Are you ready for backyard chickens?
Raising chickens is serious business. They can live as long as dogs or cats and are more dependent on you for protection. Answer these 20 questions, get a score and see whether you may be a good candidate for backyard hens.
1) Have you or someone in your household ever raised chickens before?
a. Yes, as an adult
b. Yes, as a child we had chickens
c. No, never had chickens before
2) Is your backyard fenced?
a. Yes, all fenced in
b. Partly fenced in
c. No, the backyard is not fenced
3) Do you have children at home?
a. No, no children (or adult children)
b. Yes, they are over 4
c. Yes, some are under 4
4) How often is someone in your household home around sunset?
a. Virtually all of the time
b. 80-90% of the time
c. Less than 80% of the time
5) Have you (or someone in your household) taken a “CHICKEN 101” or comparable workshop/course recently?
a. Yes.
b. No, I’ve kept chickens previously.
c. No.
6) Do you have friends or neighbors that currently have chickens?
a. Yes, good friends and/or close neighbors
b. Yes, sort of
c. No
7) How much are budgeting for a coop?
a. $300 or more
b. Whoa, maybe half that
c. Will build from materials we already have
8) Is someone in your household a “morning person”?
a. Yes
b. Could be, if needed
c. No
9) Are you persistent about solving problems?
a. Yes
b. Usually
c. No
10) Would you hear a predator in the coop and, if so, are you likely to wake up, and go investigate if you hear a disturbance in the coop?
a. Absolutely
b. Probably
c. No, sound sleeper or wouldn’t hear or get up
11) How often do you see neighbor’s dogs or cats in your yard?
a. Rarely
b. Sometimes
c. Frequently
12) How often does your household travel out of town?
a. Less than two weeks a year
b. Two weeks to one month
c. More than one month
13) Would you feel comfortable live trapping animals that are harassing your hens and paying Animal Services $20 per animal to take them away?
a. Absolutely
b. Probably
c. No, I couldn’t do that.
14) Will you be comfortable cleaning the coop on a regular basis?
a. Yes
b. Probably
c. Not sure
15) Do you eat a lot of eggs?
a. Yes.
b. Moderate amount
c. No, we’re not big egg eaters
16) How many books do you have about raising backyard chickens?
a. Three or more
b. One or two
c. None
17) Are you a member of any online backyard chicken groups?
a. Yes, and I check in.
b. Yes, but seldom visit
c. No
18) Are you aware of the legal constraints on keeping chickens in your locale?
a. Yes, have a copy.
b. Generally aware
c. No
19) Can you describe the common public health risks associated with chickens and how to minimize those risks?
a.Yes
b. Generally
c. No
20) Are you or anyone in your household a member of a local group that meets in person and deals with chicken issues (4-H, Sarasota CLUCK, etc)
a. Yes, and we attend
b. Yes, seldom attend
c. No
Give yourself 5 points for every A answer, 3 for every B and 1 for every C answer.
90 and above—You can be a valued resource for others considering chickens
80 – 90 —You are a good candidate for backyard chickens
70-80 With a little more effort you can probably be a good candidate for backyard chickens
60-70 There may be some sound reasons you shouldn’t have chickens.
20- 60 – You’re not currently a good match for backyard chickens.
