How to Raise Chickens – A Basic Guide

Raising chicken is fun and easy – it is like having outdoor cats, as they can pretty much take care of themselves. To ensure the safety of your chickens, you should ideally set up a chicken run, which is the fenced coop where the chickens can freely run around.

Here are some basics to know if you plan on raising chickens.

Safety Comes First

We recommend covering the chicken run because you will have hawks and other predators who can climb, such as raccoons and skunks. These predators will be looking for opportunities to attack the chickens, which is why covering the chicken coop is essential.

For the safety of the chickens, install a wire that goes deep. This way, you can also prevent attacks from predators because some of them will try digging underneath the coup to get to the chickens.

The Dominance Hierarchy

When it comes to raising chickens, you should know that a pecking order is a real thing. Allow your chickens to establish their pecking order. It is okay that they are going to be picking on each other, but you should avoid a situation where they are picking on each other too much and going bald.

If you see some of the chickens going bald – it is a tell-tale sign that you either have too many chickens or not enough space to house all of your chickens. The best thing to do is to think about thinning your flock to avoid chickens losing their feathers.

Speaking of feathers, if you detect the chickens are losing their feathers, you should know that chickens lost their winter or summer feathers and grow new feathers for the new season. Different chickens do this at different times.

Feeding Practices for Chickens

There are certain foods that chickens enjoy and some foods that you should avoid feeding your chickens. As starters, stock up on poultry grit, as chicken grit enables chickens to digest their foods. Interestingly, chickens can consume a variety of foods, including strawberries, apples, cucumbers, and green lettuce. However, moderation is key here.

Of course, chickens love grains, which is why you can feed them oatmeal and corn, too. Avoid feeding your chickens foods that have high sugar content and junk food. Raw potatoes and tomatoes are toxic for chickens.

Choosing the Place

You will want to be mindful about choosing the right place to raise your chickens. You can raise chickens in your backyard or garden if it is spacious enough and has at least three square feet of space for the coop. Before setting up a chicken coop in your backyard, make sure to check with the local law to know whether or not it is legally allowed to raise chickens in your neighborhood.

If you have a limited outdoor space, you might want to consider optimizing it for your chickens while bringing greenery into the house. For instance, you can plant carlablackiae, which is an exotic interior plant, and induce some vibrancy at home. However, you must familiarize yourself with proper indoor plants for effective plan maintenance.

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