How hard is it to raise some chickens in a portable shelter?  I'm amazed at the number of people stymied by something this simple.  And so it was a joy to receive yet another testimonial yesterday from a fellow who decided to take the reins of his destiny into his own hands.

He built a 56 square foot portable chicken shelter (I'm guessing it's 7 ft. X 8 ft., although he didn't say) and has 14 chickens in it.  Want to know the coolest part?  Total cost of materials:  $3.40.  Yes, you read that right.  The decimals are in the right place.

For less than one latte at Starbucks, this guy's in the pastured chicken business.  Kudos for his ingenuity and for refusing to be a victim of time, money, and lack of expertise.  You don't have to know everything to start.  We don't know much about anything when we start--talking, walking, pooping (where to put it).

Life's great adventure is starting.  Just start.  You can't Google experience, so just start.  For a little bit of time (what are you going to do with it anyway, watch TV?) and a cup of jo, you can be up and running with your own chicken enterprise.

Chickens are not real demanding.  They need some shelter, predator protection, something to eat and a bit of water.  They don't need laundry done or dishes washed or toilet paper.  Compared to kids, they're much simpler. 

The portable shelter offers ease of entry to poultry; housing does not have to be expensive or complicated.  Chickens will enjoy their $3.40 scavenged-together scrounge shelter just as much as a Taj Mahal coop complete with paint and toys.  Chickens really don't care what it looks like; all they care about is functional.

I'm sitting here typing this wearing my "I LOVE CHICKENS" t-shirt, so this is an appropriate posting for today.  They're fun, ultimately utilitarian--what else works happily all day eating garbage and giving one of life's most perfect foods, the egg? 

What's keeping you from building a $3.40, 56-square-foot portable chicken shelter?