This week we are talking about chickens! I’m pretty tired from a full day of, well, all the things, so without going on at length as per usual, I wanted to let you all know we’re focusing on chickens this week, which I’ve already done, so more specifically I’m asking: Why does Sulphur Springs Truck Patch keep chickens?
Asking if chickens are worth the trouble is, perhaps, a silly question. Like asking: “Fire, worth the smoke?” Regardless, a lot of people are asking these days how they can be more prepared for fluctuations in prices and unpredictable food access by keeping chickens. So you know what? Chicken butt.
Chickens are not essential
Briefly, I want to make sure it is clear that contrary to the party line on homesteading, chickens are not essential. Unlike, say clean stored water, current passports, and knowing your neighbor, chickens aren’t a de facto crucial preparedness list item. And for many people could be a bad idea.
A few cons
To begin, they’re messy, noisy and can be intrusive. Not every neighborhood’s idea of a great neighbor, especially if you’re in an urban situation.
They are also a potential drain on resources when they multiply (or you just can’t say no to those chicks at Tractor Supply) and need to be fed over the winter, when they aren’t producing many eggs. Not to mention what do you do if feed supply shelves go empty, will you have the ability to let them roam, or will you have been growing passive food sources already, such as mulberry bushes? That may be more than you can achieve currently and you’d hate to be stuck with a bunch of hens with nothing to eat.
Ours are free range much of the time, especially when our fragile fencing and overhead netting system breaks down, which means they roam where ever they want to in order to find their daily food. This means the yard, porch, and anywhere else is often covered in chicken poop. This gets old real fast.
Also if you get the idea that you’d like to start selling your eggs (like we did) we recommend creating as loose and forgiving a selling system as you can (unlike we did). This way when the unexpected happens, a bunch of them die or gas prices sky rocket, you can easily adjust or call it quits. Just know that there is little good money to be made in selling eggs unless you have a bagillion hens. But I know a few farmers who might like to challenge that novice assumption, too. This is Arkansas, after all, many people have tried to make it in the chicken (and egg) business and not many of them are still at it.
The flip side is, there is always someone who needs eggs. So even if you aren’t selling them, as long as you’re not going too deep in the hole financially, consider giving them away!
Why we keep chickens
So why do we have them at SSTP? I made a reel, see below, that listed three reason why we have chickens but here they are thusly:
- Eggs: maybe this is obvious, but eggs are one great reason to have hens. Such a useful food source in in nearly any kitchen. Especially if you love to bake and aren’t vegan. We can move on from this because no duh.
- Soil amendment: Chicken manure is amazing when used right. If you are like us and need all the help you can get regenerating your soil after years of monoculture farming and Bermuda grass domination, adding some chicken manure, rich in nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, is a great start. Just be sure it has sat for 6+ months before using to limit pathogens and burning of plants from the ammonia and high nitrogen. Then following that, best to mix with existing compost before applying to plants or garden soil. Then you’ve got rocket fuel soil.
- Experience: Most days if left to their devices, my kids would rather be left to their devices. They really are generally very happy to help around the garden/farm, but if we didn’t have chickens, they probably wouldn’t miss them. Chickens, along with the other animals that call SSTP home, are a great way to keep them in touch with the ideas of survival, water access, food access, and even the rights of animals.
Keep tuning in this week for more thoughts on keeping chickens and let us know your thoughts! We’ll be back with a little more throughout the week. Good night!
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