Everyone has this romantic version of homesteading with a coop full of egg layers. Every morning getting fresh organic eggs served up on a silver platter. The gentle crow of the rooster in the morning as you sip your morning coffee and look out over your land. You are the king of the off-grid gang. Nothing can stop you! You have chickens!
Then the vicious slap of reality lands squarely on your cheek. You are quickly snapped back into reality and away from the starry-eyed version of farm life. Quickly you realize that now your mornings and evenings belong to the chickens. They need to be let out of the protective coop in the morning and gathered up to roost at night. This is an everyday routine that will not be broken.
You are now exhausted. Covered head to toe in chicken poop. Constantly vigilant in your protective role, as basically everything in nature wants to massacre all your chickens. Sure, you’re getting eggs. But, this will only last a few years. Eventually, you will end up with a coop full of birds that have stopped laying. Then what? Speaking from experience, culling the flock is not a very fun day.
The last hurdle to overcome would be the rooster. Make no mistake… These bastards want to kill you! They are extremely protective of their brood and will stop at nothing to bury their talons deep into your unsuspecting flesh. These are the realities of owning chickens that needed to be discussed. Good luck! Â
