Backyard Farm: The Pros and Cons of Raising Chickens and The Business of Selling Eggs

When it comes to raising chickens, it takes strength and responsibility to manage it. Many people believe that it’s all a petting zoo. However, it’s a lot more than being able to enjoy the animal’s company. There are many positive and negative consequences to raising chickens. Let’s check some out.

Pros:
-Obviously, the eggs. Especially with produce inflation, it is definitely a considerable thought to have chickens. So not only do you not have to buy them, but you also have fresh daily eggs, which means they’re better quality.

-Chickens love bugs. There are many kinds of insects and bugs that chickens eat which will lower the number of pests in your home’s environment.

-Have some leftover scraps? Feed them to the chickens. Chickens will eat almost anything, including themselves. So not only is this good for the chickens but will lower the amount of trash that you have.

-Though dealing with chicken poop is the least enjoyable part, the good news is you can put it to good use. Chicken poop is a good fertilizer for gardens, so you have a natural source of nutrients for your plants.

-Besides raising them, they’re relevantly easy to manage. They don’t require a lot of care because they can almost take care of themselves.

Cons:
-Space. From chick to hen, chickens need space to be able to move. The lack of space can result in sickness among birds.

-Chickens, especially roosters can be very loud. Roosters are known as “farm alarms” due to their loudness in the early morning.

-Raising chickens is not cheap. Buying feed, bedding, the birds, and possibly the room can be very expensive.

-Though it can be managed, chickens do not care where they use the bathroom, so look out where you step.

Though raising and having chickens can be a struggle at times, they’re fun and you get something out of it. Sophomore entrepreneur Billy Allen-Justice tells us what it’s like to raise chickens and sell eggs at school. “Having chickens can be tedious at times, but they’re fun to raise, and they are pretty neat pets. I enjoy selling eggs to my family and people at school so they have some fresh eggs, and I make a little profit.” Chicken raiser and math teacher Jodie Baker says, “I like knowing what I feed them, I know what types of chickens I want, I know that my eggs are fresh. However, they do take time and effort. Mine don’t lay during the winter, so I lose some money.”

So if you have extra time, space, and money, chickens may be a great way to utilize your desires. They’re great fun for the family, you get eggs, and they’re great company.