In 2019 we decided to work towards starting a homestead.
We live in a remote part of the city and have a relatively large backyard.
Raising chickens was on the top of our list of goals for 2020.
Our first year of chicken tending
I am still very new to raising chickens and still have so much to learn and experience.
However, I have learned a lot and would like to share what I have learned so far.
There are so many misunderstandings when it comes to raising chickens.
I hope to clarify some of them.
Making the Decision
There are many things to consider and prepare for, once you have made the decision to raise chickens.
First, you will want to research the laws and restrictions in your area.
If you live within city limits there may be some restrictions on how many chickens, you can own and whether or not roosters are allowed.
Chicken Housing
Second, you will need to decide what type of housing will work best for your property and chicken raising goals.
Keeping your chickens safe from predators is one of the most important factors to consider.
As well as providing them shelter from the elements especially during extreme weather conditions.
The housing choice for chickens is an important decision.
If you have enough space and it is permitted in your area you may want to allow your chickens to free-range throughout the day.
Unfortunately, where I live free ranging is not an option due to the openness of our property and an abundance of hawks and other predators in the area.
We have a coop along with a run where the chickens are confined but they have plenty of space.
Whether you will be free-ranging or confining your chickens to a run or a fenced-in area, you will need to provide a coop for them to roost in overnight for safety.
Purchasing Chickens
Once you have decided to embark on raising chickens and have planned their living situation, you will be ready to source your chickens.
If you purchase them as baby chicks, you will have about two months to prepare their coop/run before they are old enough to be put outside on their own.
Springtime is the most popular time of year to purchase baby chicks.
You can usually find baby chicks at your local Tractor Supply store, or a local feed store during the season.
If you go that route, keep in mind that chicks purchased from these places will most likely be straight run (unsexed), which means you could end up with rooster(s) or more roosters than you would like to keep.
They are also mixed varieties so you may not know what breed of chickens you are getting.
There is so much breed-specific information to consider; hot or cold tolerant, egg production, and temperament just to name a few.
So, you will want to do some research into what type of chickens are best suited for your area and your chicken keeping goals.
Another option used to obtain baby chicks is to order them from a chicken hatchery (the route I took).
Chicken hatchery orders for the Spring will be pre-orders and get booked up fast.
When placing your chicken order from a Hatchery consider the distance the chicks will have to ship from.
As well as the temperatures that time of year in your area.
Chicks that are being shipped are sent via the United States Postal Service.
They are labeled as live animals and they are packaged with bedding and with air holes in the packages.
A hard lesson to learn
Typically, once the chicks have reached your local post office you would be contacted to go pick up the baby chicks.
I learned the hard way that this is NOT always the case!
In my case the box of baby chicks was sent out with a mail carrier.
She tried her best to ensure the safety of the chicks by taking them down with her as she went about her mail route.
Unfortunately, my chick order shipped the first week in June and I live in South Texas, which is notoriously hot and humid that time of year.
I ordered eight chicks and was being given a “freebie” from the hatchery.
Out of the nine chicks that were shipped three were dead on arrival and one was struggling.
I ended up with six healthy chicks: five pullets/hens and one rooster (the “freebie”).
Most hatcheries take the losses in transit into consideration and recommend purchasing more to account for any possible loss.
They will also reimburse for any chicks lost along the way.
For me, the loss of baby chicks (or any animals) is not an acceptable loss.
Needless to say, I will be doing more research in the future when buying chicks, to try to source them locally.
This is a heartbreaking lesson, that many newbie chicken keepers learn the hard way.
Chicken Basics
Here are a few basic things to know before you purchase your chickens:
- Hens start laying at different ages based on their breed.
- The number of eggs per chicken per week will vary depending on the breed.
- The color of eggs also varies based on breed.
Laying hens and roosters have different nutritional needs.- BOTH Hens and Roosters make a ton of noise.
Typically, most hens start laying around four months but for some breeds, it can be much later.
One of the interesting things about chickens, is the wide range of color variations in chicken eggs (based on breed).
Everyone is familiar with the noise concerns with keeping roosters.
What many people don’t realize or don’t consider is that most laying hens are also VERY noisy.
Laying hens will sing “the egg song” when they have laid their eggs and many times hens will squabble over nesting boxes.
It doesn’t matter how many nesting boxes are available to them, they have a tendency to want to all lay in the same nesting box.
Whenever they are ready to lay and another hen is laying in that box, there is loud complaining and vocalizing of their disapproval.
This process is usually amusing to hear and witness however, if you have neighbors close by, you will have to keep this in mind.
Chicken Maintenance
The nutritional needs for chickens will vary over time depending on their age and sex.
You will have to start your baby chicks on a well-balanced chick feed.
As they get older and get close to maturity you will need to change their feed to a layer feed (for laying hens) or all stock feed (for poultry male/female).
If they are free-ranging, you would adjust their feed amount and frequency depending on the amount of time they spend free-ranging.
Laying hens require calcium and need to have it supplemented if the feed you choose is low in calcium (all stock feed).
Chicken Knowledge
If you join a chicken group on social media, you will quickly learn that there are TONS of health issues both illness and injury-related that chickens may encounter.
You will want to familiarize yourself with the most common ones and have a basic understanding of them.
Things like becoming egg-bound, mites, respiratory illness, and vitamin deficiencies seem to be among the most common chicken ailments.
Luckily there are things that can be done to both prevent and combat these issues, if intervention is done early.
Chicken raising is like any other project or skill you take on to learn and develop.
Over time you will learn more and become more confident in your knowledge and experiences.
Raising chickens has been one of the most rewarding things we have ever taken on.
Chickens really are inquisitive and fun to have around…and they give you beautiful healthy fresh eggs daily!