Spring is the time of year tiny baby chicks appear in advertisements, store windows and backyards looking as cute as the feather fluffballs they are. That lasts about 2 weeks, and then suddenly you have an actual chicken. For everyone out there who has been thinking about getting backyard chickens, this is what's involved in taking care of them.
Spring, specifically Easter, is the time that everyone who has ever thought about getting chickens thinks about it ... again. It's exactly when I got my chickens 11 years ago. They were an Easter present. And I did not know a single thing about chickens other than the fact that I'd always wanted them.
I've had several different small flocks of chickens since my first bunch. I started off with what were the chicken equivalent of mutts with some Rhode Island Red, Ameraucana and possibly a bit of actual dog in them. Cuddles was known for coming when I called her and jumping up in my lap. In fact, if you aren't familiar with Cuddles or keeping chickens, you should really read this post about her first.
I'm down to 2 chickens right now; my Black Copper Marans Josephine, and my Blue Copper Marans Mabel. Both are geriatric at the age of 8 and I'm going to let them live out their lives before I get a new flock and start from scratch again.
If you want chickens or just GOT chickens, you probably have some of the same questions I did over a decade ago.
Table of Contents
Keeping Chickens: What You Need to Know
Taking care of chickens is similar to taking care of your pet dog or cat. You have to feed them the right food, watch for any health issues and clean up their poop. If you're already rolling your eyes I suggest you stick with PEEPS.
What do they eat?
Chickens eat chicken feed. You'll be able to buy it at a local farm store. Yes. You probably really do have a local farm store. The feed costs around $15 for a bag of regular feed or $22 for organic feed. A 24kg bag will feed 4 chickens for around a month.
You can stretch that feed by fermenting it. Fermenting chicken feed is no big deal, it's just adding water to it and allowing it to sit a few days until it ferments. I have a whole post on doing it here. The result is full of good bacteria and nutrition that's more easily absorbed due to all kinds of very sciency stuff. It'll make sense if you read the post.
Chickens will also eat good food scraps from salads, vegetable peelings, fruit, nuts, leftover mashed potatoes and on and on. They're carnivores so they'll also dive right into meat. It's why they love to hunt bugs and mice. Yes. Chickens are excellent mousers.
Can I get just one chicken to see if I like it?
No. Chickens are very social creatures and one chicken would be painfully lonely. Starting with 2 chickens is even a bad idea in case one of them dies. Plan to start with 3 or 4 chickens for a happy, happy flock.
How soon before I get eggs from my chickens?
You'll be waiting a long time to get one from your rooster, but young hens (pullets) will start to lay when they're 4-6 months old depending on the breed. If you want eggs immediately then buy 4-6 month old pullets instead of cute little chicks. The disadvantage to this is you haven't hand raised them so they might not be as friendly and cuddly as one you've raised from day one.
How long do they lay eggs?
The older a chicken gets, the fewer eggs it will lay per year.
Chickens are born with a certain number of egg yolks in them ready to be turned into full fledged eggs. For the first year they lay almost every day (depending on the breed because some breeds lay a lot more.) By the third year of laying a chicken will lay less.
Older chickens will lay quite regularly in the spring and then drop in egg production during the rest of the year.
By the time she was 8, Cheez Whiz only laid a couple of eggs a month at the most. My current 7 year old chickens are each laying an egg every other day but that's unusual and will likely slow down to a few a month once spring is over.
Do I need a rooster for my hens to lay eggs?
Nope. Hens are like ladies. They walk around with hundreds of eggs inside of them all the time regardless of whether there's a man around. The rooster only fertilizes the egg so the hen can have chicks. No rooster = no fertilized eggs = no chicks.
Where do you buy chicks?
You can actually buy chicks (usually 1-2 days old), pullets (young hens that are at or close to laying age), or ready-to-lay hens (they've already laid their first egg). There are advantages to all of the options, but for now I'm talking about chicks.
A lot of towns have farm animal auctions. Also, if you live anywhere near a farm, chances are they have chicks, chickens or fertilized eggs for sale. Google it. Craigslist it. Kijiji it.
You can also mail order day old chicks from hatcheries. This is one of the easiest and most popular ways to get chicks but you won't be getting show quality chickens. You know the pretty pictures of chickens you see of certain breeds on Pinterest? Hatcheries generally don't provide that type of representation of the breed.
But if you just want eggs you might not care. Keep in mind if you order from a hatchery there's always going to be a minimum order of many chicks. They need to travel in groups to keep each other warm during shipping.
For show quality chickens that are perfect examples of their breeds, you should get your chicks from a chicken farmer who shows their chickens or whose hobby is breeding for perfection.
How can I tell if a chick is a boy or girl?
That's a tricky one. Some chicks you can tell immediately because they're what's described as autosexing. That means they're an obviously visible characteristic that lets you know immediately if it's a boy or a girl. A boy chick might have a dot on its head and a girl chick a stripe on its back for example (as with the case with Cream Crested Legbars.) You can read this post here on how I sex my chicks.
Where do the chickens live in the winter?
Jamaica. Or Florida maybe depending on flight prices.
Mainly though they just live in the very same coop they live in the rest of the year. Taking care of chickens in the winter isn't very different than caring for them in the summer. Chickens are covered in feathers just like other birds that live outside all year are. They're very good at keeping warm but not nearly as good at cooling down.
So if you're worried about the weather taking a toll on your chickens, you should be more worried about the heat than the cold. It's also more important to keep a coop dry than it is to keep it warm. Dampness can kill a chicken and create respiratory illnesses.
How do you keep a coop dry? Make sure you clean out the poop and make sure your coop has a lot of open venting. Yes. Even in the middle of winter the coop should have open venting for moisture to escape.
Chickens also don't like to get drafts so make sure the coop venting is well above where they roost at night. Bottom line, look into what breeds will do the best in whatever weather you have. Some breeds are better with the heat and some are better with the cold.
This post explains exactly how I winterize my chicken coop for my cold Canadian winters.
What if you're not home to put them in the coop at night? Won't predators eat them? Yes. Yes they will. But there's an easy (and frankly life changing) solution to that. Installing an automatic coop door the way I show you to in this post will save you ALL kinds of worry.
How often do you need to clean the coop?
I clean the inside of their coop where they sleep twice a week and for the rest of my coop and chicken run I use the deep litter method. This is where you leave all the poop, give it a rake once a week and add more bedding on top. I clean out the entire thing 3 or 4 times a year, transferring everything to my compost bin and then starting over in the run with a new 5" layer or straw or pine shavings.
What to do with chicken poop
Chicken poop and bedding can go straight into a compost pile or bin. Sometimes I just mound it up and lay a tarp over it. The poop and straw is a perfect combination of materials for making fast and hot compost. I do hot composting which produces fully ready compost in one month. You can read about how to hot compost here.
Do chickens stink?
Sometimes. But mainly no, especially if you just have a small backyard flock and not a ginormous chicken barn. No worse than dogs or kids. And if you do what I say regarding coop maintenance then neither you nor your neighbours will ever smell your chicken coop.
Are they loud?
They can be but normally not for long periods of time. When they lay an egg chickens will sometimes squawk around for a while and it can get LOUD for a few minutes. Chickens squawk after laying as a way to divert the attention of any predators that might be around - not because it hurts. Sometimes they'll get upset at each other or something they perceive as danger and will get loud but other than that they're quiet. Mainly chickens just make cooing sounds no louder than a cat purring.
Can they get sick?
Oh boy. Yes, they can. Chickens get a variety of ailments. Some I've experienced with my flocks and some I haven't. Common problems with chickens are Bumblefoot, prolapsed vents, respiratory problems and mites. Personally my flock has experienced Egg Yolk Peritonitis, Fly Strike, general bloody wounds, mites infestations and sour crop. If you're serious about getting chickens read this post about The Life and Death of Cuddles. Yes. This is chicken husbandry.
What else do I need to know?
Chickens aren't an accessory. If you never even thought about having chickens before the great chicken rage of the past decade they might not be for you. Or they might! You have to give it careful consideration and know that they're living creatures that you're committing to taking care of. Take these next few things into consideration ...
A Case Against Owning Backyard Chickens
If more than a couple of these things bother you, you might not like keeping chickens.
- If you go on vacation you'll need a chicken sitter.
- You'll need to feed, make sure their water is clean, and give them a quick health check every day.
- You will touch chicken poop.
- You will need to build or buy a coop to keep them save from predators and the elements.
- Even with a coop much of your time will be spent worrying about predators.
- You will become addicted to chickens. You will want more and more chickens.
- You'll discover some chickens are cuddly and want to sit on your lap all day while you pet them.
- You'll discover some chickens want nothing to do with you and may even bite.
- Eventually they will die and it will be very, very sad.
You now know a tiny bit about what it's like to own backyard chickens. Give it the thought it deserves. Now if you'll excuse me I have a couple of geriatric hen eggs to gather and poopy shoes to clean.
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Natalie
Great post!
Nancy Blue Moon
You have come a long way in 2 years Karen..From "I have baby chicks..What do I do?" to giving great advice to people on raising chickens.."Chickens aren't an accessory" is so true..neither are cats, dogs or any other living creature..Their lives depend on how you treat them and take care of them..THEY HAVE REAL FEELINGS..And if anyone thinks that chickens don't have feelings..they need to watch the video of Cuddles running to greet you and jumping up on your lap to be hugged and petted..All animals should be treated with respect equally..Not just the human ones who tend to think they are more important than the rest..OK..Dr Dolittle is done now..
Brittanie
This was very straight forward and useful, thanks! I hope to eventually get some chickens once we have enough money to get our own house with some land... I'm sure there's a ton of things I'll need to learn but this is a good start.
Janet
Frey's Hatchery in St. Jacob's is also a great place to get chickens, especially if you like a variety. There are many colours and kinds to choose from. We especially like the speckled and dark coloured ones. You'll have to ask Karen the names of them. I call them "the brown ones, the white ones, the speckled ones, and the dark ones."
Kat
Good stuff Karen and thanks for sharing this one!
Claire at Plant & Plate
Thank you for all the info! I admit, my main reason for wanting chickens is that I feel guilty wasting all the nutritious slugs and snails and grubs and bug-egg-encrusted greens that I pull out of the garden but I'm unwilling to eat them myself.
Katie King
You don't need a whole lot of space--we have a regular city lot and very happy chickens. They used to be even happier: we used to let them out of their coop and roam the backyard...until I realized that not only do they poo copiously EVERYWHERE, but what they weren't eating of my plants they were digging up with their scratching. My poor garden! So...they stay in their 8x10 coop half the time and can run around in a fenced off part of the yard otherwise (they're happiest when they can roam a bit). They're great grass-clearers/mowers!
Stephanie
I had the same problem. They were so fun to watch, but I couldn't go barefoot in the backyard and all my lovely groundcover plants in the garden were destroyed. I actually watched one of my girls go along the line of newly planted lobelias and yank each one up and toss it over her shoulder. So this summer they will be confined to a run. I miss seeing them come running around the side of the house when I get home.
Angie S
Thank you for this Karen! Our community is working out chicken laws right now, and we hope it's in favor of having them in city limits.
We are already owned by an African Grey parrot(Timneh), and think birds are fascinating!
Amy
What kind of feeder do you use?
We made one out of a plastic bucket and put a plastic saucer (like what you would put under a plant) for them to feed from. It sits about beak height for them.
The problem is so much of the food gets knocked onto the ground and it stinks terribly when it gets wet. We live in Houston, Texas where it is very warm and humid. The flies also love it. ick!!! Do you have any suggestions?!
Shauna
We use the same feeder for our chickens. Put the feeder on bricks to get it a little higher. we put the water bucket on the opposite side of the coop so they don't get water in the food. we also put food grade diatomaceous earth in the food which helps to keep away the flies. Finally, especially in a hot place like Texas, you might want to check out Fly Predators (it's online ordering and you get 6 months worth mailed every month), they really keep away the flies in the backyard and they are alive - so totally organic, no pesticide, etc. You'll just want them up high or the chickens might eat them;)
Susan
I have 15-25 hens at any given time in my city back yard and I highly, highly recommend Fly Predators!! I've used them for the last two years and the difference has been amazing - almost zero flies the entire year!! I followed the company's recommended numbers and timing the first year, but since I didn't order them until well into April, I did have flies for a while. Last year I modified my order (easy to do) to start getting them sooner, I had no flies at all! What a relief!!
Jen
Holy shit! 15-25 hens in your CITY backyard? Where do you live because I want to move there.
maude
I wish I had the space to keep chickens as I've always thought they were so cute. Plus the idea of having fresh eggs is nice too:)
Maude
jackie
How long do they live Karen?
It's illegal in Calgary too, but there's known chicken keepers in my liberal 'hood. The trick is getting enough buy-in to have them sit when needed, but not enough that someone rats you out, cuz then the chickens get put down and that's sad.
Mary Kay
Thank you Karen - now to convince the family that chickens would be a wonderful to own.
Trish
Thanks Karen! That's excellent advice. We've been sitting on the fence for a while now, and after reading your post, well, we are still sitting on the fence, but with way more information.
Mary Werner
The most important thing I learned (the hard way) from raising chickens - they moult and won't lay periodically. Remember this so you don't decide it is time for the freezer and whack them then find TONS of unshelled eggs inside almost ready to begin laying again. I was an axe murderer and never got over it - 25 years later, I still won't have more chickens even though they are the most relaxing and wonderful animal on the farm. Rodney the rooster - not so sad. He chased us every time we came near the coop and would really cut into us with his sharp tallons! When I finally whacked him, found a 4" splinter embedded in his thigh so I forgave him for his meaness, but was glad we were safe to go outside again! Rhode Island Reds do great in Florida also - love that breed!
Kat
OMG! I also would have carried that guilt to the grave!!!
Laura Brown
Talk about guilt. We had chickens when I was a kid. Mom's bf came home and thought our young dog had killed a bunch of them. He dug a hole, shot the dog and went to get the hens to put them in the hole too, only to find them walking around the barn. They had only fainted.
meg
hahah omg the drama from all these chicken stories!!!!
Mary W
That is so sad - life on the farm sure prepares you for dealing with real life. Or it hardens you for not dealing with it. LOL
Gigi
You forgot one of the best parts---fresh, orange yolked eggs! Have you heard feeding them marigolds deepen their color?
Feral Turtle
Great post Karen! One other thing that I feel the need to mention is with new chicks, you should round the corners of their enclosure. They will go into a corner and huddle and the inside ones will get smothered. Probably not a concern with 4 chicks but I used to buy 25 at a time, and lost four. Was a sad day. :( I remedied this with 1/8 inch plywood (scrap paneling.) It would mold nicely into the corners to create a curve. You can also use cardboard.
Ann
Karen,
Very very well written. After having chickens for 3 years now, I think you touched on every single important issue that someone would need to know.
I love my chickens. And am quite addicted to trying out different breeds. I got Wyandottes the first year. Welsummers and Easter Eggers the 2nd. Now I am adding Copper Marans, Brown Leghorns, White Jersey Giants and another Easter Egger. If all works out I am also going to add a few Basque hens.
But in a few weeks my first ducklings arrive. Now that is going to be a an all new kinda fun!!
Toronto Boy
Interesting! Very interesting! I still have a few questions!
How big do you estimate one's backyard should be to house a flock of chickens?
How many eggs does each hen lay on average?
Do chickens preen themselves to keep clean or do they bathe in a shallow tub of water?
If I ever do decide to own a few hens, I know that my ultimate foe, a neighbourhood racoon who crosses paths with me every night, will be licking his chops day one! Have you encountered such an issue since obtaining your hens? And if so, how did you handle it?
Shauna
Toronto Boy,
1) You'll read a lot of different stuff about how much square feet each chicken needs. Go by that for general coop & run build. If you have even a small backyard and are willing to let your chickens free range, that will be plenty;
2) one per 24 hour period when they're in laying season. during molt, they won't lay at all. that happens usually once per year.
3)they bathe in dirt actually. you'll want to give them a nice patch or bucket of dirt to bathe in. the dirt is sharp and get the mites, etc. off. they will preen a bit too. add food grade diotamaceous earth to the dirt and it will help keep all the mites and critters off of them as well.
4)the raccoon is the scariest chicken predator in my opinion. they are smart and wily. you will want to make sure your coop is super duper secure - latches that a racoon can't figure out how to open; build the coop with small hardware wire, not chicken wire (the raccoon can reach in); build a barrier into the bottom edge of the coop with hardware wire and then lay bricks and stone on top so critters and raccoons can't dig their way into the coop. Your chickens will go to their coop/roost every night at sundown (they are practically blind in the dark), so you'll need to make sure they're locked up tight before it gets dark when most raccoons come out. If you think your raccoon comes out in the day, you may just want to build a big enough coop for them to live in all day and not have them free range.
Toronto Boy
Thanks for taking the time to reply to my questions Shauna! Your thorough answers have given me something to think about. I believe I have enough space in my backyard to house a number of hens. I jsut have to wrap my head around the idea that the hens will be able to handle the Canadian winters (with a heat lamp of course)! I know I've read and been told countless times that the birds will be fine but I know that I would initially feel bad about keeping them out in the frigid temperatures while I sat at home with my thermostat set at a comfortable 21 degrees! Thanks for providing a detailed response especially with respect to handling the banded scoundrels! Cheers!
Karen
Toronto Boy - My chickens are honestly much, much happier in the cold. The heat nearly kills them. The cold they like. I know what you mean. I felt guilty too. But after a year or two I realized the chickens weren't bothered by the cold ... only I was. :) ~ karen
John Marian
Raccoons are a pain for sure, but are nothing compared to a weasel, should you be so unfortunate as to have one of these relatively rare critters home in on your birds, as I was. It takes one-inch mesh to stop them, along with the other measures you mention.
In my rather long experience two chickens show no sign of social or psychological deprivation, decline or of pecking disorders. The latter arise with three or more, though they usually get that quickly straightened out. They seem to relate to humans a little better too when not having to deal with flock dynamics. Hmm.....what species does that remind you of.
Determine your daily average egg requirements and size your 'flock' accordingly.
Adding a drake (if you don't want more eggs) helps keep slugs at bay.
Kipley Herr
I've had chickens for about 4 years now, they are hilarious yard ornaments. first batch were 3 Barred Rock... - done in by a dog. Second batch - 3Americaunas... or Easter Eggers. My county doesn't allow chickens, but will probably turn the corner soon. Inside the city limits a few feet away they have just today passed the ordinance to allow up to 4 hens. 1.5 year battle. the thing is, not much will change. No one knows that we have chickens unless we tell them...
Also, they are fairly low maintenance.
Jen
I too am a chicken criminal. It makes me mental that my city doesn't allow them when they allow people to have all manner of dogs and children running rampant.
Amanda
My chickens and my children make me laugh everyday. And we can hardly eat enough eggs to keep up! It's a good thing toddlers don't care if they eat scrambled eggs everyday ... And prefer it!