If you’ve been thinking about raising chickens, then congratulations you’re in the right place. Chickens are great companions and give us back what we give them. I mean heck yeah! “I don’t have to buy eggs anymore”. I just feed them and call it good. I hate to burst the bubble but there’s a little more to raising healthy happy chic’s.
Having chickens is a world of fun but it comes with a list of responsibilities.
Finding ways to have happy chickens and not go over budget is a journey on its own. Not to mention chickens are like any other animal and it’s important to give them attention. We talk to our chickens and even sing good night birdie when we are closing up the coop at night.
Read on and I’d love to talk about some of the things that we have learned owning backyard chickens in the last few years!
Proper living arrangements for your Birdies.
Many places sell starter chicken coops or tiny coops for a low price. That being said you can build an inexpensive chicken coop for next to nothing if you are willing to put forth the effort. If you are interested in some of the chicken coops for sale then I will add a link to some of my favorite on the market. That being said here is my handy recommendation.
I first bought our chickens at a feed store locally. When I brought them home we kept them in a brooder until they were older enough to live in their coop outdoors. Since they were young and not in the coop yet it gave us the opportunity to build a coop for next to nothing. Literally taking a few pieces of extra plywood with some 2*4’s and we were set. I mean of course it took some nails and screws but it was all stuff just laying around. Check out our video on building an inexpensive coop that will give your new chic’s a happy place and save the pocket book.
The fact is that it doesn’t matter if you choose to buy an expensive chicken coop off of a website or build your own. The real factor is will it meet your backyard requirements and your chickens needs. Keep in mind that chickens need an the right amount of space per square foot in order to stay happy and lay plenty of eggs.
Feeding your Chics and giving them Treats.
Yes, it’s true that chickens will eat just about anything. They’re little dinosaurs. They love vegetables, fruits, grubs and even meat. Although they might eat anything you give them it’s a good idea to give them certain foods in moderation.
There are many different types of chicken feed available at the farm and feed store for chickens. A few common ones are chicken starter for baby chic’s, various types of grower pellets, laying pellets, mash, chicken scratch, fermented feed and more. Stores sell feed with shells as well to promote higher calcium for strong delicious eggs. Cracked corn is another must especially during the winter months to help keep them happy and warm.
We like to give our birdies treats every morning when they walk out of their coop. They come running and hopping along waiting for their morning snack. Our alternative to giving them shells is crushing up the eggshells we use and adding it in with all of our other veggie scraps. Sometimes we will give them a sliced-up banana with the peel and all. Sometimes we will slice up an apple. Any greens are great for them. They especially love corn, and we will cut a cob in half for every two chickens. On a rare occasion, we will give them a piece of meat, but we try not to do this that often. We are what we eat, and I want my eggs as healthy and tasty can be.
On occasions we will give them meal worms from the local farm and feed store. They’re a high protein favorite for our birdies. They also sell fun snack mixes with a mixture of grains, meal and grubs they will enjoy. I have heard about people being able to feed their chickens solo from food scraps, but I would always recommend having a backup just in case.
Keeping the coop clean will reinsure healthy happy chickens.
It’s important to keep your chickens coop clean and dry. Keeping your chickens bedding dry is important in order to keep pest away. It also will keep them warm and happy. Chickens produce a high amount of ammonia when they pee, so it is important to change their bedding as soon as it gets wet or smells. Although with enough bedding in your coop it can be turned a few times to cover up their poop before removing and adding new bedding.
There are a few different types of bedding most commonly used in chicken coops. Probably the most common is pine shavings. They can be picked up in almost any feed store or hardware store. This is the option that we generally use in our coop. Pine shavings are cheap and can absorb lots of moisture. They also tend to last a while before needing to change out your chickens bedding. Other options are cedar shavings which can be great for keeping pest away but can also cause respiratory problems to your birds. Other options are pine needles, shredded paper, shredded leaves, sand, straw, hay and even grass clippings. Some of these options are great for saving money but are not the best options for pest control or moisture control.
It’s all up to you on what type of bedding you choose for your chicken’s home. Just remember that each option comes with ups and downs. Another fun way to keep your chickens home healthy is to plant fresh herbs around their coop. Rosemary, thyme and lavender are just a few examples of some plants that can keep your chickens breathing well and the smell down in the coop.
Letting chickens free roam vs keeping them in a run.
There are tons of benefits to letting your chickens graze and roam the property. Although this isn’t a possibility for people that have smaller yards or live in the city it is a great way to have happy, healthy and strong chickens. They will also produce more eggs having the ability to graze and get their exercise. While letting them roam the yard is a great way to raise your chic’s it can come with a few problems. They will scratch up the yard, garden and even dig holes to take their dirt baths in. So if you plan on letting your baby’s loose in the yard then we definitely suggest having your garden either fenced or raised where they will not destroy it.
If you live in the city or in a smaller yard than keeping them in a run is the best option. A run is not a cage! It is big enough to let them go about their day and enjoy the sunshine. A good rule is to give each birdie ten square feet in the run. A run will also keep prey from prowling on your chic’s. I mean just thinking about an owl, hawk or even eagle coming down and snatching up one of our chickens would be devastating.
Raising hens and should you own a rooster.
Raising hens is a great way to have daily fresh eggs in your house. Hens will graze and generally get along with each other. Some people think that you need a rooster in order to get eggs. This is not true. Hens will pretty much lay an egg a day. We love our girls and choose not to own a rooster because we do not want the issue of noise and baby chic’s. We personally don’t like cracking an egg first thing in the morning and seeing a bloody baby bird.
Roosters on the other hand can be a great way of raising additional chickens. If you are raising chickens to eat, then having a rooster is a great idea. If you live in the city, it’s a good idea to look up the regulations before getting a backyard rooster. There may be noise ordinance regulations for owning a rooster. Rooster can also tend to be mean or on the aggressive side. Also, roosters will fight over their hens so it’s a good idea to keep it at a ten to one ratio.
Raising Baby chic’s.
If you are planning on raising chickens from a baby, then you will need to follow some additional guidelines. Chic’s can be picked up at farm and feed stores or from local farms. You will want to have a brooder to raise them for the first six weeks before introducing them to the outdoors. This can be a high sided container such as a plastic tote, a metal container or something to contain them in. You should have a heat lamp on them in order to keep them warm. They must stay at 95 degrees Fahrenheit the first week and drop to 90 degrees Fahrenheit the second week. The feed store will usually have all the right starter food and medicinal powder for their water. This will ensure they do not die of disease and get the nutrients they need. The feed store will make sure you get you bedding, waterer and feeder to ensure your new birdies will live a happy life.
Our conclusion to raising backyard chickens.
We love our girls and haven’t looked back since we started raising them. We have been raising chickens now for three years and have always had eggs in the house. We have had a few learning curves along the way. We fenced around are entire backyard to let our hens roam and moved the garden to another location. Our birds greet us at the back door waiting on their treats and have a silly personality. Our dog has learned to be respectful and be their protector.
On the downside if you do not want to have to care for an animal then maybe chickens aren’t for you. If you don’t have the time to take care of cleaning their coop, then they probably aren’t for you.
Realistically there are many more pros to owning backyard chickens and should be considered in everyone’s lives. Eating fresh eggs is more beneficial for us and doesn’t get bleach like store bought eggs. They are denser and packed with more nutrients than store bought eggs. You will save money on having eggs or chicken in your household.
What are some of your own chicken pros and cons?
We thank you for visiting us and hope to hear your thoughts and questions on raising backyard chickens.