Getting rid of chickens may be a bad idea… but I did it. You can’t have everything.

After almost three years of keeping chickens, I got rid of my flock.

I know, dear prepping friends, this smacks of heresy. And not only that… HYPOCRISY! After all, was I not the one that emphatically stated “you need chickens?” And was I not the clever innovator that developed a full chicken feeding plan?

Yes. It is true.

The problem is, my chickens were one too many straws on this camel’s back.

I write 12-14 articles and posts per week. I also produce and edit a national radio broadcast. Beyond that, I’m working at keeping up a plant nursery, a teaching schedule, a bunch of garden beds and two food forest projects. Traveling is also difficult when you’re keeping a flock… and I have to travel.

Something had to give. And give it did. After a string of raccoon attacks and a bad run of birds not laying eggs… and a look at how much feed was costing… I gave up. For now.

Part of the problem with keeping birds has been my limited acreage. I like to keep as much as possible on-site. Call it sustainable or call it cheap, I just don’t like having to bring in inputs.

Original artwork by Michael Bingham.

In a couple of years my food forest should be unstoppable. I’m also hoping to acquire more land at some point. When one or both of those events come to pass, it’ll be a lot easier to maintain a flock.

Until then, we’re buying eggs again. We also have relatives that live only 4 miles from us and they have a big flock.

One final thing I’ve realized from keeping animals of various sorts: I don’t really like animals. I’ve never had a dog, don’t like cats, find ducks and chickens irritating… and don’t get me started on goats.

I like people and I like plants. I get to spend more time with both now that the birds are gone.

But boy… I really miss those eggs. And the manure.

Though not the noise or the runaways.