Do Backyard Chickens Save Money? Mine Do Not
I kept a running tally for two years because I wanted the honest number. It is not close, and it is not going to get close. Here is where the money goes and what I think you are actually buying.
Backyard Chickens
The Morning After the Raccoon Got In
A spring latch and a roll of chicken wire were what stood between my hens and a raccoon, and one night that turned out not to be enough. What I found, what I changed, and the part I did not expect.
Chickens and Neighbors: What Actually Worked on Our Street
Our lots are sixty feet wide and the coop sits closer to the neighbor’s patio than to my own back door. Here is the conversation I had before building, and the three complaints people really have.
The Coop Was the Expensive Part, and I Built It Twice
The chicks cost less than a tank of gas. The housing is where the money went, and I paid for it twice because I bought a kit that looked like a coop and was really a lawn ornament.
Our First Winter With Chickens Went Better Than the Second
The first cold season I over-prepared and nothing happened. The second one I got comfortable, and I lost a hen in February. Here is what I actually do now, and what I stopped doing.
Six Questions I Wish Someone Had Asked Me Before the Chicks
I bought six chicks on a Saturday errand for potting soil, and I decided in about ten minutes. Three springs later, here are the questions I would hand to myself in that feed store parking lot.