More and more people are raising backyard chickens. But why? Why are homeowners choosing to accept more responsibility in their lives? Here is a “Raising Backyard Chickens guide” to help you understand!
First of all, what does the dream backyard chicken coop look like?
Take a look at this new coop and all the included features in this video!
There are many benefits to this trend; some of these benefits include the fact that chickens are a sustainable source of meat and eggs. And if you really want to go all out and get the most out of your chickens, you can even use manure from your chickens to fertilize your garden! The only complicated part of raising backyard chickens is the initial setup.
By getting involved in the care and feeding of chickens, you can learn more about sustainable living and get the never-ending benefits. Whether you’re looking for a way to reduce your carbon footprint or simply want organic eggs and meat, raising backyard chickens is a great option.
If you are interested in hearing from our customers about their backyard chicken-raising experience, check out our customer stories, and hear from Amy on her backyard chicken coop with run.
What Chicken Breed Should I Have For Backyard Chickens?
When choosing a chicken breed, there are several factors to consider. First, think about what you want your chickens to be used for. Are you looking for a breed that will provide you with tasty eggs? Or do you want a chicken that will be good for meat production? There are many different breeds of chickens, each with its unique characteristics.
There are exotic chicken breeds that will add some color to your flock and breeds that have a high egg production.
If you’re not sure what you’re looking for, don’t worry! We have lots of blogs about chicken breeds that you can look through to determine what you want. Click here to see the best chicken breeds for the aspiring chicken farmer.
Once you’ve decided on a few potential breeds, it’s time to do some research. Read up on the different breeds and compare their appearance, temperament, and egg-laying ability. This will help you narrow down your choices and choose the best chicken breed for your situation.
Acquiring Chickens For Your Backyard
So you’ve decided on the breed of chickens you want to raise. Great! But what now? Where can you find them?
Some of your best options would be a hatchery, chicken breeders, or a farm supply store.
Before running out and buying the first hen you see, the first thing you should decide is “What stage of life will my chickens be in?”
Chicks will be cheaper but require more care and maintenance until they are adults. The return will be later down the road rather than instant. Adult hens will be more expensive but will start laying chickens as soon as they are comfortable with their new home. If you’re looking for instant results, and have the budget to spend, acquiring adult hens will be the best move for you.
A chick or an adult hen are the simplest options for purchasing your chickens. There are 2 other kinds of chicken you could also invest in.
The first is a pullet. A pullet is a young female chicken that hasn’t started laying eggs yet but will soon. Think of them like teenage chickens. These will cost more than chicks but less than hens.
The other option you have is to rescue hens. These chickens are usually adult hens but have experienced some sort of trauma from a previous owner. They tend to be cheaper than adult hens and pullets but more expensive than chicks. These chickens can experience problems later down the road that regular adult hens won’t; take that as a discretion.
How Many Chickens Do I Need For A Backyard Farm?
This is a pretty easy question to answer. You first need to decide what you will use your birds for. If you simply just want some fresh eggs in the morning, you only need 4-6 hens.
Think about how many eggs you consume every week. One adult female chicken will lay four to five eggs a week.
So that means 4-6 chickens will get you around 16 eggs a week.
What Should I Look Out For When Purchasing My Chickens?
When you go out to your local hatchery or farm to pick out your chickens, here are some of the things that you should be looking for to make sure you get the healthiest and most efficient hens.
- The most important thing to look for is bright and clear eyes. The chickens you look at should exhibit signs of curiosity about you and their environment in general.
- The bird’s feathers or fluff should look clean and be well-maintained with good coloring. Don’t get signs of molting confused with an unhealthy chicken. Molting is a way that chickens get rid of old feathers to make room for new ones. This is completely normal and should not be used as a gauge for healthy chickens. To learn more about chicken molting, you can check out this blog to learn more about it.
- Other health issues that you should look for are nasal or eye discharges
Raising Backyard Chickens Guide To Chicken Shelter Requirements
If you’re going to commit to raising chickens in your backyard. It is recommended that you invest in a chicken coop. The benefits that a chicken coop provides for your chickens are clear.
Chicken coops provide safety, comfort, and warmth for your chickens so they can be efficient in their egg-laying. They also promote a healthy lifestyle for your chickens which will set them up for success.
It is recommended that you get a chicken coop that will provide a minimum of 2-3 square feet of space and up to 10 feet per bird outside. Otherwise, overcrowding will set in which causes stress, pecking, and sickness.
With proper maintenance of your barn-style chicken coop, or whatever coop you have, you won’t have to worry about predators or unmanaged chickens.
Hand-crafted Amish Chicken Coops
Hen House Collection has been hand-crafting high-quality, durable Amish chicken coops for over a decade. With a wide range of standard features and the highest-quality materials, wooden chicken coops from The Hen House Collection are unmatched.
Our chicken coops provide basic sheltering requirements to get your chickens out of the blistering sun and the blowing snow. They also provide more than the adequate amount of space needed, and the size of your chicken coop is chosen by you! Get a chicken coop and run that is temperature-controlled with vents and windows. Other standard features that our chicken coops have are nesting boxes and roosts.
So if you’re ready to start your backyard chicken farm journey, explore your options. Make sure you have your backyard ready and prepared before purchasing your chickens. To see our inventory, click here. If you want to find a dealer nearby to get a visual aid, you can find them here. We can’t wait to see you!