as well. 7. Health. I have * pollen* allergies. And a mild allergy to pine. (Sneezing and wattering eyes.) but to me its worth every sneeze. 8. Back up plan, this just happened due to the hurricane in Florida. Our coop had a 5 gallon bucket of feed, and a rain barrel of water. Not an issue as long as both are full. 9. Dog. Our dog was leach trained around our chickens. She actually seems to love them. (Pretty sure she thinks they are her puppies.) 10. Vacation. This one was a negative problem. But my backyard feels like a vacation when no work had to be done. You just sit there with a chicken in your lap, swining on the swing gently. Watching the hens find bugs and dirt bathe. 11. Eggs. We bake alot in my household. eggs are used for every meal. I don’t think thats a downside. Plus. We have demanding family members who want eggs all the time. Conclusion: yes they are worth it for me.

[@michaelalexander3828]

That’s diatomaceous earth, not Dalmatian’s Earth. 😀

[@mbarbaris3923]

Thanks for your informative reply. Gave me good info!

[@patriciajohnsonson8639]

I have eight chickens. We used to have nine. They are a lot of work, but a lot of fun. They are our comic relief. We get good laughs because of them, but we also get stressed because of them. I check them daily, sometimes more than once a day. I feed them daily and clean and refill their water almost daily. I clean their coop once a week and I rake out their run about once a month. Three of my chickens got a flu. One died but we managed to get the other two to a vet and we saved them. I am in the process of reintroducing the two recovered chickens to the flock. It has been a challenge keeping my chickens but it has also been very rewarding. We got so many eggs over the summer, but now that the weather has gotten colder and there is less daylight, we’re lucky to get one or two eggs a day.

[@sabrinastratton1991]

I have ducks and a goose. I grew up with chickens as egg layers. Raccoons were always a problem till he had built a very impressive hen coop himself, then dug a trench around the permitted under the fence line and lined it with razor wire and electric current (not high just enough to give them a zap). Raccoons never came back

[@ninjatvlv6101]

i only have a few chickens and sadly we lost one due to a puppy we had to take back because of the stress. we moved and were building up as we go so the hens live in my backyard. now i have 2 and im wondering if i should get 4 more when the new season starts in feb or max out at 10 birds out right? not like its gonna be hard to handle and we have plans for the eggs with canning and all that i just wanna take the next step for a solid flock. now my other wonder is can i mix breeds like 1 or 2 of each kind of hen? im lookin to replace my ayam and she was def a good bird but was only considering one chick from that breed. then have rocks, a rhode island, a few easter eggers, and a blue chicken (forgot the breed name but it was from mypetchicken) and how would i go about a rooster? would raising one be better or should i check out the chicken auctions they have here each month?

[@blaiseronstadt6306]

🥚 Eggcellent Information Video, Just got done maintenance on my Chicken Friends, Clean is the Name of the Game. Water Food Habitat, Cook the Eggs, even if feeding to in 🐕 Dogs, Common Sense, and Clean

[@louisebendall2894]

Make no mistake, chickens are hard work!

[@marsfreelander5969]

what chickens make the best throwing eggs? i need to pelt my neabors house and i need alot of them to do the job right.

[@lisagayhart2482]

When I go on vacation I leave them locked up . Family member feeds and gathers eggs. I put extra food containers and water in case . Every other day is my go to. I works out well

[@juanisme2]

Chickens are the best . I started about 7-8 years ago and have moved several times . Each time I had chicken. Now I have the most I’ve ever had but most are meat chickens.l this time . I have 32 chickens

[@evelynwaugh4053]

You might try (if you haven't yet) having visiting dog wear a basket muzzle. Dogs seem to behave differently while wearing a muzzle. In that altered frame of mind, they can learn that the chickens are just another household occupant, like kitties.

[@patrick97nz73]

Fun fact: Chickens eat mice :)

[@evelynwaugh4053]

True. And a hen can run really fast with a mouse in her beak, when she doesn't want to share.

[@heatherk8931]

And roaches if you wake them up to see them.

[@patrick97nz73]

@@evelynwaugh4053 yea haha I couldn't believe it the first time I witnessed it

[@mh3558]

Even eat small snakes

[@patrick97nz73]

@@mh3558 chicken spaghetti 😋

[@gingercox6468]

I had them in the basement this summer. It got way too hot outside and very young. 3 weeks, was too young to roast alive. It got insanely dusty. Webs everywhere covered with dust.

[@heatherk8931]

Trust me, that dust will travel through your entire house. UGG!

[@destinyschild8515]

It was too cold when I got my 4 hens and had problems getting someone to help me with their coop. They lived in my little bathroom for 3 months. I am cleaning every inch of my house now. I put the cart before the horse. Don't recommend buying chicks too early in the spring and until you have a coop.

[@mbarbaris3923]

This is me! Bought chicks before my unassembled coop arrived. Now it’s a race to build the coop and predator proof so we can move them outside when they are ready!

[@BananaSplits761]

That actually reminds me that we got 2 chickens. The guy we bought them from didn't even let them outside. They don't even know what grass is

[@sakiOverview]

haha the f

[@Cathy_MidwestHome_Hens]

Where do you buy feed because a 50 lb bag at our farm supply store range from $17-$22 so more than $6/wk then there is scratch cost as well.

[@ReadTheBible33]

Hahahah Lol your videos are great. I was definitely one of those that kept well we had 22 chickens and we kept them inside it was horrendous there's still a couple areas where I could dust. But after a certain amount of months it got way out of hand and I was like it's time for them to go in a coup!!!! Don't bring your chickens inside for the record unless maybe you have a few.

[@morrisyarnell6083]

We got three chickens at the start of the Pandemic. They have taken over our lives, no vacations. Had grandkids that took care of them at the beginning if we wanted to go away, now the kids have gone to college, no more sitters. Now we take turns traveling, one of us always has to be home to take care of them. They have names and come when they are called. We really love them but they are a constant care animal. Don't think I would do this again. I did build my own coop as my carpentry skills are better than fair.

[@WendigosKing]

I made a 2 story coop with nesting boxes and a roost on the bottom floor, with a heat lamp inside out of free pallet wood for the cost of brad nails. so like 5-7 bucks? plus some free scrap roof metal if you own over 30 birds and your pin is more then 300 sq ft then you're not going to keep your ground clean. Unrealistic expectation for a full time employed person. but with free range you can keep fairly clean besides any shady spots they will absolutely seek those spots out. i have over 30 chickens 2 turkey and 3 ducks. there will always be poop but as long as you layer the ground now and then in your coop you can use the poop and hay covered ground in the spring for your garden, its natural compost.

[@danielramirez-me6pn]

Can I live on your farm I can bring my chickens.

[@libertykim6438]

Good video. We have 9 hens and it’s been a great experience. Please don’t let this video discourage you from being a chicken keeper. But it does bring up some good points. It’s my opinion that if more people get onboard with having hens that people won’t be so reliant on industrial farming where many chickens live in horrible conditions. Having a neighborhood co-op is excellent if you can get people involved. I often ask myself why is it okay for neighbors to own five or six dogs that are noisy and require a lot of maintenance and vet visits instead of some chickens that can help keep food on the table. Nothing against fluffy but owning chickens can be a very rewarding experience. We don’t own any roosters because in said video, they crow all day long. However if other neighbors get on board then less people will complain. There’s a lot to think about. Do your homework before jumping in. It can be the best decision you can make for yourself, the community and ending factory farms.

[@theresawinthrop55]

My chickens help me relax when I am with them

[@averyyyl1124]

My dad one day just said let’s go get chickens just because I feel like it…like…huh 😀 he therefore built his own coop and I love it LOL

[@thehappychickencoop6460]

Glad to hear he pulled the trigger

[@meljordan220]

I have two German shepherds. One could care less about the chickens that I have. The other one is like a mother hen. If she thinks the chickens are in danger she lets me know. If one of the chickens gets out she keeps an eye on it until I can get there. I am very thankful that my two dogs are the way they are.

[@ReadTheBible33]

Danggg1 hahha I'm jealous I clean my co-op every 2 to 3 months, plus I do live near hog farm. Then there's another 1 probably 3 miles away. The most flies I've ever seen and the coup was probably around 2:00. But I did mitigate that in multiple ways it was certainly overwhelming and just ridiculous.

[@blainesavage7161]

ive watched this 5 times and i got 18 chickens soo far

[@Yito14]

ayo, with inflation and egg prices going up, suddently, having a hen or two is very appealing to be honest lmao

[@franksespool8150]

I would crack my extra eggs in the summer into freezer bags and cook them in the winter when the birds would lay less, easy scrambled

[@dalecole5315]

No, it;'s Pin! Chicken people are crazy bunch, so they call A PEN for chickens a PIN so they're on the same page! LOL Egg price has gone up to $2.30 a dozen but to own your layer it'll cost (all the expense from chick to layer) about $8.00 a dozen! Best hobby I ever had... :^)

[@chrishanbery4824]

1# REASON YOU MAY GET HUNGRY LATER ON 😋 🤣🤣

[@mikemitchell9157]

Any leftover eggs feed them back to the chickens they are extremely good for them

[@rexwoodville-price2995]

Reason 8 you'll get pretty attached to your chickens. Some of them have very unique personalities. You will start to worry about their health and safety because you have invested care in them.

[@mystyinsandiego]

My husband was very handy. They basically have an aviary. 🤣 They are spoiled.

[@wandacass3981]

chickens are good company..... sometimes better than people........🐓🐣🐤

[@rickycollard9715]

Me and my wife love our chickens we've always had chickens for years we prefer dominickers cold hardy heat Hardy and a very good layers and very good mothers dominickers will flock together to fight a dog or a cat or a snake or whatever happens to annoy the flock and they make excellent pets

[@kathleenlogan1157]

I love my chickens.

[@blakemckellar7847]

Deffently worth it if you have the space and time, let them have some free range and layer with scratch/feed and keep away the pests with natural remedies and use hemp hay anti bacterial and mites hate it compared to straw Ps I bought a coop for 350, not worth it as it didn't have good ventilation and easy got moldly/fell apart, built my own for 600 and will last 10 to 15 years

[@ReadTheBible33]

Hmm I have 19 chickens at the moment might be losing one soon unfortunately, but anyways I spend $80 pretty much $90 with taxes a month. I'm gonna start fermenting soon I know that will help but I spend About $23 chicken food every week if you were to break it down roughly.

[@thehappychickencoop6460]

Let me know how your chicken feed fermenting process goes!

[@teffy4345]

Here’s what I’ll say… If you live in a city and not with acres of land (like me) make sure EVERYONE around you is ok with you having chickens. Our neighbors are ok with us having chickens and we do bribe them eggs to make sure they’re happy but we have had neighbors in the past that have not been ok with them. As far as rodents go… Again because I live in a highly populated area there were already issues with rodents. We have a Grand Father feeder which is a solid metal feeder that opens to feed the chickens when they step on a plate. When rats and mice step on it, it doesn’t open because they’re not heavy enough. We keep the feed in a metal trash can and have had no issues with rodents getting into our feed. As far as coops go, definitely do not use chicken wire if you want to keep out rodents or predators. Use quarter inch mesh. In heavily populated areas the number one death of chickens is NOT hawks, raccoons or Coyotes but dogs, and if you have bantams, cats. As far as cleaning goes I use the deep litter Method and have no issue with parasites or smell. Deep litter means you change your bedding once every six month. If you’re getting chicks, just make sure you know that if you get straight run, which is usually much cheaper, means you will probably get a rooster. Be ready to find them a home if you can’t keep roosters in your area. Overall I LOVE chickens. I’ve been showing and raising them since I was a kid (4-H) and wouldn’t change it for the world.

[@thehappychickencoop6460]

Thank you for the in depth reply! Thanks for helping out everyone that watches this!

[@vanhughes]

What kind of toys?

[@buckaroobonsaitree7488]

I'll be a crazy chicken people by the end of the year😃

[@candy18869]

i love my babies so much. got them for my kids to learn for Easter and to keep as my personal child hood goal of mines. I cant see my self without them. me and my kids are obsessed!

[@farmoffriends]

I spend about 110 a week on my bird's feed.

[@danielvelez4001]

I have 12 and they get expensive feed runs for 18 bucks a 50 pound bag last about a month

[@mh3558]

Feed them from your leftover food or kitchen waste just add a little bit feed on the waste after 1 or 2 weeks you even don't need the feed

[@thefluffyeasteregger]

@@mh3558 the feed supplements them with protein and calcium so it’s generally good to have

[@mh3558]

@@thefluffyeasteregger agree but it's expensive and chickens eat almost any thing so they get protein from leftover,I like chicken because they eat more then 50% of my kitchen waste I feed them only 10% feed just pour on waste and also expire supplement or vitamins syrups from my medical box be careful with medicines less or none is good then over dose remember in old days chicken used to be feed on waste only

[@michelledavis9674]

Buy feed from a feed mill it's same price for 100 lb

[@MadRiverHomestead]

Let them free range in your yard, if possible. They’ll supplement the feed on their own.

[@pamelasandstrom4401]

I add diatomaceous earth, food grade to their food and their dust baths.. Mine also sneak inside my house through the dog door. The dogs don't care..

[@coziii.1829]

My pin holds 40 chickens cost 5,000 dollars Feed is about a bag a week I use diatomaceous earth and have no problem

[@heatherk8931]

I keep seeing people use the word PIN, isn't it PEN?

[@stewarthowell8469]

@@heatherk8931 it is called a pen. Pin is just something created to be different. I have raised poultry for 45 years for exhbition purposes and no one i have met uses the term pin.

[@heatherk8931]

@@stewarthowell8469 I wouldn't either, it's a misspelling (or something) and JUMPS off the page to me. Lol, If I didn't just keep seeing it, I would think I was ignorant about it. And in this case, the suit jacket made me ask. 🤣 Thanks for responding.

[@chemaschickencoop]

I love my flock of Australorps

[@carolynwatson4301]

Here if you have one that bothers you just eat it. After all fried chicken is a thing.

[@cchicken_live9800]

I had chicken for 7 years

[@rhondaskinner5111]

I have about 20 chickens and 7 ducks .but one of my roosters is breding my ducks .

[@lesheinen6116]

So you are going to have "Chucks"?

[@Jay60888]

I have 2. CHANGE MY MIND

[@Eden_Fayiar]

What about 1? Is one ok? I want just 1

[@americandefender6884]

Supposedly, it’s not good to have just one chicken! I recently stumbled upon that info! I have 26 and they seem to get along well!

[@dannyrichards6233]

I own six

[@cameronkissell9059]

lol, a few hundred for a ready-made coop? yea right! the cheapest I have seen is $900 and only held 3 hens! do yourself a favor, find a children's play house and turn that into a coop, it's exactly what I did and it cost me less than $100.

[@mrbrown6421]

A note to you gents who don't want chickens, but your wife does: Just do it. You married her for a reason, and women love chickens. Speaking from experience. - Some random guy in Florida.

[@liamobryan6105]

I’m a guy and I love my chickens lol

[@MsCriticalthinker201]

Their feed and poop attract rats. Which then invade the house.

[@noelabourgoin4561]

Barncast don't eat eggs Something else was

[@user-ph9lg3ho6w]

She now had four what hens?? Bully hens? Pretty hens??? What?

[@michelledavis9674]

Brody hen means She wants to sit on eggs and have chicks

[@johnsonfamilyfarm5672]

This is why not everyone should have a KZbin channel Ps chickens taste good

[@graceelizabeth4070]

Since these birds are prone to be such a haven for parasites, mites and lice, ARE THEY SAFE FOR CHILDREN TO BE AROUND?

[@thehappychickencoop6460]

Yes chicken lice isn't something to worry about. The mites can bite people but they cannot survive on humans as they require blood from birds and poultry

[@redrambler2000]

Chickens a bird.

[@pamelaforrest1622]

Yuck. They don't look happy or healthy.

[@corinnebonafino5211]

Pamela Forrest, I didn’t see unhappy or unhealthy chickens in this video. Note that these were various stock images, not all his. I will give you that the image of birds in cages were disturbing, I did not see any unhealthy chickens in this.

[@mh3558]

You should only see the wild animals of your forest don't watch domestic animals videos it will break your heart

[@LukePeterson-KathyPeterson]

Guy your up in the night I have 5 hens and a rooster and they are my life I love my chickens and they are easy to take care of and they are spoiled rotten they love chillin with me in the yard so it's more fun to have them than not for me