Raising Chickens Is Clucking Fun!

Chickens are the most widely domesticated fowl in the world. There is no official number of how many households privately keep chickens, but in 2019, the US Department Of Agriculture (USDA) predicted that 13 million people were raising these birds in their backyards. The USDA knows that there are 233,000 poultry farms being regulated by them, earning 48 billion dollars a year. The National Chicken Council states each American consumes, on average, 94 pounds of chicken products every year. Because of COVID and the recent string of food insecurities we face regularly, more people are taking up this hobby than ever before. Here are some helpful tips to get you started.

The Laws

Before setting up your chicken coops, familiarize yourself with your community’s livestock rules and regulations. City Hall or the local zoning office will answer questions you may have on chicken ownership. The local agricultural zoning designation will be the way you make your birds community-friendly. This is the land management tool used to protect farming activity in your jurisdiction. A lot of towns and cities have laws on how many of which types of chicken you can even own, with some requiring you to get a permit or license first. So going here is your first stop at pursuing this activity.

What Type Of Bird do You Want?

Chickens come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. From Malay chickens (the tallest known breed) to the Serma (smallest known breed), knowing the breed you want helps you decide how much land and how many coops you are getting. If getting them for their eggs, consider the White Leghorn Hybrids (white eggs), the Rhode Island Reds (brown eggs), or the Ameraucanas (blue eggs). For meat, the Cornish Cross chickens are your best pick. For both, go for the Plymouth Barred Rocks (brown eggs) type. Exotic breeds, like the Cochins, are great for shows or for keeping as pets.

Building the Coop

Now that you know how big the chickens you want are and how many you are getting, it’s time to build the coop and pen for them. One medium size chicken needs 3 square feet of indoor and 8-10 square feet of outdoor space. Chickens need to stretch their wings and play with ease, so the more space they have, the happier they will be. Overcrowding them could lead to diseases and stress that will cause their feathers to be plucked out. Chickens also have many natural predators, so you’ll need to set up a sturdy fence made of chicken wire to protect them. You can buy all the supplies you need at a farming supply store or a hardware store and can cost $300 on the low end.

The Other Supplies

Chickens are going to need more than just a coop to thrive. Nesting boxes allow your hens to feel secure while laying eggs. They recommend you to get one for every three hens in your flock. If you plan on starting with chicks, you’ll need a brooder box to grow them into adulthood. Chicks crave warmth, so get them a heat lamp or an electric hen heat plate to provide it for them. If the brooder box you purchased is plastic, line the bottom with paper towels, so the chicks can grip it better to prevent slipping accidents. Bedding such as pine shavings and straw help provide an extra layer of warmth from those colder temperatures.

Getting Your Chickens

Now that you have a nice, code-compliant coop with a pen for them to frolic in, it’s time to head to the hatchery to pick up your chickens. Hatcheries are professional chicken breeding companies. You can find them online through a Google search or you can ask local chicken farmers for recommendations. Some may even offer you their extras for a cheaper fee than you would get there. When you arrive, you’ll be given the option of three types of chickens; hatching eggs, chicks, and pullets (adult) birds. If going the egg route, make sure you have an incubator set up and someone to rotate the eggs 4-5 times a day. Chicks will be your safest and cheapest route for a beginner. Pullets will cost you more, especially if a hen is in her prime years.

Feeding Them

Chickens need to be fed and given fresh water every day. Giving chickens the correct food will turn them into egg-laying machines, but feeding them the wrong type can lead to bullying and weight loss. Chicks will require a different type of feed than what you will give pullets to help them grow into adults better. Laying hens requires a steady source of calcium in their diets. The calcium helps them with healthy bone development and produces strong egg shells. An excellent source of this will be crushed-up oyster shells. Grit is essential for all chickens as this helps them digest their food better. They can find naturally it as dirt, or artificially by mixing their food with crushed limestone.

Cleaning Up

Cleaning is not the best part of owning chickens, but it still needs to be done regularly. Chickens are filthy animals that need daily care like any other pets. Every day, top off the material in the nesting boxes and make sure the food and water sources are clean, accessible, and full. Every week you should rake everything out of the coop and lay down fresh bedding. Once a month you should give the coop and pen a thorough deep clean with power washing and a diluted bleach solution, scrubbing every square inch of space inside and out. When everything is thoroughly scrubbed and dried, lay down fresh bedding in both the coop and nesting boxes.