Spending a lot of money on organic chickens and eggs? Many people are choosing to build their own backyard chicken coops to save some money. The question, however, is how much will it actually effect your current lifestyle?
The answer is not much, if you are looking for just a few chickens that produce enough eggs for your family.
Building backyard chicken coops does not have to be complicated or expensive. If you take the time to decide exactly what you want and choose a good set of chicken coop plans, the time and money required to build it can be less than $ 200 and a few weekends of your time. Really a great savings for your family this next year!
What is required and how will it change your lifestyle?
For the most part, backyard chicken coops and chickens require just a few daily chores, such as collecting eggs, feeding and watering regularly and checking on your chickens warmth and health. The chickens will pretty much take care of themselves most of the time. It’s fairly difficult to screw them up. There are, however, a few things that you need to consider before you can understand how much of an effect backyard chicken coops will have on your current lifestyle.
Whether you choose to raise chicks or pullets (hens that have just started laying) will make a large difference in the daily work, although “working” with chicks can be great fun, especially for your children. Chicks will require more attention and a consistent living environment, so during the cold season they have enough warmth to stay healthy, as well as extra protection from predators. However, your chicks will grow quickly, so the few months of extra time will seem very short indeed.
The feeding and watering are very basic and no different than caring for a dog or cat, although with colder climates, it is necessary to insulate your coop and supply a light as a source of heat for them.
Of all the backyard chicken coops out there, it is wise to choose a plan that allows for easing cleaning. This will eliminate most of the smell and good plans will have already have cleaning factored into their plans, so it can be done in a few minutes and is usually done once a week or so, depending on the size of your flock.
Overall, building backyard chicken coops and caring for a flock do not have to effect your lifestyle as much as you might think. Most of us just substitute one activity for taking care of your organic chickens. It’s a great way to spend some time with your family and also a good way to teach responsibility to children, while raising organic chickens and eggs for a healthier lifestyle.
The only potential lifestyle change would happen if you have sick chicks or you have persistent predators in your area. Beyond that, like all animals, they require attention with daily caring and maintenance. However, the benefits far outweigh the few chores required.
For a few questions to consider before you build your chicken coop, visit Building A Chicken Coop. It will help you choose the right backyard chicken coop for you.
Backyard chicken coops are becoming more common in backyard farming and will end up saving you money. I hear it lowers blood pressure as well! For a look at a few great backyard chicken coops please visit backyard chicken coops.
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