We've got chickens!

Photo Credit:  FreeImages.com/Elly Kellner

We've actually had them since April.  After having them for a few months I thought I'd share with you WHY I wanted them in the first place; What are the Pros and Cons?  And CHANGES we'll be making in the spring for a better second year.

But why would any one want chickens?  First off... my family did own chickens when I was a kid, so I already knew mostly what to expect... but here are my reasons for finally getting chickens:

1. I grew up with them, and they make great eggs and meat to support the family for cheap.

2. I wanted a “chore” for my boys to do where they can earn their own money ( by selling the eggs) so I don’t have to provide for them an allowance.

3. I wanted to get rid of my scraps.

We weren't planning on getting them till next year; but after my neighbors and in-laws getting them we decided to go ahead and start. My brother helped my husband build a quick chicken coop using extra wood, we used some old chain link fence found in the yard.  We squeezed the coop and run between the neighbors fence and our garage. It was perfect because it was out of site, especially because it's not the prettiest thing.  

We started off with 12 baby female chicks. We had one casualty in the first week. With 11 chickens we get 8-11 eggs a day. In the summer it was 10-11, but winter is 8-9. My family only uses about 1 dozen a week, so we end up selling 4-6 dozen that we don’t use to family or friends. We do not let them “free Range” But they do roam in a portion of our yard.

Do you have chickens?  If so why?  Why not?

Check back Thursday for MY Pros and Cons to chickens!

Other Related Posts:
Pros and Cons of Chickens
What we would do different with Chickens