Keeping Chickens The Redneck Way – Pros & Cons

Keeping Chickens the Redneck Way – Pros & Cons

For an Introduction to Keeping Chickens the Red Neck Way go Here.

There are several great ways to raise chickens.  We have kept our chickens fenced in, we have kept our chickens in our garden, and we have kept our chickens free-range.  We have decided the red-neck way is the best way for us.  It’s not for everyone.  There are benefits and drawbacks to this method of keeping chickens.

Here’s a look at the pros & cons so you can decide if this is the way for you! 

Keeping Chickens The Redneck Way – PROS:

1. No muddy, smelly area that the chickens have destroyed.  If  the chickens are not confined, there will not be an area of ground that has been transformed into a pig pen (by chickens).
2. Yard Art.  It is beautiful to see chickens wandering the yard and fields.
3. They will scratch and spread around all of your cow manure (or any other type of manure) so you don’t have to muck the pastures.
4. They will eat the ticks.
5. Your chickens happily come running to you whenever you call them.
6. The eggs from a free-range hen is healthier for you.
7. They aren’t as likely to eat each others poop.
8. A free-range chicken will always eat the perfect diet.  Left to chose their own food, they will always eat the right amount of protein, carbs, and vegetation.  You don’t need to stress over nutrition.  In addition to whatever they find on the farm our chickens also enjoy: minerals, compost, kitchen scraps and the occasional serving of locally made chicken feed.
9. It is less expensive because they will forage for the majority of their food (except in frozen winter months).
10. Less risk of disease & parasites.
11. Happy chickens.

Keeping Chickens the Redneck Way – CONS:

1. With no fences keeping your chickens in, there are no fences keeping predators out.  We have to take measures to keep our flock safe without fencing.
2. The chickens can go anywhere.  This includes your driveway and your garage.   Our chickens think the garage is the promised land, flowing with concrete and cat food.  Ugh.  To read about why I want to shoot my free range chickens go here.

Even considering the challenges with free-rangin’ we wouldn’t change it.  It has been a real blessing to keep our chickens this way.  Everyone’s situation and chickens are different.   The redneck way isn’t for everyone.  We think it is an easy & fun way to keep chickens.

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Thanks for reading!

Candi