Beginning Guide to Chickens

The first big step in deciding that you want chickens is to decide if you actually want them. They are one of the easier livestocks however it is a commitment especially depending on where you live. Chickens are prey meaning that you have to protect them from prey. This can especially be tricky if you want your chickens to be able to free range. This however can be mentioned by a schedule where your chickens go to bet before dusk and are out after dawn. If you are committed to having chickens and feeding them and giving them water 2 a week and checking for eggs, continue reading.

Something you should think about next is if you want full sized chickens

or bantams. Bantams are basically miniature chickens. This will mean

that they obviously take up less space so you could fit more chicken

into a singular coop.

How many eggs do you want? Chickens lay generally about one egg a day. This means that if you have 4 people in your household 2 chickens would most likely be enough for you unless you want to give them to family or friends, unless everyone eats a whole egg or more a day. Another thing to consider is that although this is the normal it takes some time for chickens to lay eggs and also in the winter especially in colder states, it can delay the egg making process leading to less egg production. When picking chickens from a store or from an online website it is important to look for whether or not the chickens are sorted. If they are unsorted it is pretty high likelihood that you will get a male rooster. Roosters do not lay eggs however can protect the flock. In the chance that you get two chickens there will likely be cock fights which can get roughly. If you live in a rual area it may be advised to have one rooster to protect the flock, however make sure you expect your rooster to cock - a - doodle - do first thing in the morning. Having a rooster also increases the likelihood of your hens to become brudy and want to try to hatch their eggs. That is up to you whether or not you want baby chicks running around

Shelter:

Chickens need coops and it all depends on how many chickens you want on your land. As a good rule of thumb you only need 1 nesting box per 4 chickens. However more will not harm them. When installing the chicken coop it is recommended to dig about 12 inches underground to put hardware cloth under the dirt to protect chickens from predators that will dig under to get them. This takes a lot of time and effort. The small coop is 3-4 chickens and the large one is 10 chickens

These are great options for coops. The small one has the ability to roll to different locations however the large coop has to stay in place however allows you to get more chickens. It is a good idea to put the mesh up wherever you are letting the chickens roam however that can be pretty costly. It is ok to let them roam in the open in the day as long as they are in before dark, however you may have some casualties doing it that way. Another option is to buy a bigger shelter to put around the chicken coop or to lead the chickens into every day to prevent predators from attacking. It is also beneficial to set up cameras to detect movement. Worms are a great way to get them back into their coop at night as well

Feeders:

I personally like the bigger containers that allow all or most of the food to be placed into it so that you don't need another container that has a tight seal to keep somewhere else. It also beats trying to lift up a hefty bucket and makes it easier just to fill the whole bag into the feeder when needed. Same goes with the water. Having a large container just makes it more convenient especially if you are going on vacation

Bedding:

There are multiple different materials that can be used for chicken bedding. It all depends on what you want and what you prioritize. Here are some different options for you choose from.

• Hemp

• Pine Shavings

• Straw

• Sand - not compostable - better to buy from a landscaping store

• Wood Chips

Deep Litter Method - pilling on betting instead of changing it out which will create a compost and can help keep heat in the coop in the winter. It is best to start this process when it starts to get hot and keep it going until next year. So its cool during the summer and warm during the winter.

Another amazing company that offers chicken coop's for sell, that just comes in the box for you to build is Rita Marie's Chicken Coops. They are on the more costly side, however they have a seamless and effortless look to them that makes them unbeatable. They also only sell the upmost quality.