How to Raise Chickens

Learning how to raise chickens in your own backyard will give you a small measure of self-sufficiency and likely a great deal of enjoyment.

Chickens
Chicken coop
Fenced-in chicken run
Feed
Water
Straw

Prepare a chicken coop and run for your flock. The main task in successful chicken raising is to keep your birds safe from predators and protected from the elements, especially winter cold. The coop or nesting house should allow about 2-4 square feet per bird, with roosting slats and nesting boxes for the laying hens. The chicken yard should be fenced in with chicken wire and of sufficient size to allow the birds area to scratch around, eat grass and the like.

Obtain your chickens. You may choose to start with chicks, which will need extra care in the beginning and a warm place to live for about a month before being transferred t the coop. Chicks are the cheapest way to go, and you can buy them online in your desired quantity. Pullets (young females) and cockerals (young males) shorten your waiting period for eggs or meat and don't require the attention chicks need in the beginning.

Introduce your chickens to their new coop and run area. You may need to show them the food and water several times the first day, especially if the birds are young and the chicken yard is large.

Feed and water your flock daily, ensuring that there is plentiful water and it's not frozen in the winter or evaporated in the summer.

Collect eggs daily, if intended for an incubator or your fridge. Avoid leaving them in the chicken's nesting box or yard for more than a day as chickens may go broody and sit on the eggs instead of laying more.

Learning how to raise chickens is a good way to produce some of your own food and enjoy a money-saving pet. Learn more: read about egg laying chickens and raising chickens.