Why did the chicken cross the road?
To get to the other side, of course.
How to Raise Chickens for Beginners
Who knew chickens could be so hip? Let’s talk about How to Raise Chickens for Beginners.
I was born and raised in Idaho. Even though I did not grow up on a farm, my aunt did.
I remember we would get baby chicks and my mom would make us take them to Aunt Ella’s farm. I always wanted to have my own chickens and fresh eggs in the back yard. When I moved to Las Vegas I never thought I would be able to make this happen.
Boy, I was wrong. In the past year a lot of my friends became chicken owners and are loving it. My girlfriend has the most beautiful coop and I really wanted one like hers.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t in the budget.
I finally was able to talk my husband into buying me chickens and a coop, but I promised to do it on a budget. He was at Costco about a month ago and sent me a picture of an adorable coop. I couldn’t believe it was under $200 and held 4 chickens.
He bought it that same day and we started calling all the local farms to buy our own baby chicks. Who knew that being chicken owners could be so popular? The farms were completely sold out and waiting for more to arrive. After waiting patiently for 5 days we finally were able to go to Cal-Ranch and pick out the chickens. I have never seen my kids so excited. It was better than going to Disneyland. And way cheaper.
On a side note I need to tell you all, I am learning about chickens and I am not an expert. I am a beginner, just like you. So this is what I have learned, so far.
BREEDS
Ameraucana
My girlfriend has told me she loved the Ameraucana breed because the chickens will lay eggs that are blue and green. I thought that would be fun for my kids to get eggs that look like Easter eggs. They are typically medium-size eggs and they do well in the winter.
Rhode Island Red
The Red Island is a good pet to keep. They are among the best laying types of chickens. They can lay 250-300 large light brown eggs a year.
Leghorn
Leghorns are fantastic egg producers, laying around 280 white eggs a year. They are known as the ultimate egg machine by breeders and is one of the most common used by commercial egg industry. They also do very well in the heat.
Black Sex Links
Black Sex Links have a dual purpose: egg laying and meat production. They produce large brown eggs and the egg production is very good. They are also gentle, friendly, and affectionate. But the cons are they are very vocal, bold, and loud. We got one. I hope he isn’t too loud.
These are just a few chicken breeds that we chose – to learn more read here.
Meet Cherry. She is an Ameraucana chicken.
My friend has 8 chickens and she gets about 40 eggs a week. They love to eat eggs so this is the best case scenario. Some of my other friends sell their eggs at local farmers markets, or just share them with their friends and family.
Here are some reasons to raise your own chickens:
1. It is healthier. You know exactly what you have fed them. There are no chemicals being passed on through the meat and eggs. It is way more natural.
2. Raising your own chickens can lower your grocery bill and you can save money. Especially if you start selling them at a farmers market. You can make some extra money.
3. My friend says fresh eggs are way better than store bought. She gave me some of hers to try and I believe they were better and more fresh.
4. It teaches your children where their food comes from, and they can appreciate it more when they eat it. They see how much work we are putting into the chicks now and they can’t wait for 6-8 months until they are laying eggs.
Here are some things you will need to get started.
1. Heat lamp. Each week you have the chickens they need less heat.
It has less to do with the light and more to do with the temperature. It can take 4-6 weeks until a chicken is fully feathered. They typically need 95 degrees the first week. Thereafter after you should drop the temperature by 5-8 degrees per week. You can switch the light bulb or move the heat lamp further away.
We bought ours from Cal Ranch. When the chicks are young they prefer a 250 watt bulb. As they grow older, switch to a 125 watt bulb. The source of light should be 24 hours.
2. Water. They have been drinking a lot of water. So much that I must refill their water bottle at least twice a day.
3. Food. You can buy chicken starter at the farm or ranch where you buy your chicks. They will eat this for about 20 weeks or until you get the first eggs.
4. Plastic bin or box to keep them in for the first couple of months.
5. Straw to put at the bottom of the bin. They told us straw is better because it is cleaner and softer.
I can’t wait to start getting my own eggs. I will keep you updated as I go on this new chicken adventure.
I would love to hear from you. Do any of your good advice for raising chickens?
Are you crazy for chickens?
Or, are you just chicken?
Kellee says
EEEEEK yay for chickens!!!I grew up with all my neighbors having chickens. So fun!
Maria says
Hey Kelly,
I have some free range chickens n chicks. Lately I’ve noticed the chicks have this growth by their eyes n on their face. I feel bad one is almost blind. What should I do. I’m from the city n I don’t know anything about what that could be. Some one help me pleeeeeeeease
Gabby says
I’m not Kelly but buy some teramycen (I think that’s how you spell it ) apply it everyday and within a week it should be better
Mike Sasser says
Now that’s organic! I wanna live in that coop.
Ashley says
Ha ha. Thanks for always leaving the best comments.
Natalee says
I loved this post. I remember having chickens as a kid at my dad’s house in pahrump. We named the salt & pepper. Can’t wait to have them again someday!
Jenny says
I had chickens for a year in a half not too long ago and my HOA found them! Some good soul adopted them, but I’ve never gotten over it. I want chickens again! They were the best pets you could ever ask for. Someday…
Rachel Harris says
I love this article. I have always wanted chickens and fresh eggs. Thanks for making it sound so doable!
Joanne says
I like their beady little eyes.. And the little clucking sounds. You can also use their poop when you clean the coop. Makes great fertilizer.
Jenny says
Egg shells can also be used in your garden. http://www.naturallivingideas.com/eggshell-uses-in-the-garden/
Nicolette says
I love this post Ashley! It makes chicken raising sound so easy! Consider me tempted:)
Sara says
We are hatching chicks with our first graders right now. It’s amazing how attached they het to them. All the kids wsnt to bring one home. 🙂 I lived on a farm. My dad raised chickens. Fun memories. Love the chicken coop.
Sloan says
LOVE THIS!!! Now I want chickens!!! You always write about awesome topics!!! Love reading your stuff!!
Terri V says
I love my chickies. I have 2 Americana’s, 2 red Sex-Linked, and 1 Rhode Island Red. As soon as I walk outside, they’re greeting me. They will eat out of my hand. They fertilize my garden, eat bugs, and leave me tons of eggs. They don’t need a whole lot of care or special stuff. They are great pets.
Libby says
I can’t wait to get some fresh eggs! So much to learn about the different types of chickens.
Deano Papino says
Wowser! This was the best post ever. It brought back many memories for me. My mother was big on growing your eggs, so she would purchase around 20-30 chicks and put them in our unfinished basement and let them run wild until they were big enough to put outside. I think this is a great way to teach children responsibility. When I was little I loved going to grandmas and gathering the eggs. I didn’t like the chickens though, because they would try to peck me. So, BEWARE!
Audra says
So awesome! Who would’ve guessed?!? Love these beautiful pictures & love your chicks!!! 🙂
Kim {Pinspired Home} says
We love owning chickens!
We just hit the one-year mark with our hens and now we’re raising meat chickens as well. I wrote about our experiences here, if you’d like to check it out:
http://pinspiredhome.blogspot.com/2014/03/reflections-from-our-first-year-owning.html
Good luck with your girls! 🙂
Ashley says
Thanks for the website Kim. Ill have to check it out. Thanks for commenting. 🙂
SarahJ says
I want chickens so badly… but there is a city ordinance in our town that prevents. it. 🙁 I’ve talked to the city to try to get it changed.
Kristin says
We have chickens! We love them because they are lower maintenance and my 9-year old son has been responsible for them over the last year. It’s taught him a lot about caring for animals and he’s done a great job. One of the things we did that I recommend is to get chickens that lay a different color eggs (i.e. blue/green, light brown, dark brown & white). That way it’s easy to see who’s laying (and who isn’t). I recommend them 🙂
Ashley says
That’s so clever. Thanks for the advice.
Krista says
I live in Alabama grew up with chickens, my husband and I have been married for 20 years and have almost always had chickens.. We have several Rhode Island Reds, the Amercaunas, Dominicas and Buff Orpingtons which are blonde and fluffy. We have recently added some smaller chickens called Bantams which in two weeks by using raisins I have eating out of my hand. They lay a tiny egg but children love the size, which is about the size of a fig. What we don’t use we have neighbors asking to buy because they know we use no chemicals and the droppings make a great fertilizer for our garden. Can’t beat fresh eggs! Our 11 year old , almost 12 year old son has joined the local” Chik Chain.” It’s a part of 4H where he will receive 18 females(pullets). He will be responsible for raising them, keeping track of the cost of food, how many eggs the family uses for food what he sells and how much they sell for, then in Nov. he will pick 3 of his best, bath them shine their legs and they will be entered in a chicken show for prizes. It teaches them responsibility,,business practices and where some of our food comes from.
Ashley says
I was in 4H in Idaho. Thank you for the great idea for my children. Love it!!
Tina says
My Dad is 89 years old and still raising chickens. He mostly raises Orpingtons but has others also mostly bantum. He raises them mostly for show. They are in a few county fairs and two state fairs every summer. He has got my nephew very interested in helping him and they have several trophies. We have never had a shortage of eggs and it has been an interesting hobby for him. Good luck with your chicken endeavor.
Emily says
I was surprised our rhode island reds started laying around 16 weeks of age! Their eggs are delicious and they eat bugs. 🙂 one thing we didn’t realize was their area of the yard was too close to our honeycrisp apple tree, which we had to replace last year.
Lorraine says
Sarah, check out The Chicken Chick on Facebook. She’s worked with folks in getting ordinances overturned, and might have advice to offer.
Ashley says
Oh no!! Thank you for the great advice.
Stephanie says
Definitely keep us posted on this! My hubby and I are in the same boat, we live in Michigan and just purchased 7 baby chickens yesterday!! We live on a small city lot and are going to attempt to raise chickens and I am excited to have farm fresh eggs right in my backyard!! We are going to try and attempt to build our own coop in the week or two!! Good luck!! 🙂
Ashley says
Thank you. Good luck to u too! So far so good. 🙂
Judy says
I started raising chickens about 15 weeks now. They are so much fun. Also built our own coop. Made it with a bunch of old wood and if I say so it came out pretty good.
Ruthann says
I raised chickens when I was in my 20s and since then I have moved around so much I couldn’t keep any, Now I live on 43 acres and I have 18 week old chicks in a cage in one of my spare bedrooms. I love it , I call them the babies, I also have 5 guinea birds that run around the property eating bugs and such. Good luck on the chickens.
Alison says
This is awesome. Thanks for the info on the different kinds of chicks. We’ve been looking into it, but haven’t taken the leap!
Ashley says
You should go for it. We are loving it!!
Kelly says
Great story! I’ve had backyard chickens for 7 years. It’s addictive! Right now, I have 13 hens and 14 chicks…16 breeds in all! I’m going to need to find a new home for some of my older hens before my husband and neighbors think I’m crazy! We’ve also recently started breeding Corturnix quail and rabbits. It’s fun and I love that my five year-old son can participate!
Tracu says
I have been using wood pellets for covering the bottom of my chicken coop. They work wonderfully, about every 3 or 4 weeks I run a rake thru them so the broken pieces fall to the bottom and then when they begin to smell I change them. I still use the shavings for their bedding. It is much cheaper for me than using the shavings in the bottom of the coop. Hope this helps
Ashley says
Thank you for the great advice.
Stephanie says
That Costco coop looks great and like it does the job! I love that people are taking more control over their own food supply; it’s the only way to ever truly know the quality of what you’re eating. Here in Idaho we also have a ton of beekeepers who got involved in backyard beekeeping just to help bee populations thrive. Many of them don’t even keep any honey for themselves, they just want to help the bees. Restores my faith in humanity!
Sharon says
We have been raising chickens for about 5 years now. We love it! http://www.backyardchickens.com is a great website to help you get started. We order our chicks from the cackle hatchery in Lebanon, MO. and they were delivered in the mail.. Have fun with your new chicks!
Ashley says
Thanks for the website this will really help me.
Lori says
I’ve been raisining chickens for 3 years now. I never had them as a child and always wanted them. I will never live without chickens again. They each have unique personalities, they love attention, they talk to you and they look great walking around the back yard. They make great pets. The fresh eggs cannot be beat. The yokes are so yellow and large. It is always a thrill to get a double-yoker! Tis the season – go get some chicks!
Lorraine says
Very nice to get people introduced to a great idea. As someone who has been doing this a bit, though, I have some cautionary advice:
– If you are keeping chickens for eggs only, you need to remember that chickens typically lay for a set number of years. 3-5 is about an average. You DO need to plan on what you will do with them after that. Keep them as pets? Sure! But please don’t go dumping them off somewhere because they no longer provide the eggs. Rehome, or if you want to go the other way…
– A 4 chicken coop is ideal for most. Keep in mind, though, that this is a hobby that can get addictive quickly! 🙂 If you don’t want to be blowing money on a new, larger coop within a year, plan ahead, and get the larger coop to start. Many of us have learned the hard way.
– DO READ! Find out about bio-security, diseases, etc. in advance. It will help and potentially save you heartache.
– Join some chicken forums. There are loads of very helpful people out there for when you get stuck – And at some point, you probably will. At the very least, they have good ideas for tending your flock.
– Research your breeds. Some chickens lay better than others. Some breeds are known for being aggressive, others for their calm. Some are just fun to look at.
Good luck to anyone who does indeed start on this adventure!!! 😀
Ashley says
Thank you for all the wonderful advice. I will definitely look into all of this.
Diane says
We live on an acreage and started raising chickens a few years ago. I love the fresh eggs, but don’t love them all over my yard. My husband lets them out every morning and they have free range of the place. They are messy little creatures. So if planning to let them free range, know you will have chicken poop everywhere. Also make sure your coop is secure. Two years ago a family of raccoons decimated our flock. We had an area where they were able to get in under the wire. Now, we have a small electric wire running along the bottom of the fence, which we unplug in the morning when we let them out and plug in in the evening after they are all in their coop. We have also put chicken wire over the entire coop area as we do have hawks waiting for a quick meal.
Ashley says
We don’t have raccoons here in vegas but I am nervous about the hawks. Ill look into a covered chicken run. Thanks so much:)
Lara says
I would love to raise chickens, but don’t know how many I would need – I go through about 3 dozen eggs/week. Also, I live in the Northeast – can chickens live outside in the winter (we got a lot of snow this past winter), or would they need to be moved inside?
Ashley says
I’m from Idaho and my friends have chickens and they are fine in the cold. Here is some info you can read about raising chickens in cold weather. Good luck.
http://ezinearticles.com/?Chickens-in-Cold-Weather:-8-Things-You-Can-Do-to-Keep-Your-Backyard-Flock-Healthy-and-Warm&id=5423473
Lorraine says
Hi Lara.
Yes, chickens can do fine in the Northeast, but should have a coop for shelter. You’ll also want to look at different breeds and their hardiness.
As for how many you’ll need – Chickens give an egg a day during the spring and summer, but production will drop if the temps get too hot or too cold. As the days get shorter, they also slow in production. Some people supply artificial light to keep them laying through winter.
MamaPat says
How do you get a rooster- just ask for one? Do they have to be older than the chicks so they can be identified for you? My grands are so excited about getting started. They just moved and settled in to their new digs in the country. Thanks, MamaPat
Muffie says
You DO NOT need a roaster to have eggs. They are a pain in the neck, rather legs, when they jump up and stab you with their spurs! The get VERY possessive of the brood, and will go after you and especially your children. They will not let you gather the eggs without a fight! DO NOT GET ONE.
Shannan says
Just finished searching costco.com for chicken coops. so inspired! will you teach us about backyard city farming now 😉
Ashley says
I can definitely do a post on backyard city farm life:) thanks for your comment.
Cailey says
Hi Ashley, I was intrigued by this post, because I too live in Las Vegas, and my first thought before reading this post was “I wouldn’t be able to do that in Vegas!” Our yard is probably too small for this, but I wanted to know that if you are selling your eggs directly, what side of town do you live in? Email me 🙂 The only egg farmers I know of in town are in North vegas and that’s a little too far for us to drive for eggs lol.
Christi says
I love having chickens in my backyard. Overall it’s been a positive experience. Two things I didn’t take into account before we ran out and bought our coop is that the chickens make a lot of mess. Ours free-range a lot of the time but the coop still gets dirty enough that we have to clean it out about once a week. Chickens leave a lot of droppings! Another thing is that they can get sick and if one gets sick, it can quickly spread to the whole flock and if you don’t catch and treat it quickly, then you could easily loose your whole investment. Just a few things to be aware of before you get your own.
Kathryn Harwell says
My HOA doesn’t allow chickens, so no free ranging for us. We just fenced off our old 8×24 dog run. I decided to use the deep litter method in my coop. I love not having to clean the run (of course I have to clean the roosting area). I have 12 girls and my coop never smells bad. Plus, this method makes awesome soil. Chickens are very efficient farm animals. They give you eggs, make dirt and eat bugs. Plus they are so much fun!
Cathy says
We have chicks that are 5-6 weeks old. Our first experience raising backyard chickens and we are loving it. Our grandchildren love playing with the chickens also. We actually have 2 of the coops from Costco, and have 8 chickens total-buff Orpingtons, Sicilian buttercups, silver laced Wyandotte, white leghorn, and we think a golden buff. Several of our friends are raising chickens also. My hubby thinks he’s back on the farm. I told him he could not raise a cow in our backyard. 🙂
Tania says
We have chickens. We live in CT and winters are HARD. We heat our coop when the temp is below 32 degrees (most of Nov-March). We lost two Ameraucana’s to hawks last year – those day old chicks were $28 each (not to mention the work / cost of raising them to adulthood)! Now I buy inexpensive “Easter Eggers” which also give lovely colored eggs but won’t be as much of a loss if they end up as Hawk dinner 🙁
Before that we also lost a couple to racoons. Now we just let them free range when the kids and dog are playing outside to keep away the predators. Sad to lose them but with each experience we learn to be better chicken owners.
If you are looking for a “cheap” way to get eggs – owning chickens is probably not it but if you really want to be connected to your food and teach your kids a whole bunch of responsibility (nothing like a 7 yr old shoveling snow out of their pen in sub zero temps) then they are wonderful to have.
Could you PLEASE list a source for that coop? I am looking to replace mine soon and that one is fantastic!
Cristi Dame says
I want chickens!!! I can’t wait for your update!!
Muffie says
Hi, I raised chickens, and here are a couple of things you should know.
You DO NOT need a roaster to have eggs. They are a pain in the neck, rather legs, when they jump up and stab you with their spurs! The get VERY possessive of the brood, and will go after you and especially your children. They will not let you gather the eggs without a fight! DO NOT GET ONE.
A chicken will lay an egg every 18 to 20 hours, then skip a day and get back on schedule. The egg laying is the chicken’s ovulation.
This is very important.: dig about a 6 inch trench, the outline of your coop. place the coop in the trench and bury the bottom. A dog or, in my case, a fox will dig under your coop and get in and steal your chickens. If you bury it about 6 inches, they start digging and keep hitting wire. Hopefully, they become frustrated and leave.
The Leghorn are smaller than the Rhode Island Red, therefore, eat less food. therefore cost less to feed. Eggs are white. My Leghorns laid eggs sooooo big , that I had trouble closing a jumbo box. I was also getting double and occasionally triple yolks!!
I know, experts say DON’T, BUT, I gave my chickens table scraps…NOT decaying stuff. they loved them…old pizza, leftover PBJ sandwiches, tomatoes, lettuce anything my kids didn’t finish, so then I didn’t eat the leftovers, the chickens did! I believe this is why my eggs were so big.
Every evening I would let my hens out, and they would run around, and eat grass while I changed the food and water, and collected any late eggs. As soon as it gets dusk, they will automatically go back in the coop for the night. No chasing and trying to catch them.
You do not need a light bulb in the winter for heat. You do need one to stimulate egg production. A chicken’s temperature is 101 degrees F. The light bulb is for tricking their system into thinking it is longer daylight, which is stimulation for egg laying.
Remember, water will freeze in the winter. You MUST change it several time a day. They MUST have water, ALWAYS.
Last, but, not least, chickens cannot fly. Even though they have wings, they cannot fly. Please don’t let your kids catapult them up in a tree, finding out the hard way. I didn’t have eggs for 3 days!!!
Jane Squires says
My daughter raises her own chickens. My two year old granddaughter is so delighted to see all the new chicks and watch them grow. They let their chickens run free in yard which rids it of ticks and other stuff. Also that way you don’t need chemicals. They buy their feed local. She has gotten to point of selling eggs because she is getting so many.
I cannot eat the store bought eggs at all but I sure can enjoy those I get from her.
Lora says
I am so happy to see a Blogger from Vegas! I am from Vegas as well Pleas write me a e-mail I would love to get to know some fellow near chicken owners that are trust worthy so we can get to know learn and help each other!
Keri says
With winter coming is there any update to this post? i am looking to get 3 chickens in the spring (Blanche, Rose & Dorothy, of course) and i wonder if there is anything i can do to prepare? What do you do with them in the winter? I asked my husband and he said ‘Noodle Soup wink wink’ So I wasn’t aware if mature chickens would fare well indoors during a Colorado winter.
Michelle says
Hello i just ran into your website and read through it. I read that you live in Vegas. I live here as well and have been wanting chickens for the longest. I want to ask about summers. I have been to a place where they lost all their chickens to the heat. I would like to keep some in a friends community garden but want to know what the local laws are about keeping chickens and also what to do about 120 degree weather.
Mayco says
hey Ashley,
Congratulation on your clean eggs!
My husband raised 4 chickens, and they already start laying eggs. However, he started to get overwhelmed by the chicken poops on the eggs and in our backyard. They roam around the backyard freely. Do you have any tips on how to keep the poops in control both on the eggs and in our backyard?
michele says
We have chickens. First time out we ended up with 12 roosters. A ya no eggs from them. So we inherited 2 regular sized hens and 3 bantam hens. The 3 bantams are pets. You can pick them up and they will ride on your shoulder. We just got 9 more orpingtons. For our area they are a good all around chicken. Our one neighbor is not to keen on free range. We’re working on that. Here’s to more eggs this year 🙂
Marsha White says
I have been thinking about it… Your information has been very helpful…. I have 4 daughters and 3 have them….they love their chickens….I talked them into getting them…..Because of my love for chickens……but have not yet …????
Erika says
Hello, my name is erika, I am trying out the chicken hobby, I just got my new chicks a week ago today Friday March 27th and I have them in a heavy duty box from my parents, that I think is starting to get to small for them as they are growing drastically each day if any suggestions let me know. Also, i just recently make an outdoor chicken coop which I think is pretty good for my first try. It was just a practice run. I may just get a dog kennel and add fencing to the top to keep predators out. Also might get a dog house big enough for my 6 chicks. I know I might be treating them as if they are dogs but to be honest it’s not a bad idea. Kennels are easy to move around the yard and so is a doghouses. Let me know what you think of my idea. Thank you.
Julie says
We used two clear bins. My husband connected the bins and cut out a square so they can go between the two and just put chicken wire on top so they could not get out. He also screwed in a stick so they can roost. They loved it. Real easy.
Christie says
I am currently incubating 24 of my brother’s chickens from his farm. I live downtown Salt Lake City. We are allowed 15 chickens! I’m so excited to hopefully be a chicken owner. Fresh chicken eggs are the best!!! It’s surprising to me how excited I get when I rotate the eggs and obsess over the temperature all day! Who would of thought it was so fun to incubate these chickees!!! Love the white hen house. It’s one of the best I have seen yet!! Thanks for the post!
Judy says
I am confused.
We are about to get chicks for the first time.
Most of what I have read in “The Encyclopedia of Country Living” and other literature says NOT to use straw…that it is too slippery and leads to chicks developing “spraddle legs”.
Can you share where you received the recommendation to use straw and if you have noticed any adverse effects? I would really like to go that route as it seems the most economical.
Thanks for your help!
Kathy says
What a lovely post, and some really great photography! I have always found chickens to be a great way to get kids involved in your garden and sustainability! And they are a pretty easy animal to keep happy! http://bit.ly/1wqRo4t
Amy says
I put Chicken wire in the bottom of my pen and then put dirt over it. It keeps the animals out. I cover the top too with wire.
Julie says
Love your post. My daughter Ashley (who has passed) built me a chicken coop for a high school project. I love my hens. My girls started laying around 26 weeks and it is wonderful.
Yolanda says
Hi, we are getting 3 baby chicks in about a month and we can’t wait!! My kids are counting the days…lol. I was wondering one thing, though… We had one chick a long time ago and we never used a heat lamp, because we kept her in the house for the first two months or so. Now that we get three, I figured they will cuddle up together and a lamp won’t be needed. What do you think?
Shannon says
I saw that you said you lived in Las Vegas…I do as well. My husband and I were thinking about getting a couple chickens. How have your hens stood up to the summer heat? I want to make sure we get a correct breed for that. Have you had to do anything special for them during the summer?
Cathy says
Hi Ashley!
Came across your blog today in my quest to get more information on baby chicks. I have four kids, so we decided no pets till the kids can show some responsibility for themselves. Somehow we are now the proud owners of five baby chicks! It has been terrific, especially for my 10 year old daughter, who is their biggest fan. Your story resonated as we have travelled a similar path in the three weeks that they have been with us. They are growing really fast and discovering their wings, so much so that one even flew out of the box we have them in! That has certainly accelerated our plans for a coop! We have an unused stable in our back yard, so we plan to convert it, but its a steep learning curve getting it right for the chickens in a way that ensures low maintenance for us! We also have an active coyote community so keeping them safe is top of mind also. Thanks for sharing your story – would love to keep in touch as we travel this similar road!
Cathy
Larry says
We have coyotes too and one thing I did to keep them from digging under the fence to the run was to lay 2 feet of woven wire on the ground along all sides of the fence and tie it to the fence bottom. I let the grass grow up through it but you can also cover it with about an inch of dirt. It’ll keep predators from digging under the fence as they hit the woven wire and can’t get through.
Cheryl says
I am interested to hear how they will handle the heat in Vegas. I also live in the desert and I’ve wanted to get chickens but I’m concerned about the intense heat. Please post how they do.
Larry says
You have to have a rooster if you ever want to hatch out your own eggs. Yes some can get a little aggressive but not all will. Check for the more docile breeds. I have a Plymouth Barred Rock that’s a big coward and will run when you come near him. From my experience even aggressive roosters will soon learn to back off if given a light ( not hard) kick with a yell. They soon learn that you are the dominate one in the “pecking order”.
I live in NW Montana and raise chickens for eggs and meat. During winter I keep a heat lamp about a foot above the waterer to keep it from freezing and I have a dairy barn type heater hanging from the rafters set to come on when the coop drops below a certain temp. During the worst storms I shut the door to the run to keep them inside but other wise they can leave the 10×10 coop and go into a 8×24 run that has overhead fencing to keep hawks and eagles out.. For us, we use more cold tolerant breeds like Barred Rocks, Buff Orphingtons, Rhode Island Reds etc. I also use a deep layer of straw that they can nestle into for warmth.
Theresa says
Hi and thanks for posting about your new adventures in chicken management! My grandparents had several chickens and we would go to the “hen house” and get eggs in the morning for breakfast. I HATED it! I was afraid of those chickens and was pecked several times. Now I’m 40 ish years older and I would love to have a few hens of my own. I’m not sure what we would need to do in the very cold winter months. Did anyone give you any ideas about what to do in cold weather?
Lydia says
It’s a small detail, but a lot of people don’t realize that what are commonly sold as “ameraucanas” are actually a mixed-breed variety known as Easter Eggers. Purebred ameraucanas are pricey–usually $20 or so for a day-old pullet chick–whereas Easter Eggers are much less expensive and more readily available. That being said, I LOVE Easter Eggers. They are robust, healthy birds that lay well all winter long and have distinctive personalities ranging from skittish and shy to gregarious and friendly. On top of that, they’re colorful and distinctive–it’s usually easy to tell your Easter Egger hens apart, whereas other varieties of chicken tend to look so similar that you’d need leg bands to distinguish between them.
In my experience, my black sexlink hens have been relatively quiet. The noisiest birds in my flock are my Polish crested girls. Those hens love to sing, and do so as often as they can, as loudly as they can. It’s a very different call than most hens make, so I can always tell when it’s a Polish sounding off. (This is part of the reason we give them all pop-star and diva names! lol)
Melissa says
We have 4 and they are ALL the breeds you mention lol they all have names and come in the house peck at our door we are in Idaho we love our girls they are part of our family best decision our famliy ever made did you know you need about 1 chicken per person if your planning to feed the family from egg production
Nahir says
My husband started a bacyard farm jaja now we have 5 little chiken raising at home with our little dougther Maitena Who loves them….. thanks a lot for the advises
Diana says
This is my first year with chickens and I absolutely love them. We have five and each one has her own personality. I love that they come running when they see me (they know they get treats to say thank you for their eggs)!
jarka says
Ano, jsem pro chov slepic a to nejen pro vejce domácí, ale i dostatek kvalitního hnoje.
Jo says
I’ve had chickens ever since I was a little girl and my dad stole some eggs from a nest a free-range chicken had made in the family cemetery. We hatched them with an incubator and had 6 little bantams! We kept them for a while and I highly recommend them. They’re small in size but big in personality! For egg-laying, Rhode Island Reds and Production Blacks are my top 2 favorites.
Sylvia says
I’ve been dealing with chickens for a few years now. One of the best things to do is get them on the ground(in the coop) as soon as possible (should be around 6 to 8 weeks or as soon as the chicks are fully feathered). This way they are better acquainted with the elements.
RaeMarie Knowles says
What a great and informative website!! I wanted to post a link here for fellow chicken lovers!! 🙂 My husband and I (here in Colorado) used this to build our new coop and it turned out really cool. We have a lot of coyotes in this country and we were losing hens left and right. I thought maybe there were some people on here who could use this info. It gives you really good detailed steps. It was worth the money and is a great resource if you plan to or already raise chickens. http://tinyurl.com/h79n9bh
Shelly says
Sorry-totally unrelated, I see your rotating composers in the background-where did you get them?
Sarah says
Chickens are awesome pets! We have four Rhode Island reds that we impulse bought and we love them! Four eggs a day and they come running up to is when we go outside!!!
emily says
pine shavings are better than straw!! my boyfriend and i are raising 12 hens and each egg comes out cleaner when we go pick them out of the laying boxes. with straw, the chickens’ poop would get onto the egg. with the pine shavings, there is absolutely no poop on the eggs, and the coop smells a lot better!! of course its a little extra money but it is well worth it!!
Andy says
I will be moving to Vegas soon and plan to raise some hens again. Did you, or anyone in the Vegas area, have to get any special permits to be able to keep chickens? I know HOAs are pretty ubiquitous in Vegas, not sure if this adds another hurdle to the process…Thanks.
Linda Torek says
How do you secure your coop from predators. I bought 4 chicks 2 months old and were gone in 2 days. Something dug a small hole and it also looked like a snake hole also. I live in Pennsylvania.
Thanks
H. Upton says
I’m going to be starting soon and your information was a big help. Thanks!
Harvetta
Adrian says
I just started about 8 months ago. Its so relaxing to come home after work and let the chickens out and watch them poke around. One thing I’d recommend is not to forget the vitamins and minerals.
Edie says
Where can I find a coop like the one on the top of this page? I want one just like it!!!!!
David B says
We are new to the chicken world and we absolutely love it!
Kerrie says
We have chickens here in Toowoomba Queensland Australia. We have only had the 2 girls for about 3 months , but there are great. They have very funny personalities and quite distinct likes and dislikes. They are laying really well now, Ken (as in Chic Ken) lays a smallishl light egg most days, while Nugget lays a larger light brown egg every3 to 4days. My hubby made our chook coup from left overs he had by the shed, so it hasn’t cost us too much to set up either!
Liliya says
We love our 8 chickens. We get about 36 eggs a week. We held them everyday as chicks so they are super friendly.