Raising your own chickens is a growing trend even city-goers are getting in on. It’s great for families who love fresh eggs or want a productive pet for their children. Keeping chickens in your backyard isn’t quite as easy as you might think though. They’re animals who will be dependent on you, so you should consider all the aspects of raising them before you start building your coop. Things like do you want all hens or are you willing to have a few rooster feathers lying around? There are a few basic steps to starting your own chicken coop, which can help you decide if it’s the right choice for you.
Pickin’ a Chicken
The first step is to choose the breed of chicken you want to raise. Different breeds are better for different purposes. For example, if you want chickens for eggs, you might look at Leghorns or Australorps. If you want chickens more as pets or to fertilize your grass, then you can look at Heritage breeds. There are also certain breeds of chicken that are raised for their meat, which grow quickly and bulk up to slaughter weight in as little as nine weeks.
Building Your Coop
Next, you’ll want to make sure you have a great coop for your birds. Chicken coops should offer protection from the weather and be well-ventilated to keep harmful smells and bacteria from their feces out of the air. You also want to make sure you include some nesting boxes inside for each bird, especially if you’re looking for eggs. Having a safe place to hunker down can make a chicken feel safe and more relaxed, which can stimulate egg production. Finally, make sure no predators can get into your coop and harm your flock.
Raising chickens is a fun way to get fresh food from your backyard.
Read more articles on our blog.