Like with gardening, raising chickens has some ups and downs. Lately, we've had to be more hands-on in caring for our flock (keeping mites at bay, nursing sick chickens back to health, and general flock-maintenance). Most of the time, raising backyard chickens is super easy, but I've spent more time in the last month in rubber gloves doing things to chickens that I never thought I'd do. Once I got over myself, I felt like a true farm woman (at least for the day)!
The good:
- the eggs are amazing!
- most of the time they are the easiest pets in the world.
- they de-tick our yard!!
- they eat all of my garden pests and turn them into delicious eggs!
- did I mention the eggs?!
- they are cute and personable.
- they are quite entertaining.
- they don't usually require much attention... going away for the weekend is no biggie.
The bad:
- they poop everywhere and a lot!
- cleaning the coop (every few days I clean out most of the poop and about once a week I clean out the whole coop and replace the bedding).
- it is a pain when the get scaly leg mites... diatomaceous earth helps keep them at bay (and a clean coop).
- they die... we've lost two (one to an injury and one to old age or illness). It is sad and also gross.
- when you add up all of the food, bedding, medicine, and chicken-related stuff, they can cost a bit of cash.
- then you look at that egg and think, "This one little egg cost $72!?"
But the truth is that it isn't about the money for us, it is about having delicious, healthy, local eggs... made by super happy chickens. And once again (like with gardening), I have come to realize that all of the work is worth it! At least that's what I keep telling myself ;)
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