When planning your chicken housing and runs, you should plan for your climate conditions and the number of chickens that you want to provide for. Each standard size chicken needs at least four square feet of space. This means that for every three chickens you plan to have, you will need 12 square feet of space.

Of course, the more space you provide, the happier and healthier the chickens will be. A larger space significantly cuts down on squabbling, gives your chickens more opportunity for exercise, and decreases the threats of illnesses that are prevalent in close quarters.

Chicken coop kits are readily available with all construction materials included. However, these are usually only meant for up to 3 chickens, and are cost prohibitive for larger units.

If you are only planning to keep a couple of chickens you can buy a coop and run ready made through online mail order. These units sit on the ground and are not secure against even medium sized predators. But they are easily moved from one part of your yard to another. They are a good consideration for a ‘day’ pen, as you can move to locations for fresh vegetation and bug intake.

When building your own chicken coop, be careful of building materials that can be a hazard to your birds and the eggs you plan to collect. Wood that has been pressure treated to prevent termites and rot can have traces of arsenic imbedded in it. Also be careful not to use paint that could contain lead. Remember that anything ingested by the chicken can end up in her eggs that can end up in your family.

If you are new to raising chickens, you may not know that chicken wire affords very little protection to chickens. Dogs, skunks, opossums, raccoons, fox, coyotes, and many other predators tear right through chicken wire.

When formulating your chicken coop plans, only use chicken wire for the bottom of the cage to keep predators from digging under. It is a great deterrent for that because the animal doesn’t have the leverage he needs to tear through from underneath. He will get discouraged and hunt elsewhere.

Use a heavier gauge wire mesh for the sides and top of your pen to protect your chickens. Even if your coop provides for lock down at night, predators will still try to get through to eat grain, drink from their water, and will try to get into the coop itself.

If you have raccoons in your area you may have to use a padlock to keep them out of the coop. A slide bolt or hasp is easily maneuvered by a chicken killing veteran raccoon. Your chicken coop plans should take into account the type of predators present around your location.

With some thought about your climate, the number of chickens you would like to have, and basic safety measures, your chicken coop plans can be the start of an enjoyable hobby for you and your family.

Feeding Baby Chicks

Baby chicks should always start out on chick starter that is 20-22% protein for egg producers, and up to 24% protein for meat chickens.  Chick starter should be used until the age of 6-9 weeks, depending on the breed of chicken and how quickly it matures.  Meat chickens should then go on “broiler finish” grain until they are ready to slaughter.

If you are raising meat chickens you should choose chicken feed that has antibiotics to prevent Coccidiosis.  This is also a good idea for any chicken unless you are planning to sell products that are “free range” or “organic”.

Raising your own meat chickens may not be the most pleasant thing about raising chickens, but it prevents your family from ingesting the hormone load given to commercial chickens to increase the growth rate and size.

Adult Chickens

Once the chickens are ready to go on adult feed, you should choose feed that is 14 % protein.  Calcium is super important in laying hens and in extra-large breeds like Jersey Giants that need strong bones to hold their weight.

Adult chicken feed comes in pellets, crumbles, mash and scratch.  The way to get the most balanced diet in the chickens is to mix some scratch in with pellets or crumbles, and supplement with vegetables and calcium.

You can supplement your chicken’s calcium intake by using clean, crushed egg shells in their feed.  They will eat what they need if it is available.

Veggies and Peelings

Leftover veggies like spinach, Romain, carrot peels, apple peelings, and whole grains like oatmeal, barley, and small amounts of fruit make your chickens healthier and happier.  Just remember this is a supplement to chicken feed, not a replacement.  They must have the protein and other nutrients provided by the chicken feed unless they are totally free range in a very nutritious environment.

Just remember that as long as it is fresh it can go to your chickens instead of down the garbage disposal, as long as it is not a meat product.

Chicken Mobiles

A chicken tractor gives you the versatility to move your flock from place to place in your yard.  This keeps the vegetation, available bugs, and grit fresh and the chickens interested.  This is a good method if you don’t have the room for free range, or need to protect your chickens from daytime predators.

This also keeps your yard from getting brown areas where the chickens scratch to find morsels.

Hazards

Beware of using pesticides and fertilizers in any area where your chickens might feed.  They are not picky when pecking at granules on the ground and can easily poison themselves and your eggs.

They can also become poisoned from grass and plants where you have used weed killers or spray (water soluble) fertilizers.  Remember that whatever goes into your chickens will go into your eggs.  Pesticides and chemicals can show up in your eggs before the chicken shows any sign of illness.

If done properly, your home grown chickens and eggs will provide wonderful nutrition for you and your family.  When you feed chickens well they will provide you with years of fresh eggs every day.

If you begin with day old baby chicks from a hatchery, you will need to provide constant warmth until they feather out.  This usually takes a few weeks.  Their ambient temperature should begin at 99 degrees Fahrenheit the first week and decrease by 5 degrees each week until the temps reach 75 degrees.

This can be accomplished with a simple light bulb or a heat lamp hung from a height that the chicks can’t touch.  You can use a box, aquarium, or plastic storage container for housing, with newspaper in the bottom, until the chicks are feathered out.

Once the chickens are fully feathered, or if you begin with adults, they can live in a chicken coop with an exercise run.  They will need four square feet of space per chicken at a minimum.

You can house any number of hens together as long as there is sufficient space available, but there can be only one rooster per pen once they become adults.

When raising backyard chickens you can expect your hens to begin laying eggs by the time they are six months old, unless they mature to this age in the winter.  If you are in a cold climate, they may wait until spring to begin laying eggs.

Young hens may lay outside of the nest boxes.  One remedy for this is to place a wooden or plastic egg in each nest box to encourage laying in the right place, and make your egg gathering much easier.

If you are raising chicken for meat, you will need to buy breeds that are will be a good size by the time they are 16 weeks old.  Cornish crosses are often used for this purpose.  They utilize their chicken feed efficiently and grow rapidly.

For the best egg production many people choose White leghorns or Rhode Island Reds.  They lay an egg nearly every day.  However, many of the more personable and friendly chickens lay almost as well, such as Standard Cochins, and they make great pets for kids.

If you want to raise baby chicks from your adults, you will need a breed that goes “broody” (sits on the eggs) once she has a full nest, or you will need an incubator.  Some chicken breeders keep broody hens such as Silkies to sit on the eggs of their other livestock.

For selling fertile eggs or day old chicks, look into the rare and endangered species.  The fertile eggs and chicks will sell for a larger profit, and the adults don’t cost any more to keep than a normal barnyard chicken.  These include some beautiful heritage breeds and flamboyant exotics.

When choosing your chicken breeds, choose breeds that will adapt easily to your climate.  Cochins are good cold climate chickens with their full, fluffy feathering that reaches to their toes, while some like the Silkies, need warm weather.

Silkies have to be kept dry because their feathers have fur like qualities.  This is an attribute that makes them unusual and endearing to their owner, but they get soggy quickly in rain and the chill can kill them.

Before beginning your hobby of raising backyard chickens, research all the various types of chicken and make your selections wisely.

These starter structures should be wood, as metal can quickly become too hot inside for your chickens to survive in the warmer months.

Starting from Scratch

Of course you can always start from scratch and design your own plans.  If you are good with a hammer and this is how you decide to go there are some things to keep in mind.

Never use wood that has been treated to withstand termites and weather rot.  This wood has been chemically treated and can contain poisons.  Remember that whatever goes into your chickens while they are scratching and pecking at everything will end up in you by way of their eggs.

Also beware of lead based paint.  You can still run across it from time to time, and it could have been used on an old structure you are considering as a starter coop.  Any old paint on this type of building should be removed.

Don’t expect chicken wire to keep your poultry safe.  It easily gives way to determined predators like coyotes, raccoons, opossums, and your neighbor’s dog.  The best place for chicken wire is as a “floor” for your run area.  Predators can’t get in by digging under, but the chickens still have access to the ground, grass, and bugs.

Size Planning

Plan your space to accommodate the number of chickens you are planning to keep.  A standard Cochin, for example, needs 4 feet of space.  If you are going to keep 3 chickens, you will need 12 feet of space.  If you want more than one rooster, you will need multiple pens.

Roosters do not co-exist well.  They will fight – usually to the death.  Fighting will stress the hens and may cause them to cease laying eggs.

If you are keeping chicken for egg production, the amount of eggs laid will depend on the breed of chicken.  Most any chicken will lay an egg every one to three days, but some, like the Plymouth Rock will lay an egg a day – every day – for about 3 years.

If you just want enough eggs for your family and a good pet in the deal, you could use Cochins.  They will lay nearly everyday and they make great pets for children . So with 3 Cochin hens you can expect about 1.5 dozen eggs a week.

If you plan to have extra eggs to sell, you can generally plan for one hen to lay 5 eggs per week . Divide the number of eggs you want per week by 5, and that will give you the approximate number of chickens you will need to house to attain your egg goal.  This will give you a good idea of how much space you’ll need for your chickens.

The 12 feet of space you need for 3 chickens is the minimum.  The more space you provide, the healthier the chickens will be.  Cramped space will stress the hens, make them more prone to disease, and shorten their lifespan.

Designing Your Chicken Coop

When you are deciding how you want your chicken coop to look remember to plan for access.  You will need a way to clean it out regularly, and you will need a way to gather the eggs easily.

You will also need to provide a run so that the chickens can come out and exercise each day.  This should attach to the coop so that you just open a door to let them come out.  If the coop is up off the ground, the door can latch from the top.  This will allow it to drop down and become a bridge for the chickens to walk down to the ground.

There are a lot of chicken coop plans on the internet that are downloadable.  Some are better than others.  Check out the reviews on this site to make sure you get the best one.

Whether you want a rustic, charming, country chicken coop, or one that compliments your homes architecture, building your own chicken coop is fun and satisfying.

Starting Baby Chicks

If you order day old chicks from a hatchery to be shipped to you, the first care they receive is important to their development.  Most post offices require that you pick them up since their vehicles for delivery are not climate controlled . As soon as you get them home open the box and hydrate them.  Use Pedialyte for the first day to give them the best start.

Feeding is less important at this point.  The first 3 days of a chick’s life it is still digesting the yolk.  This is nature’s way of giving the chick time to learn to eat.

When raising chickens you must have a warm place for them to stay until they feather out.  This can be a plastic storage container, a large aquarium, or a cardboard box.  Use newspaper to line the bottom for easy and regular cleaning.  They will need to be kept at 99 – 100 degrees Fahrenheit for the first week.  Then you can decrease the temperature by 5 degrees weekly until you get down to 80 degrees.

Feed them a good grade of chick starter, which is ground corn and grains with vitamins and calcium, until they feather out and become big enough to eat regular chicken feed or pellets.

Housing and Safety

If you get more than one rooster in your batch of baby chicken you will have to separate them before they become adults.  Just because they don’t fight when they are young doesn’t mean it is safe to keep them together later . Once they become sexually mature they will injure each other, and if not separated, they can kill each other.

Raising chickens requires space both in a coop and in an outdoor pen.  Each standard sized adult chicken will need at least four square feet of space.  More is preferable.  Cramped quarters lead to illness, squabbling, and nervous hens who won’t lay eggs well.

You may not realize how much wildlife you have around your home until the smell of fresh chickens you’re raising brings them out.  Opossums, raccoons, skunks, rats, snakes, coyotes, and many other predators would love to feast on your lovely flock of chickens.

Keep your chickens safe from predators by:

• Lock them up tight in the coop at night.  A slide lock will not keep an experienced raccoon out.  You may have to use a padlock.
• Even if the chickens are safe inside a coop at night, predators can dig under to eat their feed and contaminate it with infections.  Worse, they may not be able to get back out and be waiting for you in morning.  Using wire for a floor in the outdoor or run area of the chicken pen to discourage digging predators will keep your chickens and you safer.
• There are some LED lights on the market now that mimic the shining eyes of a dog or coyote at night that have been proven to reduce vermin.
• You local feed store may carry “fox pee” that you can sprinkle around the cage and coop to keep vermin away.  It must be reapplied regularly.

Whether you are raising chickens for eggs, a small business, or a fun family project you will find it a rewarding experience.

• How many chickens do you plan to keep?  Each standard sized chicken needs 4 square feet of space.  Bantam breeds need 2 square feet per chicken, and the giant breeds, such as the Jersey Giants, need 6 square feet of space per chicken.  The more space you can provide, the happier and healthier your chickens will be.  More space means less squabbling, and cramped quarters make your chickens more prone to illness.
• What types of predators do you have to guard against in your area?  Skunks and opossums will dig under fencing, hawks swoop from above, and raccoons can open any device short of a padlock.  Your diy chicken coop must provide security from these dangers.
• What type of climate do you have?  Very cold climates necessitate a snug, waterproof coop; hot climates demand good ventilation in the coop, although you still need to keep rain from coming in.  You climate will also come into play when deciding what breed of chickens you choose.  There are literally hundreds of breeds, some do better in hot climates, some in cold and others are great for tropical weather.  Breed research is important when deciding which breeds will be best for you.
• No matter what your climate is like you will need to provide a run for your chickens.  They need fresh air and sunshine as often as possible.  The run gives them opportunity for exercise, bug hunting and snacking on surrounding vegetation or grass.  This is part of keeping your chickens healthy.
• Do you want your diy chicken coop to be mobile, or is it going to stay in one spot?  A chicken tractor, made to move around the yard to different spots is a great idea for small flocks.  It enables the chickens to have fresh vegetation to explore daily.

One you have formulated a plan, it’s time to thing about your building materials.  Treated lumber can be toxic, so it’s better to use wood that has not been treated to withstand rot or termites.  Lead based paint is still available in many salvage building supplies.  Chickens peck at everything – don’t use lead based paint – they will peck it and it will end up in your eggs.

Chicken wire is not a good choice for chicken pens.  It can be ripped apart by determined predators.  The only good place to use chicken wire is on the bottom of the pen.  It absolutely halts predators that try to dig under to get in.

The fun part of your diy chicken coop is the design process.  Decide whether you want a rustic look, or a coop that mimics the look of your home.  You can design a chicken coop that is reminiscent of an urban apartment house, or that looks like a gingerbread house.  The diy chicken coop designer is limited only by his imagination.

Most chickens will lay 5 eggs per week.  So if you need two dozen eggs per week you will need approximately 4-5 good laying hens.  Check the breeds that you are interested in for the qualities you want.  The best layers won’t usually sit on eggs if you want to hatch a new generation of layers, but some of the breeds that are just a little less productive will set the eggs for you.

If you only want to produce eggs to eat, you won’t need to deal with a rooster, and that can be a big perk.  Roosters can be aggressive and downright mean unless you get a really docile breed of chickens, and even then the rooster won’t be as nice as the hens.

Choosing Your Chickens

The best laying breed of chicken is the White Leghorn.  They will begin laying at about 5 months of age and lay an egg almost daily for the next 3 years or more.  Leghorns lay large white eggs.

Red and Black Stars are also excellent layers and have the added attribute of being friendly and make great pets.  Stars lay large brown eggs, one per chicken almost daily.

There are hundreds of chicken breeds.  Some things to take into consideration when choosing are:

• Look for chickens that will do well in your climate.  Some are adaptable, while others won’t do well in cold climates.
• How much space you have.  An adult chicken needs at least 4 feet of space at the minimum.  This means 16 feet of space per 4 chickens.  More is always better.  They need exercise, and close confinement increases stress in hens that can cause them to stop laying.
• Pick a docile breed if they are going to interact with children.

Small Business Ventures in Chicken Eggs

Keeping chickens for eggs can be a great family hobby or an excellent small home business.

If you have the room to free range the chickens the eggs will bring a higher price.  You can go completely organic and they will bring even more.

If you decide to have fertile eggs for hatching, you can sell the fertile eggs for incubation projects for students, or sell baby chicks.

These endeavors become even more profitable if you choose chickens that are a rare or endangered species.  Many of these eggs are sold on the internet year round.

If you choose this venture, you will have to learn to pack eggs safely for shipping.  This is not as difficult as you might think.  It just takes lots of bubble wrap for each individual egg, and a snug fit in a double box.  I have shipped and received many eggs this way without a mishap.

If you are going to incubate or sell eggs for incubation it is extremely important that you do not wash the eggs.  Just brush off any loose dirt.  Washing the egg removes a protective layer on the outside of the shell.

Keeping chickens for eggs is fun and, with the right planning, can be quite profitable.

Some will allow only a certain number of hens to be keep in town with no roosters, others make it mandatory that coops and cages be 50 to 100 feet away from any other structures, whether they are residential or business.  Still other laws state that you cannot keep poultry if you have less than one acre of property.

A sampling of cities and their laws governing chicken keeping are:

• Dallas laws only specification on chicken keeping is that you can’t keep roosters.
• In Austin the coops must be 50’ away from any buildings other than those that are yours.
• Ft. Worth has a limit on the number of chickens you can keep based on your property size, and they must be 50’ away from any buildings.
• In Houston you must have a special permit that gives the number of chickens and their purpose, whether they are for personal use or commercial.
• Los Angeles allows for chicken keeping with minimal interference.
• Oakland, Ca allows hens but not roosters.
• San Diego allows chickens, but limits you to 25 birds, containers of chicken feed must be impenetrable to rats, and all droppings have to be cleaned out at least one time a week.
• Key West, Fl allows chickens, but you must clean the coop and cages every day and dispose of the waste to their guidelines which doesn’t allow for use as fertilizer.
• In Charlotte N.C. you can keep chickens with a 40 dollar permit and certain stipulations regarding number of chickens, size of pen, and number of feet away from buildings.
• Concorde N.C. has only one chicken law: chicken keeping is not permitted.
• In Columbus Ohio you must have a minimum of 5 acres if you want to keep chickens.  They must also be 100 feet away from roads or property lines.
• Huntsville Al allows chickens as long as you keep the 150 feet away from neighboring homes.
• In Homewood Al it is against the law to have chickens in the city limits unless they are 300 feet from neighboring residences and buildings, and 100 feet from any roads.
• In Denver Colorado you have to place 2 signs in your yard for one month to see if neighbors may object to you having chickens.  You must also pay a 50 dollar application fee, a 100 dollar permit fee, and an annual fee of 70 dollars.  Then your flock will be inspected for safe and sanitary enclosures.
• In Washington D.C. you have to get written permission from all your neighbors to keep chickens on your property.  Chickens must be at least 50 feet from homes.

As you can see chicken laws vary widely.  Some cities have no laws regarding chickens, but will site you for disturbing the peace if your chickens are too noisy for the neighbors.

You must always check you local chicken laws before beginning a flock in your area.

Vaccines

If you order your chicks from a commercial hatchery you can pay a nominal fee to have them vaccinated against some common fowl maladies.  This is usually only a few cents per chick and is well worth the extra cost. You van also vaccinate your chickens at home. Some vaccines to consider are:

• Marek’s Disease is a highly contagious virus that causes tumors in chickens . Most hatcheries offer the vaccine for this disease.  The virus is shed through dander and is then inhaled by the rest of the flock.  There is no cure for this disease, and the only prevention once exposed is early vaccination.  Give vaccine to one day old chicks.
• Newcastle Disease is a virus spread through infected chicken droppings and secretions from their mouth, nostrils, and eyes.   Symptoms include respiratory difficulty, tremors, neck twisting, and death. Can cause flu symptoms and conjunctivitis in exposed humans.  Vaccinate day old chicks to prevent this disease.
• Infectious Bronchitis vaccine should be given to 10 – 35 days of age.  It can be given in their drinking water with Newcastle vaccine at this stage, or as an injection at 14-18 weeks.

Other vaccines are available but are only given if a problem arises in your flock.

Cleanliness

Your chickens coop and pens should be completely cleaned at least once a week.  This will cut down on bacteria and other causes of illness significantly.  Always make sure the food and water dishes are cleaned daily, and remove any unused food. Keep chicken feed in airtight, waterproof containers that rats can’t get in.  If your chicken feed gets wet, replace it.

Using a movable coop or cage for your chickens is convenient and cuts down on the buildup of droppings.  It also gives chickens fresh areas to forage for plant material, insects, and small pieces of grit.  The bonus for chicken owners is that moving the pen around eliminates the bare, brown spots in the yard that are sure to occur with a non-movable pen.

Quality Food

Be sure to give your chickens the proper food for their age.  Protein and carbohydrate needs vary with age.  Supplement commercial chicken feed with greens and vegetables.

The healthiest chickens get to eat a wide variety of grains, seeds, and vegetables.  They can have scraps from your salads and peelings from fruits and vegetables.

Don’t give them any meat products, or leftover salad that has dressing on it.

Signs of Illness

If one of your chickens has diarrhea, is sneezing, won’t get up to eat, or has drainage from its mouth, eyes, or nostrils, remove it from the rest of the flock and have it checked out.  A chicken, like people, can get a cold.  But until you know it’s safe, keep it separated.

Many chicken diseases can go through a flock quickly, and the first signs of illness are the same for many diseases.  To know for sure whether or not you have a problem can be a simple look under the microscope, but many illnesses require a blood test.

Taking precautions to prevent illness is always easier and cheaper than having to diagnosis and find a cure for a sick flock.

Each day when you feed and water your chickens do a visual inspection.  Make sure there aren’t any chickens with dirty feathers around the anus that may signal diarrhea, and that their eyes and nostrils are clear with no drainage.  Be aware of chickens that are reluctant to get up and walk.  Decreased food and water intake or a slowdown in egg production can also be symptoms of illness.

Prevention

In order to prevent sickness in poultry there are four major considerations.

• Have your day old chicks vaccinated before they are shipped.  In most hatcheries this is a nominal charge per chick and well worth the extra change.  The vaccinations can save you a search for an avian veterinarian and exorbitant costs.
• Keep cages, food and water containers, and nesting areas clean.  Regular cleaning keeps illness at bay, and can save a flocks demise from one ill chicken.
• Use chicken feed that contains low dose antibiotics for continuous protection against many bacterial infections.
• Use variety in feeding your flock to make sure they get a balance of vitamins, minerals, protein and carbohydrates.  When you are supplementing with veggies, don’t forget peelings from citrus fruits for vitamin C.

The combination of these preventions won’t guarantee a healthy flock, but it will go a long way in making sure your chickens immunity is at its best when disease comes along.

Some Common Chicken Diseases

Bronchitis symptoms are difficulty breathing (gasping), discharge from eyes and nares, avoidance of food and water.  Increase the chicken’s ambient temperature by 5 degrees Fahrenheit, and give antibiotics.

Avian Flu symptoms are respiratory distress, diarrhea, and lack of interest in food, decreased egg laying.   This disease goes through a flock quickly.  Antibiotics, rest, and hope for the best is about all you can do.  Broad spectrum antibiotic do sometimes work if the chickens immune system is strong before acquiring the disease.  There is a vaccine available for chickens, but it is limited to qualifying flocks.

Infectious Sinusitis is a sinus infection that is considered chronic.  The chickens present with sneezing, swollen nares, discharge from the nares and eyes.  Antibiotics given through their food and water are very effective for this condition.

Bird Pox is sometimes called Chicken Pox but it is not the same as the human version.  The chickens have congestion along with flesh that may look raw with warty type bumps.  The most obvious appearance is on the legs.  The vaccine for this disease is effective, but once the chickens have the disease there is no available treatment.

Eye Worms is a species of roundworm that your chickens can get from earthworms, crickets, flies or anything that has eaten the larva.  Symptoms are swollen eyes with white discharge from the eyes and mouth.  The white chunks are the larva of the mature worm.  Worm your chickens at least every 6 months with a good broad spectrum wormer.  If the larval symptom appears, clean and disinfect coop and pens.  If you don’t kill the larva the cycle will keep repeating itself.

This is just a short selection of the more common chicken diseases, but prevention is always easier than the cure.  Keep your chicken pens clean, provide vaccines, and pay special attention to nutritious food and clean water.