Top Tips for Raising Chickens

In order to provide your family with healthy, natural food, you should raise chickens. Eggs can also be sold to locals and neighbors. Backyard chickens are becoming increasingly popular, probably due to their low maintenance and lack of space requirements.

There's a lot to learn about chicken rearing, regardless of whether you're starting out or already have a flock. The raising of healthy, happy hens requires many factors, even though they are easy to care for.

In order to help you become the best chicken owner you can be, I have compiled all the best chicken tips & tricks to help you along the way.

1. Ensure you have everything you need​

Prepare all the tools & supplies you will need before you start adding your chickens to the coop. High-quality chicken feed, waterers, feeders, bedding, along with a secure & spacious coop and run, are essential.
Further Reading: Chicken Coop Essentials

2. Make the right choice for your coop​

There are many styles, sizes, shapes & colors of chicken coops. There is no limit to which one you can select for you and your flock. A premade coop with shingles, windows, and a garden area is more expensive than a DIY coop. Choose the option that best fits both your budget and space by exploring all the options out there.
HERE are some great ideas to get you started.

3. Provide enough space for your chickens​

You should ensure that each chicken has at least 3 square feet of space in their coop. The coop should also be equipped with a run that gives chickens at least 10 square feet of space each. They will be happier if they have more space to move around!
Further Reading: How Much Room Do Chickens Need?

4. More is better​

There is a flock-oriented nature to chickens. As a result, they thrive in large groups. This is why three birds should be your minimum flock size. Nevertheless, if you have enough space and are able to get more birds, your chickens will be pleased.
Further Reading: How Many Chickens Should You Raise?

5. Cool them off in the heat​

Most climates are suitable for chickens as they are hardy birds. High temperatures, however, may pose a challenge for them. Providing shade by putting up a tent or some other covering can help them escape the heat. Also, you can use a fan to circulate the air in the coop.
Further Reading: Top Ways To Keep Your Chickens Cool In Summer

6. Keep an eye out for predators​

The safety of your chickens from predators is one of the biggest challenges of owning chickens, particularly if you live in the countryside. Depending on where you live, foxes, raccoons, hawks, coyotes, and other predators may be present. Make sure the coop and run in which your chickens live are super secure and fence your yard.
Further Reading: Top 10 Ways to Protect Your Chickens from Predators

7. Maintain a regular coop cleaning schedule​

To keep chickens healthy, keep their coop & run clean. In order to prevent the mess from piling up between cleanings, tackle this once a week. Make sure your flock has a clean, fresh home by changing the bedding and scrubbing all feeders and waterers.
Further Reading: How to Clean a Chicken Coop Like a Pro

8. Compost dirty bedding​

You have a lot of dirty bedding, but aren't sure what to do with it? Compost it instead of throwing it away! Dirty bedding has tons of nutrients that will help your plants grow and thrive, so add it to your compost bin or use it as mulch in your garden.
Further Reading: Ways To Get Rid of Dirty Coop Bedding

9. Find out what the ordinances are in your town​

Make sure you will be able to have your flock and coop on your property before you purchase them. A lot of towns limit or ban chickens in the backyard, and some even outright ban them. In case a permit is required, ensure that you obtain it. You should also check your local laws if you plan to sell eggs.
Is it legal to raise chickens in your city? Check out our Chicken Laws & Ordinances section

10. One nesting box per two - four chickens is recommended​

Hens will lay eggs in nesting boxes. Bedding materials that cushion and absorb their waste will make them more comfortable.
Further Reading: Nesting Boxes: Everything You Need to Know About These Coop Essentials

11. Make sure your chicken run is fully enclosed​

An open run will not do. Your chicken run should be completely enclosed to keep predators away. In order to accomplish this, you can use netting or fencing. Ensure your chickens cannot escape and predators cannot gain entry by making it secure.
Further Reading: Building A Chicken Coop With Run

12. Ensure that fresh water & food are available every day​

Chickens require relatively little maintenance. Providing them with fresh food and water daily as well as making sure things in the coop look good is all you need to do.
Further Reading: Keeping Your Chickens Healthy

13. Rodent-proof containers should be used to store chicken feed​

Ensure that your chicken feed is stored in a sealed container so rodents cannot access it. By doing so, you'll prevent mold from growing on the feed and rodents from getting into it.
Further Reading: Keeping your Coop Mite and Rodents Free

14. Make sure you are feeding your chickens the right feed​

If you're producing eggs for your own consumption or for sale, you'll want to make sure your flock is receiving the best nutrition possible. Ensure that the feed is appropriate for the chicken's age and breed by doing your research. For chickens, it should also contain adequate calcium & protein.
Further Reading: The Best Chicken Feed

15. Egg quality can be improved with supplements​

To improve your flock's health and egg quality, you can add several supplements to their diet. Calcium is the most common mineral that contributes to the strength of eggshells. Sea kelp, flaxseed, probiotics, and brewer's yeast are others.
Here are Top 50 Herbs for Your Chickens & Chicken-Friendly Plants You Can Grow Near Your Chicken Coop

16. Feed them treats!​

The chickens enjoy kitchen & garden scraps as treats. Supplementing their regular feed with these is a great way to keep their hens healthy. You can give your chickens any excess fruits, vegetables, seeds, meat, and fish scraps that you have. Just make sure these are limited to 10% of their daily diet.
Here are the Top 8 "Special" Chicken Treats

17. The chickens will not overeat​

The convenience of owning chickens in this way makes it especially easy if you will be away from town for a period of time. Depending on how large the dispenser is, you can fill up a big feeder that dispenses food as they eat it, so they will be able to feed themselves for several days or weeks.
Further Reading: Top 10 Best Homemade Feeders

18. Keep a first aid kit handy​

Accidents and injuries can happen at any time. For any emergency, it's a good idea to keep a first aid kit on hand. There should be gauze, scissors, tweezers & vet wrap included in this kit.
Further Reading: Chicken First Aid Kits - Handy and Essential Supplies, and How to Use Them

19. Become familiar with your local veterinarian​

Having a local veterinarian's contact information on hand could prove to be useful in the event of a serious emergency or illness. Ensure they are familiar with farm animals, especially chickens. Several veterinarians specialize in only treating certain types or sizes of animals.

20. Pullets vs. chicks​

When it comes to raising chickens, the first decision is choosing an age group. It is adorable to see chicks, but they will not begin to produce eggs until they are around 6 - 8 months old. Pullets, however, will start laying eggs almost immediately after 6 - 8 months. There's something cute & adorable about baby chicks, but you won't get that with pullets.
Further Reading: When To Buy Chickens

21. Is a rooster right for you?​

Some chicken owners don't like roosters because they're loud. In some towns, roosters are also prohibited. It's not necessary to keep a rooster if you just want eggs. Pullets will start laying on their own. It's actually not a good idea to get a rooster if you don't want fertilized eggs to become chicks.
Further Reading: Top 10 Reasons To Keep Roosters

22. Getting more chickens​

New chickens should be quarantined for at least ten days if you're adding them to your flock. Introducing your new hens to your existing flock slowly will reduce the risk of spreading diseases.
Further Reading: How To Introduce New Chickens to an Existing Flock

23. There's no harm in exercising​

Let the chickens out every morning as part of a routine. During the day, the small enclosure is restrictive, but at night it keeps them safe. Moving around and stretching their legs is important for them. During the day, they must have access to their run.
Further Reading: Accessorizing Your Run- How to Make Your Run More Fun For Your Chickens

24. Make sure you are aware of any symptoms of illness​

Most people aren't familiar with chickens, so it can be difficult to identify illnesses. Luckily, there are a few easy signs that will tell you when your hens are feeling under the weather. Lethargy, runny nostrils, runny eyes, missing feathers, limping, bleeding, a runny stool & black spots on their combs, wattles, or feet are among the signs. Keep an eye out for these signs every day and keep an eye on your flock.
Here are Top Chicken/Poultry Infections to Watch Out For

25. Visits to the veterinarian are optional​

Chickens don't require routine vet visits. Daily flock assessment is the most effective way to prevent illness and injury at home. You should be able to keep your hens happy and healthy with clean food, water, fresh bedding, and plenty of space to move around.

26. During the winter, egg production typically decreases​

You can expect your hens to lay an egg every day on average. This number can vary with a variety of factors, including breed, diet, age, diet, and even the season. It is common to notice a drop in egg production during the winter months, for example. Do not worry, the weather will warm up soon and it will pick back up. An automatic timer can be installed inside the coop during winter to simulate daylight, allowing the chickens to lay throughout the year.
Further Reading: Caring For Chickens in the Winter

27. Your coop should have a roosting bar​

Add a roosting bar to give your chickens a place to relax and roost. There is a good chance that this will already be installed in most prebuilt coops. Make sure you include one in your plans if you're building a coop on your own.
Further Reading: All About Chicken Roosts

28. When buying a breed, do your research​

When raising your own chickens, choosing the right breed is crucial. Breeds include ornate show breeds to classics like the Rhode Island Reds that were bred for producing a large number of eggs.

Determine what you are looking for in a flock. Is variety important to you? Or should they all be the same? To what extent is egg production important to you? Do you plan to sell the eggs? When you have identified what's important, look for breeds that match those criteria.
Further Reading: Pickin' the Right Frickin' Chicken: Guide to Picking Backyard Chicken Breeds

29. Life is full of variety​

You can benefit from variety if you decide to sell your eggs. Different colored eggs attract many customers. This can be accomplished by choosing chicken breeds that produce particular colors, such as:

• Blueish-green eggs: Ameraucanas
• Brown eggs: Rhode Island Reds
• White eggs: Andalusians

Your customers will love the multicolored dozen you sell if you raise all three!
Further Reading: Common Chicken Breeds That Lay Colored Eggs

30. Privacy should be respected​

While laying eggs, hens love their privacy. Feed, water, and collect eggs as often as you like in the coop. Be careful not to disturb them too much, or they might start laying in unwanted places.
Further Reading: Nest Boxes 101

31. Don't try incubating eggs yet​

Despite appearing fun, hatching chicks from eggs takes a lot of effort. For most first-time chicken owners, starting with chicks or pullets is the best option unless you are prepared to invest time in egg incubation.
In the meantime, here's The Beginner's Guide to Incubation to get you ready.

32. The best place to buy chickens​

Chicks will likely be available for purchase at your local feed store in the spring. Chicks and pullets are also available from online hatcheries throughout the year. See if there are any local farms selling chicks on Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist.
Also, check out the Buy ~ Sell ~ Trade forum section.

33. Using a chicken tractor​

Chicken tractors are another option when it comes to chicken coops and runs. If you have a lot of land, then this is a viable option. Chicken tractors are coops on wheels that have to be moved daily or twice a week. It allows your chickens to scratch for insects, thereby loosening the soil. For small farms or homesteads, this is a good option.
Further Reading: 10 Amazing Chicken Tractor Coops

34. Insulate the chicken coop​

Living in a cold climate means you should have your chicken coop insulated. An enclosure's insulation serves primarily to prevent cold air from entering and reduce heat loss by minimizing heat transfer to the outside. This way you can keep your chickens happier and more comfortable during the colder months.

When it's cold outside, well-insulated coops will keep birds warm, and even keep them cool when it's hot outside. A coop's humidity can also be controlled through insulation.
Further Reading: Insulating The Chicken Coop for Winter

35. The waterer should be heated during the winter​

In the same way, a heated water bowl can be helpful in cold weather. You must break ice in shallow waterers every few hours since they can freeze over easily. This can be prevented by using a heated waterer.
Here's a Heated waterer, using a stock tank deicer and horizontal nipples to get you started.

36. What you should look for as your pullets prepare to lay eggs​

Are you getting tired of having to wait for your young pullets to begin laying eggs? Have you ever wondered what signs to watch for? It's not hard to tell when your soon-to-be hens are about to lay their first egg, thanks to a few tell-tale signs. Squatting when approached, them inspecting the nesting boxes, darkening of the combs, and increased eating are a few of these signs.
Further Reading: Getting Your Chickens to Lay Eggs

37. The slowing down of egg laying​

There are some things that improve with age, but egg laying is unfortunately not one of them. The number of eggs they lay every year will decrease after three years of age.
Further Reading: "Hentirement"

38. The Molting Process​

The process of molting involves the shedding of old feathers and the growth of new ones. When this occurs, you can expect your chickens to stop laying eggs entirely during this process.
Further Reading: Molting: All You Need To Know

39. Foods to avoid​

A few foods are best avoided by chickens, although they can eat nearly everything else. Excessive consumption of apples and tomatoes may cause health problems, and bananas, potato peels, and orange peels are generally not enjoyed by chickens.
Further Reading: Top 50 List Of What Chickens Can & Can't Eat

40. To wash them or not to wash them?​

This is a hotly debated topic. Some argue that washing the egg removes the bloom, which protects the egg from bacteria by surrounding it. Those who wash their eggs want clean eggs in their fridge. Washing them in warm water gently is a good compromise.
Further Reading: How Long Can Fresh Eggs Sit Out

Conclusion​

Being prepared and stocked up with everything you'll need ahead of time makes keeping chickens easy. These tips will help you keep your chickens happy and healthy so you can have fresh eggs every day for your family.

Ensure you conduct your own research, but do not become overwhelmed by the options available. In terms of raising chickens, there are many options - from coops to diets - but what matters is that you find what works for you.