How to Backyard Chickens

This ehow article is about starting a backyard 'farm yard' that has chickens. I will tell you how I convinced (begged) my husband for pet chickens. How to feed, and basically treat them like part of the family. They reward me with eggs and a lot of chicken back talk. :)

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Chicken coop.
• Internet for research.
• Left-overs.
• Easily 'convinced' husband.
• Chickens.

1. 
    
   Always research a project BEFORE you start it.

   RESEARCH:
   Your first and most important step is to find out if #1 you are allowed to legally own chickens. Some neighborhoods have regulations against them. When you check and get the go ahead, your next move is to build a chicken coop. You have to convince your husband that building a chicken coop is a great work out, plus it makes a great family get together activity. After your coop is done and you are still married, do more research on what types of chickens you want. Brown eggs, white eggs, large or med eggs and also some chickens do better in cold weather then others..RESEARCH<<<

2. 
    

   PURCHASE YOUR CHICKENS:
   I purchased my chickens from a seller at a livestock auction. This is not the best way to do it because of diseases and parasites. I had no other chickens at the time so I was not as scared about infecting my other livestock. I was very lucky, because the only problem I had was a hen with an attitude problem and we no longer have her. Sprinkle your new chickens with seven dust in case they have mites, these WILL infest your chickens quickly. Another good tip is to sprinkle seven dust in your shavings occasionally.

3. 
    
   A chickens favorite pasttime is eating!

   FEED YOUR CHICKENS:
   This is the easy and fun part. Chickens are not dumb animals. They know when you are carrying left-overs out to them. They start talking to each other and yelling at you to hurry up. I spoil my pets, sometimes they even get an oatmeal mash in the cold mornings, it's up to you how far you want to take the 'pet' idea with your chickens. There is also a five pound feeder inside their coop, that is kept full at all times. Purchase layer mash or crumbles if you want eggs. Also keep their water containers full and CLEAN, this is very important!! Make sure you offer them grit and calcium in separate containers, this helps them in digestion and eggshell production.

4. 
    
   This is not the fun part of owning chickens but the most important!!

   CLEAN YOUR CHICKENS COOP:
   This is not a fun part of the chicken keeping fun, but it is an evil necessity. I sweep out the shavings once a month and spread these around my bushes, it makes a great compost. I spray a bleach solution on the roosting poles and the nesting boxes. Make sure you do this early in the morning and your hens will be outside for the whole day until their coop is dry and bleach smell free. Replace the shavings and the straw that is inside the nesting boxes. Let the girls back in and they will re-arrange what they want.

5. 
    
   You can dress them up for outings... ;)

   ENJOY YOUR CHICKENS:
   Be careful when buying chickens, I am a Republican and I swear every time my hens lay eggs they scream out our Presidents name..Baaaraaackkkkk...lol

Tips & Warnings

• If you have free range chickens a rooster will help protect the hens
• Raising your own chickens is a rewarding and fun project for you and your kids.
• Home-grown chicken eggs taste totally (better) different from store bought.
• Never let your chickens run out of water or food.
• Watch for hens that are very dominate. If she is too 'picky' get rid of her.
• If you get a rooster, you will have a lot more noise, plus sometimes they get an attitude against their owners.

[darunner14]

on 6/11/2009 Very well said! 5 stars & a rec!

[Munch]

on 6/11/2009 LOL - On the chickens screaming out the presidents name. I've had chickens for many many years and they are so much fun. We feed our chickens scraps all the time and they LOVE the scraps! It's mostly vegetable peelings and old salad. Great article! 5*

[jayduve]

on 6/4/2009 A word of advice: According to poultryOne.com, you shouldn't feed your chickens too much kitchen scraps and treats because that upsets the nutritional value of their commercially prepared chicken food, which can cause them to stop laying. :) Enjoy!

[ttbirdie]

on 4/11/2009 Excellent article, 5*

[waiting4rain]

on 3/12/2009 Do you eat your chickens? I couldn't. They'd grow old and die and be buried in a little chicken graveyard with headstones that tell their names. LOL I may be laughing but I'm not kidding! 5*