12 Problems with Chickens That Keepers Will Never Admit

Chickens are awesome. Well, they are awesome if you love keeping them or if you have Stockholmed yourself into believing that you do…

I’m only half kidding: no matter the benefits, no matter how much you enjoy having your birds around, they are always going to cause problems. The best setup, the best care, the nicest property—face it, they just have downsides.

You need to know what you’re getting yourself into if you’re thinking of raising a flock of your own. Most keepers will never admit to the issues and downsides, but not me. In this article, I’ll be telling you about some issues you’ve got to know about. Brace up, and we’ll get into it.

They Can Be Very Noisy

This should come as no surprise. You might buy into chickens thinking that you’ll be getting off easy when it comes to noise concerns, at least compared to goats and other noisy animals.

But these birds can be surprisingly loud, even a flock composed of nothing but hens. They can cluck and scream and flap and generally raise a ruckus at all hours of the day.

If the sun is up, they are awake and active, and that means noise. Some breeds, like Faverolles, tend to be much quieter than others, but it’s never a sure thing.

And don’t get me started on roosters…

They Get Stinky

I don’t know why, but some chicken owners like to conspicuously brag that their birds just don’t smell.

They will readily point out that their chickens don’t poop as much as cows, horses, pigs, and the like, and that chickens, being birds of course, especially lighter breeds that are still capable of true flight or high, flapping jumps.

Soon enough, you’ll have your own stories of walking out of your house to find your birds up in a tree, up on the roof, on your neighbor’s roof, or away without leave.

Keeping them contained in a run or in your yard can turn into a lot of extra work and expense.

Chickens Will Kill and Eat Each Other

A grim reality, and one you should know about before you ever commit to a flock. Every once in a while, you’ll find individual chickens that are downright hateful. They peck and pester and pluck and bully other chickens.

When this happens, other chickens will start to attack the victim’s wounds, and eventually, this culminates in a thirst for blood and then outright cannibalism.

Freakish, scary, but true and potentially devastating to the health and well-being of your flock. Even more worrisome, this is difficult behavior to break once learned. There’s not much you can do to stop it except to get rid of troublemaking birds early and avoid keeping your flock confined for too long.

Keeping a Flock Can Strain Relationships

You might be thrilled by the prospect of keeping backyard chickens, but do keep in mind that not everyone will share your enthusiasm—particularly your neighbors!

For whatever reason, some people just hate chickens, often for the reasons I’ve already listed. They see them as unclean, hate the noise, or don’t like the behavior it inspires in their own pets. Be prepared to crank up the diplomacy or for your relationships with those around you to suffer.

You’ll Have to Cull Your Birds… Or Have Someone Else Do It

It’s a fact of life. Chickens get sick, get too old, and sometimes just need to be put down. If you love your animals, this can be gut-wrenching. Of course, if you are raising your birds for meat, there’s only one way to get it, and not everyone has the stomach for the operation.

It is true you can always send them off to a vet or processor, respectively, to take care of these unpleasant tasks, but that will increase your costs of ownership dramatically over time.

Chickens Can Be Significant Disease Vectors

Chickens get sick and, in turn, can spread that sickness to other chickens, other birds, other animal species, and even to humans.

We’ve all heard about bird flu and know how nasty that can be, but you’ll have other horrible contagions to look forward to, like the aforementioned parasites, various intestinal worms, cholera, E. coli, and more.

Chickens Have a Way of Multiplying

Of course, chickens reproduce. Everyone knows that! How would we get more chickens otherwise? That’s not what I’m talking about, though…

I’m talking about the tendency of chickens to multiply under the care of their owners. A small backyard flock of three or four soon enough becomes six or eight after a trip to Tractor Supply.

Six or eight becomes 12, then 20, and on and on. They are addictive in a way, and if it isn’t you, it will be your spouse or significant other bringing home more birds on the regular. This strains finances, yes, but also sanity…

The Big One: You Won’t Save Money

Getting a flock of chickens to save money on eggs? Stop right there. Yes, you will enjoy better-quality eggs. Yes, they will taste a lot better. Yes, you’re getting a lot closer to your food, and that’s a good thing.

But saving money? Not hardly. Economy of scale is a thing, and once you factor in the cost of procuring the birds, building their shelter, supplying their food, medicine, and healthcare, you’ll be paying a lot more to enjoy those eggs sunny-side up, in an omelette, or mixed into a cake. More than twice as much, on average.

Do the math and reconsider…