5 Things to Consider Before Buying Chicks

Does the rising cost of eggs have you considering adding chickens to your backyard? I have 5 things you should consider before buying chicks.

We’ve all fallen prey to the adorable chick photos, the idea of an egg basket overflowing, and the simplicity raising your own animals brings. Most recently, though, the cost of eggs, and supply chain uncertainty, has caused many to impulsively buy chicks. Chickens seem simple, but they’re a big commitment. Like anything, they take time, energy, and money. If you’ve considered buying a few I’ve come up with a quick list of things to consider before buying chicks. Let’s dig in!

5 things to consider before buying chicks…

Chicks are tiny and adorable, but like all babies, they grow…and fast. Before you know it, those fuzzy little cuties are fully feathered and flying. You need to get them in a chicken coop. A full-grown chicken needs about 3 to 5 square feet of coop space. Having enough space is imperative to help prevent bullying and disease. They need even more outdoor space. If you’re choosing to keep a small flock of birds in your backyard, there’s a good chance you’ll want to keep them enclosed in a run attached to their coop. If this is the case they’ll need about 8-10 square feet of outdoor space, too.
Chickens can live a long time. A chicken that’s received adequate care can live between 5 to 10 years. Obviously, there are a lot of factors that go into the lifespan of a chicken. Be prepared to care for them for years. I have two chickens in my coop going on 7 years old. They don’t lay eggs anymore, but they’ve earned their right to free range and live a good life.
Chickens poop…a LOT. I think this is one of the things I hear new chicken keepers say the most. “They poop EVERYWHERE!”. If your dreams are full of free ranging chickens, be prepared for your patio to be a landmine, and your flower beds to be destroyed. I wish I was being dramatic. lol
Can you afford to feed them? Ask anyone who raises animals, and they’ll all tell you their feed bill has gone up dramatically. I’ve seen a bag of chicken feed go from close to $11 for 50 pounds to $20 for the same bag of feed. I have a fairly large flock of chickens, and we go through about 100 pounds of feed a week. I buy organic layer pellets. They’re $28 for 40 lbs…You do the math…It adds up quickly.
Like everything, chickens take time to raise. You’ll spend time and energy every day feeding, caring and cleaning up after your flock. Do you have time to devote to their care daily? If you have children, are they responsible enough to help?

One very last thing to consider before bringing home chicks is addiction. Chicken math is real. You start off with six and before you know there are 13 chickens roaming your yard. They are incredibly entertaining, and it is so fulfilling to raise something yourself. Soon you’ll be that crazy chicken neighbor that everybody buys eggs from. 🙂

If you’ve read through those 5 things to consider before buying chicks and feel confident you’re prepared, I’ll be sharing a few posts in this same series very soon!

As always, thanks for spending a tiny part of your day with me.