Backyard Chicken Facts — 5 Things No One Told Us

But there have
been a few surprises along the way — some of them pleasant, some not so
much.  Here are a few things we’ve learned that might help you as you decide whether or not to get chickens for your backyard.

#1.  Backyard Chickens are Poop Machines

 OK, I knew chickens produced a lot of manure, but I really didn’t realize how much.  Apparently, it’s about 45 pounds per hen, per year.  So for us, that’s 45 lb x 15 hens = 675 pounds of poop.  Pardon me, but holy cr*p! 

Now
that our 15 girls are out ranging in the yard most of the day, it’s not
so much of an issue.  Except that we can’t walk outside barefoot
anymore (not that we really did anyway).  But much of that ends up in
the coop, as they spend upwards of 12 hours a day there, and will be
more as the days get shorter.  So what to do with all that high — nitrogen
manure?  Put it this way — I’m building a new composter!  You can also
make something called manure tea — you can find chicken manure tea instructions here. 
Essentially, you can take care of a good chunk of your vegetable
garden’s nitrogen requirements with your chickens’ well — composted
manure.  Pretty efficient, huh? 

I’ve heard from others about the
fact that their chickens pooped all over everything — furniture,
vehicles, porches… you name it.  So far, we’re working on ‘aversion
training’ to try to teach them what’s off limits for perching and
pooping, and we have no manure on anything other than the ground.  I
know some of you are probably rolling on the floor laughing right now,
but I’m sticking to the plan.  I’ll let you know how it goes…

#2.  They Come Running When They Think You Have Yummies

I
have to admit, I never really thought of chickens as pets but
livestock.  But when they all come running when I walk outside, it’s
pretty darned cute.  Of course, it could have something to do with the
fact that they associate my presence with yummy snacks like canteloupe
and fresh lettuce.  But still…

#3. They Put Themselves to Bed at Night

This
one really surprised me.  I thought we’d have to be rounding them up at
night if they were out ranging during the day, but that shows how much I
knew about chickens!  Turns out the term ‘return to the roost’ is
actually a real thing.  Come a certain light level, the chicks turn tail
and trot on into the coop to settle in for the night.  Who knew?  Well,
lots of people, but it was a really pleasant surprise to me.  You gotta
like pets that that walk themselves, put themselves to bed AND provide
you with breakfast.

#4.  They’re Intensely Curious

I’m
amazed daily by the hens’ curiosity at just about everything in their
environment.  Watching them hop up and down to pick huckleberries,
listening to them peck at various materials for the sounds they make
(like the downspouts on the house — ladies, there are no bugs there),
and seeing them explore various ground textures and materials.  They
really are quite fascinating to watch.  But of course, this can work to
your detriment, particularly if your hens are restrained in a small run
or tractor.  When bored and unable to access a varied environment,
chickens can begin a slow slide into anti — social behaviour: pecking at
each other, fighting… you get the picture.  Something like siblings
stuck in a long car trip.  Just transfer, ‘Mom, Maya hit me again!’ to
poultry and you’ll get the picture, but with blood.  If your hens do
need to be cooped up, one of our Facebook friends, Evy, has some super ideas to help keep them occupied: 

• Dissolve
  unflavored gelatin in warm water in a pie pan or plastic container
  according to the package directions, place a length of string long
  enough to dangle out and be tied to something, then fill with molasses,
  grains, cracked corn, sunflower seeds, etc.  Finally, pour in the
  gelatin (making sure the string reaches out of the container), cover it
  with cellophane (pull string through the center) and put it in the
  fridge to set.  Once it’s read, pop it out and watch the show!
• Attach frozen bagels or firm boiled noodles on string and hang them from the coop or run ceiling at hen — head height.
• Popsicles work great as a diversion, especially in the hot weather.  They love it!

The key is to ensure they don’t get bored and start to turn on each other.  Chicken psychology — fascinating…

#5.  They Like Lullabies

We have this one hen (her name happens to be ‘Lucky’, thanks to my son), who falls asleep at the hum of a lullaby. 
So cute, and quite interesting.  Singing to chickens — how can it get
any better than that?  Of course, I just heard that chickens will fall
asleep if you put them on their backs, and Lucky is just tame enough to
let him do it.  Should I tell him?

The Wrap — Up

So
far, our chicken raising adventure has been pretty uneventful. 
Alongside our chicken co — parents, we’ve raised them from day — old chicks
to the young ladies I see running around the yard today.  Their voices
have just changed, and they no longer sound like chicks, but full
fledged hens.  They seem happy and healthy, curious and balanced.  The
things we’ve learned that no one told us have all been really pleasant
revelations, actually, but it does go to show that there is no learning
like practical experience.

That said, I’m sure I’ll be able to write another ‘things no one told us’ when they start laying!

Do you have any chicken tips or factoids you can share?  If so, please do so in the comments below!