How to Raise Backyard Chickens | The Kuntry Klucker

What to Know Before You Get Chickens.

Posted on April 23, 2021 by Noelle K. Moser

***The girls spending the evening grazing on a freshly cut lawn.***

Know your Zoning laws:

First and foremost, before you get chickens, know your zoning restrictions. Many cities, states, and counties have different laws regarding keeping livestock. If you are in the city, if you are allowed backyard chickens, you will most likely be restricted to a small number of hens, omitting roosters.

In the county or country, you may have more freedom, but you will still need to abide by guidelines.

**My flock is confined to my backyard by the use of a wood privacy fence.**

For example, based on my location, I am not restricted to the number of chickens I can have. However, I am restricted on how far my coops need to be from my neighbor’s front door. My animals must be confined to my property by a fence or attached pen to a coop. I need to practice good manure management to reduce rodent and odor issues for my neighbors. Even in the country, some guidelines need to be followed.

**Caster making his way out of the Coop De Ville to the outdoor pen area.**

If you are unsure of what your zoning laws require, you can find out simply by calling the State Veterinarian for your state and asking. They will be able to tell you based on your location what your restrictions are.

Addiction

As the saying goes, “You can’t have just one”. This more than applies to owning chickens. I started with 17 Buff Orpington chicks and now have ballooned to a flock of 50+ of various breeds. I underestimated the addiction risk of chickens. I love my backyard divas and have plans for more.

‘ **Buff Orpington Chick sitting amongst farm fresh eggs.**

Today my flock is a thriving multicultural mesh of different breeds. By acquiring a variety of breeds, I can profile the behavior of various breeds along with any advantages and drawbacks. After owning several breeds, I can honestly say that the Polish are my favorite breed of all my Backyard Divas.

**Aphrodite in a barrel of Gerbera Daisies.**

Time/chores

*Clean coops and happy hens after morning chores*.

Chickens require time and daily care. Like all pets, chickens require dedication. However, chickens require little but give much in return.

To illustrate. My flock of 50 and 7 coops requires about 30 minutes of my time every morning. Daily chores consist of cleaning the coops, filling feeders, filling waterers, collecting eggs, and maintaining nesting boxes. All of this, while sounding like a lot does not require much time out of my day.

However, like a dog or cat, maintenance needs to be performed daily. Also, like your cat or dog, if you go on vacation, care will need to be arranged in your absences.

Eggs

Most people keep chickens for farm fresh eggs. However, this pursuit, although positive has some drawbacks.

First, once you get a taste of farm fresh eggs, it’s hard to eat any other type of egg. For example, store-bought eggs after eating farm-fresh eggs taste differently. You will find yourself becoming an egg connoisseur of sorts, an egg snob if you will.

***Basket full of eggs. The girls were busy today.***

Second, you will come to realize that at first, your flock will produce the most expensive eggs that you ever collected. Allow me to explain.

Once obtaining your flock, it will be about 20 weeks or 5-6 months before you collect the first egg from the nesting box. But during the “waiting period”, you will have to feed your flock. Egg laying or not, feeding your flock is a necessity. By the time you get your first egg, you will have spent a hefty amount on chicken feed, flock supplies, and coops/pens. However, once the flock starts to lay dependably, your cost and reward ratio will begin to align. But until then, you will be putting money into a “timeshare” of sorts without any benefit. Many people do not realize this, they falsely assume that chickens lay eggs right away and do not factor in a period of egg drought.

Egg droughts do not only happen during the development/maturity of the hens toward laying age but also at various times throughout their lives. Yearly molt, the coldest part of winter, or the hottest part of summer depending on the breed. The point is, your flock will go through dry spells where they are not laying but you will be spending money on chicken feed. During these times of declined egg production, I humorously refer to my girls as “free-loaders”. All in good spirits of course. I understand my girls need a vacation now and then and grant them time off.

**Premium chicken feed the girls earned with the sale of their eggs. My flock is a big fan of Purina chicken Feed. They prefer it to any other brand. My girls are indeed pampered poultry.**

Third, they will find you. When an egg recall or egg ration is suffered by the egg industry, backyard chicken keepers become everyone’s favorite neighbor.

**Empty egg coolers at my local Walmart during the past bird flu scare and massive egg recall. And just like that the crazy chicken lady is everyone’s favorite neighbor.**

For example, during the past egg scare when the bird flu raged havoc throughout the egg industry, I got a few unexpected visitors at my door. It takes quite a bit of gut to knock on a stranger’s door and ask for eggs.

The situation of this particular visitor was rather unique. She was a friend of a friend, who worked with a friend who told her that she knew me and that I had a fairly large backyard chicken flock. Her husband was on a strict diet, eggs were his primary source of protein. Being that the bird flu forced many egg producers to recall eggs and euthanize their flocks, he was practically starving.

I gave her what eggs I had. I offered them at no charge given their unique and desperate situation. She insisted that she pay for them. This was the first day that a stranger knocked at my door and the girls turned a profit, but it was not the last.

All proceeds the girls make on the eggs, I turn back to them in the form of feed, treats, and other necessities.

This was when I first realized how self-sustaining my little farm is. A massive egg recall raging through the nation, had I not watched the news, I would have had no idea. Now, when egg recalls or egg scares make the news, I am prepared for a few visitors looking for eggs. The humble backyard chicken keeper to the rescue.

Illness and the importance of a Chicken first aid kit:

Just like kids and other pets, chickens too get sick. However, unlike a pediatrician for little humans and vets for cats and dogs, most vets will not treat chickens since they are technical “livestock”. While backyard flocks are rapidly reaching pet status, for now, they are categorized as livestock.

Thus, the backyard chicken keeper has to become a chicken doctor. Although this sounds scary, chickens are simple creatures. Most conditions that plague a backyard flock are relatively simple to treat.

The more common health conditions that a backyard chicken keeper will encounter are mites, lice, bumblefoot, fly strikes, respitorary illnesses, and sour crops. The good news is good flock maintenance practices will eliminate many of these conditions. If your flock has fresh water daily, fresh feed in clean feeders and a clean dry place to call home, most of these potential illnesses will be greatly reduced.

In my 10 years of keeping chickens, I have only had a few illnesses inflicted my flock. Mostly treatment for mites, worms, and bumblefoot. If your chickens are allowed to free range, at some point they will come down with a case of red fowl mites. You can think of mites as a badge of honor because your flock has access to grass, fresh air, and sun. Treatment is similar to flea/tick treatment for cats and dogs only for chickens. My favorite product for this purpose is Epernix. Found a Feed/Farm store in the cattle section.

Marketed for cattle, Epernix at a low dose is safe for chickens. Use 1/2 cc for bantams and 3/4 cc for standard-size birds. With a syringe, drop the liquid behind the neck, just like treating a cat or dog. Repeat in 14 days, and that’s it. After two doses, lice and mites are history. Treat every single flock member, I do this 1 to 2 times a year. I treat only when symptoms are present. Note: when using this product there is an automatic egg withdrawal of 20 days while the girls are in treatment.

Worming is the same. Marketed for goats, safeguard at small doses it is an effective treatment for chickens. This time, with a different syringe use 1/2cc for bantam and 3/4cc for standard-size birds. Drop the wormer on a piece of bread and feed it to each member of the flock, repeat in 14 days. There is a 20-day egg withdrawal for safeguards like Eprinex. That’s it, crises averted.

The most complex issue I have had to deal with is bumblefoot. I will link a post detailing my method for dealing with bumblefoot here.

Although chicken keeper needs to take their flock’s health into their own hands, it’s not hard. Most things you need to treat your flocks are found at feed/Farm stores. If you can find a vet to treat your birds, the price will be very high. However, most vets will put a gravely ill chicken down. Some keepers prefer this to put their sick hens down. I humanly euthanize my sick members, but most people are not able to do this which is fine. Most vets will assist in this event.

Things to keep in your chicken first aid kit:

Vet wrap, gauze, triple antibiotic cream, salve, plastic knives for administrating salve and creams, sterile scissors for cutting gauze and vet wrap, hydrogen peroxide, syringes without needles for administrating medication orally, Rooster Booster poultry cell (great for providing sick birds with iron, amino acids, and minerals for recovery), Rooster Booster B-12 (good for providing sick birds with essential vitamins for healing, high in B-12), VetRx for poultry (great for birds with respiratory issues, similar to Vicks for humans. Drop in water or place under the wing to help birds recover), bleach to sterilize instruments.

Most of these things are household items except for items specific to poultry. Keeping a first-egg kit (pun intended) ready and stocked makes it easier to treat on the spot rather than waiting till you can get the items you need.

Have a plan for winter

*The coops all bundled up for the* cold winter season.

When acquiring chickens, most people are so focused on brooders and bringing their flock to laying age. Little thought is given to seasonal change. As fall approaches keepers often find themselves frantic as the mercury drops. Preparing a flock for winter takes time, preparation, and some expense. However, chickens come factory installed with down coats, it’s not the cold keepers need to worry about but wind and moisture. To adequately prepare your flock for winter a keeper needs to take measures to keep the coop/pen clean and dry. Installing a heater or heat lamp is not recommended. Coop fires are often started by good intentions to keep flocks warm. The rule of thumb is to never judge your flock’s comfort by your standards. Chickens evolved to live outdoors, all a keeper needs to do is keep them clean and dry, warmth is not necessary, the chickens take care of that on their own. I will link here the methods I use to prepare my flock and coops for winter.

Coops and Pens: There are so many options.

**The Coop-Hood. Currently I maintain 50+ chickens and a fleet of 7 coops.**

Before you get chickens, decide what kind of coop you want to get. Before shopping for coops, you need to know how many chickens you intend to get and how many coops you want to have. There are lots of resources for acquiring coops. If you are skilled at woodworking, you could build your own coop and pen. If you’re like me and woodworking is not your cup of tea, there are many prefab coops on the market. Contrary to popular belief, prefab coops can and do make great homes for your flock. I will link here my post where I talk about prefab coops, hacks, and how to get the most out of your prefab coops.

Finally and most importantly: Brooder set up

*Broo*der set up for a successful flock.

To raise a successful flock, your chicks need a good start, and the best place to get this start is in the brooder. Before you get chicks, you need to think about their brooder and how you plan to brood your clutch. Just about everything you can think of has been used for brooders, kiddie pools, Rubbermaid totes, dog crates, boxes, bathtubs, garages, attics, and so on. The possibilities are endless. At the end of the day, a brooder is just a heated home for your growing chicks, what you use to achieve this home is up to you. I started out using large boxes then switched to puppy playpens as my preferred brooding container. Everyone will have their idea on what to use and how to brood. The size of the flock will also affect the type of container to use. I will link my brooding method and supplies here.

I hope that this post has been a helpful addition to the information-gathering phase on starting your backyard chicken flock. Chickens are a great asset to any farm, homestead, or city backyard. They ask little but give much in return.

If you have any questions not addressed in this post, feel free to ask. You can also drop us a line at kuntryklucker@gmail.com

I am a published author, multi-disciplinary writer, and blog contributor. If you enjoy this blog, please visit some of my other sites.

Knowledge of the Spheres – Exploring the Celestial Spheres’!

Coffee and Coelophysis – A blog about Dinosaurs!

Chicken Math University – Adventures in Homeschooling.

If you enjoyed this post, please peck the subscribe button. As always, thanks for reading. Till next time, keep on crowing!

~The Kuntry Klucker Crew~

The Essential Beginners Guide to Backyard Chickens.

Posted on June 24, 2019 by Noelle K. Moser

So, you want to raise chickens but you have absolutely no idea where to begin. In this post, I will tell you how I began my adventure with raising chickens and show you how to begin your own backyard chicken endeavor.

It was about 10 years ago when the thought of keeping chickens first crossed my mind. I never had chickens before, nor was I raised around them. My grandparents had a farm where they raised produce and pigs. I visited every summer, that was the extent of my country upbringing. I had a good handle on how to garden and grow crops, as to livestock, I had to start from square one.

In a world where we can buy literally everything we need at the store, I waned to have a say as to where my food came from. I wanted to have farm fresh eggs and a garden where I could grow organic produce for my family. I also needed guidence on how to cultivate hard red clay here in Tennessee.

I found through this endeavor, soil conditioning and fertilizer in the form of manure is a good place to start. I also found out that chicken manure is the best from of fertilizer. Chicken, as opposed to cow or horse manure does not contain seeds, chickens process everything they consume. Due to the grinding organ, the gizzard, all seeds are broken down into usable fuel for a garden. Cow and horses on the other hand do not process all the seeds they eat, resulting in fertile weed seeds for your garden. In order to have the homestead and garden I wanted, I had to get chickens. Thus stated the adventure with my backyard divas.

Why do you want chickens?

***Buff Orpington eggs in a nesting box***

If you are reading this blog post, you have already decided that you want to get chickens. This is the first and foremost thing to consider before getting your first flock. Keeping backyard chickens is very rewarding with many benefits. However, they do require daily care and attention. Knowing why you want to dedicate the time and resources required is very important.

Know your zoning laws.

Backyard blooming 2 — ***The Kuntry Klucker Farm “coop-hood”.***

Before you even look at coop designs and hatcheries, you need to find out what your zoning laws require. Every state has a different zoning law when it comes to livestock. Unlike a cat or dog, there are strict laws concerning pet chickens, the state views them as “livestock”. If you are in the city, if allowed, you will be limited to a small number of hens in your backyard, usually 6 or so, omitting roosters. Most city ordinances do not allow roosters per the noise issue.

If you live in the county or country, livestock is most likely permitted. You still need to check your zoning laws to be sure of any and all restrictions. For example, I live in a rural county in East Tennessee. Although I am outside city limits, I have to abide by certain guidelines. For example, my coops need to be at least 250 feet away from my neighbor’s front door, my animals must be contained by either a fence or pen attached to their coop, and I need to have a good waste management routine implemented to reduce both varmints and odors that may bother my neighbors. I have met the requirements, stipulations and more. My girls’ coops are in our backyard, enclosed by a 6-foot wood privacy fence. Their coops and pens are cleaned and maintained daily, I practice good manure management, aiding in both good health and odor reduction.

Do your research..Breeds, temperament, disposition.

Ask yourself what kind of chickens you want? Do you want to keep a flock of chickens for eggs, or do you want them for meat?

Do you want to involve your kids in keeping backyard chickens? Do you want to keep them purely for the enjoyment and fun of owning backyard chickens? What temperament do you want in your backyard flock?

These are just a few of the questions to ask yourself. Of course, chickens can offer much more then eggs and meat, they can be pets, forms of entertainment and a companion like a family dog. The spectrum is so wide ranging when it comes to chickens, you can literally have your cake and eat it too.

Most people want to have a flock of chickens that are docile and friendly. If children will be involved with caring for the chickens, this is of upmost importance to beginning keepers. Luckily there are many breeds that would fit this need.

Below, I will list a few of the friendliest breeds. I have most of the breeds or have interacted with them and can vouch for calm and friendly behavior. As with people, chickens have personalities, some may not be as friendly as others. When viewed as a whole, these breeds are great choices for a beginning backyard setting. If roosters are a concern, I have much experience with roosters, I currently have 13 gents. I have examined the temperament and demeanor of various breeds. To read my research and experience with rooster, click here.

~ Buff Orphington

~ Silkie

~ Polish

~ Silver Lace Wyandotte

~ Australorp

~ Cochin

~ Easter Egger

~ Brahma

~ Sussex

For egg potential, the best layer breeds are Orpingtons, Australorps, Easter Eggers, Rhode Island Reds, Production Reds, Leghorns and Plymouth Rocks.

As for meat chickens, typically any standard or large dual-purpose bird will do. However, Cornish Crosses are typically chosen to meet this need. I do not raise chickens for meat; thus, I am I am not able to speak into this. There are many YouTube and other sources on the net to help you get started on this path.

Where to get your chicks? Hatcheries or Feed Store.

After you have decided what purpose, you want your chickens to fill, you need to decide where to purchase chicks. I have purchased chicks from both feed stores and from hatcheries. There are pros and cons to both. I will list them below for your consideration.

Feed store chicks

~ pros: cheap, no waiting time, you can hand pick your chicks, usually older chicks typically a week old or more, don’t need to be picked up early in the morning at the post office.

~ Cons: usually only basic breeds, depending on store the care of the chicks can be poor, easy to purchase too many (I struggle with this one, I want them all), typically sold as straight runs (not sexed, you WILL get both hens and roosters), chicks tend to be more high strung and flighty due to feed store environment, sold during the spring months only (February thru April) although some locations may have chicks in the fall.

Hatchery

~ Pros: Chicks are sexed (you can purchase only pullets or hens, omitting roosters), chicks are usually in better health, can purchase rare breeds, chicks are typically of better quality, can order your chicks to be shipped any month (except winter months).

~ Cons: more expensive (you will need to pay shipping which can be as much as $45 depending on location), you will need to schedule a time to be home to receive your chicks ( you will need to clear two days from your calendar to pick up your chicks at the post office, they can be delayed in the mail), chicks will arrive at your post office (you will be called early usually between 5-7am to pick up your chicks when the overnight truck arrives), some chicks may die in transportation (be prepared to open your box and find dead chicks, this has only happened to me once in 10 years), orders typically need to be placed in November around Thanksgiving for spring chicks.

Given both methods of acquiring chicks, I prefer to work through hatcheries. Yes, it is a bit more expensive, I have several reasons for this preference. I will list them below.

1.) I like knowing I am the only one to care for them from the moment they arrive. Such things as the feed to the quality of the water and vitamins I administer in their water.

2.) I like the wider selection that hatcheries offer. I tend to gravitate towards more rare breeds not offered in the feed stores.

3.) I find that they are healthier and less traumatized than those purchased at the feed store.

4.) I have found that they are less flighty. Chicks sold in feed stores constantly have hands grabbing for them, causing them to be flightier and higher strung. The chicks that I purchased from the hatchery, despite traveling are much calmer and easier to hand raise. Chicks bought from the feed store are very skittish and harder to hand raise. Due to their exposure to the feed store setting, they are often terrified of hands.

If you decide that chicks from the feed store meet your needs, visit your local Tractor Supply or equivalent in your area and begin your backyard chicken adventure.

For those who decide after careful consideration that hatcheries are a better route for you, do your research before you order. There are many hatcheries out there to choose from. Who you order from will have a lot to do with what breeds you want. Some hatcheries specialize in heritage breeds, others offer rare breeds.

I have ordered from several hatcheries, all with good experiences. Below I will list the hatcheries I have done business with. I can vouch for their service and quality of chicks.

Cackle Hatchery – I ordered my first clutch of chicks from Cackle. 9 years later, I still have 5 of the original 17 Buff Orpingtons I ordered.

My Pet Chicken – I order all my Silkies and White Crested Polish Chickens from MPC. They are great outfit and offer some of the rarer breeds of chickens. Their customer service is top notch. If any chicks pass during shipping, they will reimburse you for the loss of chicks.

McMurray Hatchery – I have ordered some of my very rare Polish breeds through McMurray. They also stock some extremely rare breeds. If you are interested in something a little bit different for your backyard flock, they are the best place to go.

Preparing The Brooder.

Now that you have ordered or plan to pick up your chicks at your local feed store or co-op, it’s time to set up the brooder. A brooder is basically a heated home for your newly hatched chicks. In nature, the mother hen would be the brooder. She would keep them warm, teach them how to drink and what to eat. Since you picked up or ordered your chicks, essentially you have to be the mother hen to these little ones. Don’t worry, it’s not complicated. There are just a few very important steps that need to be taken to insure the successful transition of your chicks.

what you will need:

1. Enclosed container with sides and a top.

2. Heat source

3. Feeder and Feed

4. Waterer and vitamins to put in the water

5. Pine Shavings

6. Other accessories such as perches or toys to keep them occupied.

***My brooder container or choice, puppy play pen.***

For my brooder set up I use a Puppy Play Pen these can be found on Amazon and most pet stores. I like to use these for brooders for several reasons.

~ 1. They are completely enclosed, this means that all the shaving stays in the brooder, reducing much of the mess. The screened sides allow for air flow and visual access to your chicks. Due to the fact that the chicks can see and observe their world outside of the brooder, they are more laid back and less flighty.

~ 2. They have a top. This will become important when the chicks get to the flying phase of their development.

~ 3. They are easy to clean, fold up, and store easily.

Heat:

As for the heat source, I discourage the use of heat lamps. Most people associate brooding chicks with the big red 500-watt bulbs blasting the chicks with intense heat and light. This was the common way of brooding chicks during our grandparent’s day. As for today’s chicks, brooding has taken on a better much safer route to supplying heat to your chicks. Brooder lamps as they are known are very dangerous. There is no way to safely mount a heat lamp around shaving (kindling wood) and flying animals. I cannot recount how many times I have heard, or I see coop, barn, and house fires caused by the humble heat lamp.

In lieu of a hazardous heat lamp I use a Brinsea Ecoglow Radiant Heat Plate. These radiant heat plates mimic the heat from a mother hen, rather than blasting the chicks with unnatural light 24/7. These are a much safer option for heating and do not carry the risk of fires, injury, and death as the heat lamp of yesteryear.

Feeders:

Next, you will need chick feed and a feeder. When it comes to chick feed there are two school of thought. Medicated or unmedicated. Medicated chick feed has a medicine in the feed to prevent or give the chicks an immunity to coccidiosis. Coccidiosis is a disease of the intestinal track; chicks are very susceptible to this condition. Coccidiosis contributes to a large percentage of high mortality rates in young chicks. The medicated feed prevents this condition, giving them a much healthier start in life.

Unmedicated feed is also a good choice, used mainly by people who choose to give their chicks a more organic start to life. Either is fine, you as the caretaker need to decide which route is best for you. As for me, I am pro medicated chick feed. Since I switched to medicated feed, I find that I lose less chicks and that they are healthier from the beginning. As for the feeder, feed stores have a wide variety of feeders to choose from. Just pick the one that fits your brooder set up the best.

Waterers and vitamins:

The type of waterer you have is very important. The goal of the waterer is to give your chicks access to clean fresh water, taking great care that they do not get wet. Once again when it comes to waterers there are two schools of thought, traditional waterers or poultry nipple drinkers.

The traditional waterers are widely available at feed stores, just make sure that you get a small one to prevent the chicks from getting wet. The poultry nipples can be found at some feed stores, but most of them have to be ordered. I do not use the nipple drinkers, I cannot into how to train your chicks to use them. I know that others use them with much success. I find that the traditional waterers work best for me.

Like people, vitamins are very important to young growing chicks. I put vitamins in my chick’s water daily for the first several months. The vitamins ensure that the chicks are getting all the nutrients that they need to get a good start in life. Some vitamins have probiotics in them which gives them an additional boost in the right direction. Most feed stores have poultry vitamins available; I typically pick them up at Tractor Supply.

Shavings or bedding:

Brooder bedding serves the purpose of absorbing moisture, keeping your chicks healthy and happy. The safest bedding to use around chicks is pine shaving. Most feed stores stock pine shavings, they can also be found at Walmart and pet stores. An important note about shavings, cedar is toxic to chicks, take care to make sure that you use pine shavings in your brooder set up.

The pine shaving should be cleaned out once a week and replaced with fresh. More often if you have a quite a few chicks in your brooder.

How to Introduce your new chicks to the brooder and teach them to eat and drink.

When you first arrive home with your new chicks, the first thing you want to do is teach them what water is and where to find it. After traveling for several days, they will be thirsty. To relay this important survival information to your chicks, dip their beaks in the water. As you remove them from their shipping container and place them in the brooder, dip their beaks in the water. Do this for every one of the chicks. You may need to dip their beaks in the water more than once for them to make the connection. You will know that the connection has been made when they drink from the waterer on their own. They will be thirsty; it will not take them long to appreciate the water.

Chicks naturally have a pecking instinct; this means that they will peck at anything that is in front of them. It is your job as a caretaker to teach them what is food. The best way to do this is to line the bottom of your brooder with paper towels for the first few days. On top of the paper towels, scatter some chick feed. The chicks will instinctively peck at the feed, teaching them that “this is food”. If you put new chicks on the shavings, they may eat the shavings mistaking them for food. After they learn to identify their food, the source by eating from feeder, you can remove the paper towels and expose the shavings. They will enjoy scratching in the shavings looking for food, much like adult hens do when looking for bugs in the grass.

Once everyone is eating and drinking on their own, you can take a sigh of relief. From this point on they are able to take care of their needs, regulating their food as water intake as needed. The first week they will spend a lot of time under the heater and sleep a lot. Beginning in the second week, they will be a lot more active and enjoy interacting with their caretaker.

Once the young brood is completely feathered, they can move into their outdoor digs. The time of year you acquire your brood will make a huge difference on when they can be moved outside to their coop. If you get them during the colder months (February – April) depending on your location, you may have to keep them inside a bit longer. To get around this, I typically request my hatch dates to be in May and June. During these months, the temps are warmer especially at night. I do this so that I can get them outside a lot sooner. During these summer months, I can even brood my chicks outdoors in a protected coop. I often resort to this method of brooding. I find that the chicks do much better early on if raised outdoors. Additionally, it frees me from the shaving mess and dust that chicks produce, giving our allergies a much-needed break.

I set up a brooder outside just the same as I would set up one indoors. I provide the essentials food, water, and heat. I simply purchase an industrial outdoor extension cord, run it to the coop and hook the power up. I am currently brooding a clutch of 6 White Crested Polish Bantam chicks in The Coop De Ville. All are doing well and are enjoying the coop life.

Getting the Coop purchased and constructed

Now that that you have your new additions home and brooding, if you have not already, it’s time to get their outdoor digs ready.

Once again, when it comes to coops there are two schools of thought, hand-built or prefab. I have done both and will link the blog post where I discuss this in detail here. Whichever method you choose is up to you. I really don’t think one is necessary better than the other, its whatever works for you and your family.

I have 5 prefab coops; with proper care they last a long time. I also have 2 hand-built coops also with proper care are long lasting. Both prefab and hand-built coops will require care and Maintenace. My oldest prefab coop is 5 years old. My first coop, The Kuntry Klucker I built 10 years ago. It comes down to your budget, skills in wood working, and time. It takes longer to build a coop, more money and the skills needed to conceptualize and execute.

If building a coop is not in your wheelhouse that’s ok. Tractor Supply and other co-ops have a great selection of coops in stores as well as online. I own three Tractor Supply prefab coops; I am pleased with all of them. They are holding up very well and make excellent homes for all my girls.

I hope that is you have found this post helpful in staring your own flock. It may seem daunting at first, especially if you were not raised around livestock. It takes a bit of time and research. Once you get rolling, you will find that chickens are simple creatures. They require little but give back a lot in return. Aside from the small amount of time they require, chickens really are lot of fun and are very rewarding.

Here is a short video of my chicken yard. As you can see, I have both prefab and hand-built coops. Both make excellent homes for your ladies and gent.

Link to my blog post entitled Bachelor Pens for Roosters, mentioned in the above video. If you need a solution for extra roosters, a bachelor pen is a great option.

If you have any questions, feel free to post in the comments. You can also drop me a line at kuntryklucker@gmail.com.

I am a published author, multi-disciplinary writer and blog contributor. If you like this blog, please visit some of my other sites.

Knowledge of the Spheres – Exploring the Celestial Spheres!

Coffee and Coelophysis – A blog about Dinosaurs!

Chicken Math University – Adventures in Homeschooling.

If you liked this post, peck the subscribe button. As always, thanks for reading. Till next time, keep on crowing!

~ The Kuntry Klucker Crew ~

***Fi (Silver Lace Polish) perching on a hammock chair under the shade of the grape arbor.***

Is it hard to raise Backyard Chickens?

Posted on January 28, 2017 by Noelle K. Moser

Raising chickens is a fun and affordable hobby. Its called backyard chickens for a reason, this implies that one wants to raise a mini flock of chickens rather than a large operation. Now, don’t get me wrong, chicken math is a force of nature not to be taken lightly. But for the average backyard chicken enthusiast, keeping your flock at a manageable number is relatively easy. Its just takes the persistent enforcement of chicken birth control (aka. collecting eggs) and obtaining only a few number of chicks from reliable hatcheries. You can also ask one of your backyard chicken friends to hatch you off a small starter flock. Other than that, keeping a small flock of backyard chickens is not inherently difficult.

Chickens are very simple creatures, they do not demand a lot from their owners. Since chickens are very social animals they have plenty of company among their flock members. The needs of a chicken are simple. They need clean, fresh water daily. It does not need to be filtered or bottled but it does need to be fresh and clean daily. Simply filling up a clean water container every morning when letting the flock out of the coop is all this entails. They also need fresh and dry feed daily. It is always best to keep your feed in galvanized trash cans if you plan on keeping it outside. Not only will this keep your feed uncontaminated (from rats, coons and other wildlife) it will ensure that the feed will remain dry and thus not spoil. Chicken feed comes in large 25 to 50 pound bags, you will have enough feed to last a while depending on the size of your flock. As you can see in the image below, I keep two galvanized trash cans outside of the pen, this is were I store the feed for the girls. Be warned, your chickens will very quickly learn to associate the sound of the lids being removed from the cans as a makeshift dinner bell. My girls get very excited when they hear the all too familiar”clank” of the trash cans lids. I am suddenly surrounded by a group of girls eagerly anticipating its contents.

Next, you will need a habitat. This is where a lot of chicken owners can be creative and inventive. You can do whatever you want to make your backyard chickens home personable to you, just make sure that is has a few very important qualities.

Your chickens home needs to be large enough to accommodate the size of your birds as well as your flock. A lot of coop descriptions will say that “this coop will fit 2-4 standard size birds”. What does that mean? Well chickens come in two sizes, standard or large fowl and bantam or miniature chickens. If you have 6 standard size birds you need to make sure that you choose a coop that can fit 6-8 standard size birds. Choosing a coop that fits less than that will cause stress in the flock. If the birds do not have ample room and feel over crowded many problems can result. Over mating of the hens by the rooster, cannabolism caused by pecking of flock mates, and of course illness due to the birds being under stress. So when choosing a coop, first know the size of your birds and based on the dimensions of the coop how many can fit comfortably.
Your chickens home needs to be secure. This means not only does it need latches on the door to keep predators out, the coop also needs to have a pen if you choose to keep your girls in a pen vs free ranging. Most if not all coops bought in the stores usually come with an attached pen in its design. Make sure that the pen is enclosed with wire mesh that is galvanized with holes small enough to keep even the peskiest mouse out of your girls home.
Your coop must be easy to clean. Most coops are designed with a drawer that can be pulled out from under the roosts to clean the dropping off from the previous night. Many chicken owner put pine shaving on this drawer to absorb moisture from the dropping and simply with gloves or a small hand shovel remove the dropping like you would clean a litter box. Either method is fine, just make sure the you clean the dropping out daily to keep flies and illness at bay.
your coop must be draft free. When looking for or constructing a coop make sure that the coop has both ample ventilation while at the same time being draft free. It sounds like a double edged sword, I know. What this basically means is leave room at the top for air to escape while also protecting the birds from fridgid winter wind, rains, and other elements. Your coop does not need to be warm or heated. In fact, heat lamps are the number one cause of coop fires. Not only will a heat lamp fire kill your birds, coop fires can also damage other structures on your property including your home. Never use Heat lamps in coops, they are just too dangerous. Instead focus on keeping your chicken coop clean and dry. Chickens do not need heat, they come with down jackets factory installed and are well able to regulate their own body temperature given the right conditions, that being a coop that is clean, dry, and draft free. As long as your birds remain dry and protected from the wind and rain they will do just fine when it comes to surviving winter.
The design of the coop. The design of chicken coops are endless. I have seen everything from little cottages to barn style chicken coops. Quite honestly, I think that picking out the perfect chicken coop is almost as fun as picking out what breed or breeds you want to raise. You don’t have to buy your coop prefab you can get plans off the internet and make your own from raw materials. Either way its up to you. We have done both. We made our first coop and pen from scratch. It was fun and we really enjoyed the process. The additional coops I bought as prefab kits that I put together.Both have advantages and disadvantages. The advantage of making your own coop is that you can make it as big as you want, the disadvantage is that it takes a while to construct and can be expensive. The advantage of prefab kit coops is that they come already made all you have to do is screw them together and you have a coop in about 45 minutes. The disadvantage is that you are limited by the designs that are available. Personally I like the prefab coops better. They are made with quality materials and are easy to maintain and clean. I cannot keep large numbers of birds in them so I usually have to get several but I don’t mind having to take care of more than one coop. Coop chores are so simple, more than one coop really does not make that much more work.

Here are a few pics of my coops. I currently have three and have plans to purchase one more. The first one is The Kuntry Klucker, this is the coop that hubby and I made from scratch. It took about 4 months and roughly $1000 from start to finish. This will house up to 20 standard size birds. The most I have ever had in this coop is 17. Even then they still had plenty of room.

Next is Roy’s Roost, it is a prefab coop. It will house two standard size birds or 3 bantom size birds. I bough it for Roy as his hospital coop when he was sick. Since his passing its purpose still remains as my hospital coop. When I have a girl that needs separated from the flock due to injury or illness I place her in this coop. I can better monitor her eating and drinking habits as well as administer medication if needed. The patient will remain here till she can be returned to the flock.

This last coop is Betsy’s Bliss. I bought this coop to serve as a broody coop. This is where I will house a broody momma as she sits on her nest. This allows the mamma hen some privacy while still allowing her to eat, drink, and dust bathe normally. When the chicks hatch both mamma and chicks are protected from predators and curious flock mates. It will house one standard size bird and a few chicks or two bantam size chickens.

I have placed these two smaller kit coops in my spice garden. When not in use they serve a decorative accents in my garden. I purchased these two coops about two years ago. They have survived the elements and mother nature very well. In the fall I put a coat of wood protectant on them to protect them from the harsh elements of winter. If we have heavy snow or ice in the forecast I will put 6×8 tarps over the top of them just to give them a bit of extra protection. Other than their size, I really do not experience any different in their function or durability. I am very pleased with these kit coops and will plan on purchasing more as my needs arise.

Other than the basic needs of food, water, and housing chickens are very simple to raise. The only other thing I can suggest is to have a chicken first aid kit on hand. I have built up my first aid kit slowly over the years. Basically you will need items to treat a chicken that may have injuries or illness. When taken care of properly chickens do not encounter much illness. The most complicated condition I have ever had to deal with was when several of my girls coming down with Bumble foot. I have a blog post on Bumble foot for those who wish to learn how to affectively and simply treat this condition.

Your first aid kit should include basic items such as: epsom salts, rubbing alcohol, peroxide, cotton balls, triple antibiotic cream, salve, and vet wrap. Vet wrap is very handy because unlike a band-aid it will stick to itself making it ideal for animal use. I cannot tell you how many feet of vet wrap I have used throughout my years as a backyard chicken keeper.

My girls have never needed any antibiotic treatment. I am usually able to treat minor ailment with natural methods such as apple cider vinegar in the water, electrolytes, and chicken rx herbal drops. Should my girls ever develop an infection that needs antibiotic I would consult a vet to assist me. In my experience, given proper care my girls have never developed any conditions that I could not treat at home.

As for the cost of keeping backyard chickens, once you have their habitat purchased or constructed they are very affordable to maintain. My 10 girls will go through a 50 pound of feed in about a month. I find compared to a medium size dog chickens are much cheaper to keep. Additionally, for all your work and dedication they will give you something in return, a beautiful farm fresh egg. In my book a pet that makes me breakfast is worth its weight in gold.

Thanks for stopping by and spending time with the girls and I. As always if you have any questions please feel free to post in the comments. I will do my best to get back to you as soon as I can.

Thanks for visiting, the girls and I will see you soon.

~ The Kuntry Klucker Crew~