Raising chickens for eggs and meat is one of the easier options for raising your own food. Today many areas allow hens in their backyard within a city limit. Meat birds today like Cornish Rocks are full-grown in a matter of weeks.
It doesn’t matter if you have 25 acres or a 1/2 acre; many of us love and want to know if raising chickens is worth it. So here are my favorite tips that you need to know when raising chickens for the first time.
Something pretty cool is happening. More and more cities are allowing backyard chickens. That means more people want to raise chickens to provide their own source of food.
Whether it’s eggs or meat, the truth is we are tired of seeing labels like “fresh” when it has traveled hundreds of miles. Fresh is walking to your backyard, grabbing a warm egg, and cooking it for breakfast.
Suppose your city allows you to have chickens. I highly recommend it. If you are here and you know this may be the only choice for you to raise your own food, but birds make you close your eyes in fear, let me share my story.
Two years ago, I was seriously scared of birds. When I was a kid 4 years old, my parents had parakeets that flew around the house. They landed on my head and freaked me out. That was it. One simple little moment carried on for 25 years.
Now I’m an almost crazy chicken lady. Almost, because who likes to be called crazy. But if I heard myself how I call my chickens and talk to them like my own kids, then yeah, crazy is somehow attached.
We have 36 chickens running around our homestead, pigs, ducks, dog, too many cats, and two kids. If I can do it, you can do it.
So here’s the thing. They are sweet. They are funny, and they can FEED YOU! So they are not just going to come attacking you. Unless they are babies and you have bright pink toenails.
The truth is when you can put aside your fear of birds for the fact of giving your family farm fresh eggs; there is no hesitation- it is all worth it.
Remember it’s taking one step towards your greater victory.
Be sure to check with your local city ordinances to see if backyard chickens are allowed in your area.
So if you want to raise chickens like a champ where your neighbors are coming to you for advice, here are a few of my key steps to follow.
How to Raise Chickens Like a Champ
Choose the Best Breed for Your Environment
Did you know some chickens will fly over a fence while others won’t think about it? Some chickens personality stops them from attempting such things as well. We started with six Rhode Island Reds.
We lived in a city, and I was determined to free-range them for at least 4-6 hours a day—one slight problem. We had less than an acre of land, and they tended to go two doors down to our neighbor’s back patio.
So I put them in my fenced-in vegetable garden. And guess what they did? All four would fly out and leave two behind.
You have to research the breed of chicken that will fit your lifestyle.
Are you planning on free-ranging?
Will they be free range for a few hours?
Will they be cooped up all day? Some of the best backyard breeds are Plymouth Rocks, New Hampshire Red, Black Australorp, & Golden Comet, to name a few.
Are you thinking about raising your own meat birds? Check out our post and video here on how to butcher your own chickens.
Purchase All Your Equipment & Have It Ready
You will need a chicken coop. There is no way around it. And this again needs to be based on the size of your yard and the number of chickens you are allowed to have. You only need a few essentials beyond the coop.
They are:
- Feeder,
- Waterer,
- Bedding,
- Nesting Boxes ( Many times can be built into the coop).
- Heating Lamp. and a heat light bulb ( Used only for chicks and freezing cold temperatures.)
Like any pet, the most money you spend is upfront. These are all one-time investments, except for bedding, as you will need to clean the coop weekly. Check out this post here to see FRUGAL items you already have for your chicken coop.
I haven’t noticed a difference between stainless steel feeders and the plastic ones we have. It truly depends on how many chickens. When we had just 6, we used a plastic feeder. When we had 30, we opted for the heavier gauge stainless feeders.
You can get as frugal as you want with chickens. As chicks, you can use an egg carton for food. You can use a mason jar and get the dispenser bottom. You can use many containers to create your own nesting box. For example, use a golf ball in the nesting box instead of buying a plastic egg at your feed store.
Related:
- 5 Frugal Ways to Keep Your Chickens Warm
- Should You Sell Eggs?
- Why We Choose to Pasture Raise our Chickens
Get Your Chickens as Chicks.
Yep. The best way to start your backyard chickens is to start with baby chicks. This will truly help you create a bond with them, and they are adorable. Chicks are a great first pet for kids too.
Plus, chickens can stop laying eggs as frequently after two years. So it’s best to grab them early. I would recommend purchasing chickens from a local breeder. If one is not available, your local feed store should have some as well in the spring.
Get Familiar with Your Chickens
I think it is important for your chickens to get to know you. Around here, it is clear that I am the ultimate leader in the pecking order. So I like for the chickens to know my voice.
I like that they don’t go running away from us when we are hanging outside. Chickens are pretty social, and it’s fun to strengthen that bond.
Don’t be discouraged if the first several months of your chicken’s life, you cannot pick them up or the fact some may still run away. It does take a bit of time but again, keep at it, and before long, they will be squatting down, ready for you to pick them up.
Train Your Chickens to Come When You Want Them To
This is key if you live in an area where your neighbors are closer than you’d like. For example, when we first got our chickens, we used a very long plastic pole to herd them over in our yard.
It worked for a while, but then I found something even better—a canister of dried oatmeal. I would shake that jar and then give them oatmeal every time they came. Every time I shook the can, I would call, “Here Chick Chicks.”
Now two years later, in a new house with only one neighbor, my girls occasionally head on over to the neighbor’s front yard, and all I have to do is call’ Here Chick Chicks,” and they come running over. I kid you not.
There will be a video of this coming soon. This is an ideal trait to have. They learn quickly. Any scratch or special treat will get them to come. Be consistent with the words you are using each time you want them to come to you.
You can watch my video of how I call the chickens, and they come to our side door here on Instagram.
Keep Your Nesting Boxes Clean
You can get away with letting the actual coop slide for a few days past but, the nesting boxes are a must to check daily. First, you don’t really want to reach your hand in your nesting box and grab it out with chicken poop all over it.
Depending on how your nesting boxes are set up, you may need to clean directly in front of them as well.
In one of our chicken coops, the nesting boxes are off to the side. If they are dirty in the chicken’s path to get in and lay her egg, she has a good chance of stepping on the eggs with her poop-filled feet. So keep an eye on those nesting boxes.
Need tips to get your hens to lay eggs longer? Read this.
There you have it. These are my key points when it comes to raising chickens like a champ. What have you learned along the way of raising chickens?
Do you have any other questions before you get started? Share below.
Lilia Caballero
Do the chickens have to be vaccinated?
Tasia
We do not vaccinate our chickens.
Linda
How do you decide how many chickens are right for you? Do chickens do better in odd or even number flocks?
Tasia
In New York State we are required to buy birds in quantities of six, so that was our first deciding factor. And we looked at how many eggs our family could consume in a weekly basis. I would look at the purpose of raising chickens and decide from there. How much will your family eat, how big of a space do you have? This is a great question and one I want to write up a blog post on.