Are you considering raising chickens for the first time? With resources in scarce supply these days, and with people spending more time at home than ever, the appeal of the backyard chicken is soaring.
If you’re interested in raising chickens that will yield a tasty supply of eggs, here’s what you need to know to get started.
Start by choosing the right breed
A chicken is a chicken, right? Actually, there’s more to it than that—there are over 50 varieties in the United States alone. What you want is a chicken that can lay lots of eggs while surviving on a foraging diet, so you don’t have to rely heavily on store-bought, non-Paleo grains or chicken feed.
While the breed that works best for you depends on where you live and what you’re looking for, two of the best egg-laying chicken breeds are the Rhode Island Red and the Hamburg.
The Rhode Island Red is one of the most popular chicken breeds, and for good reason. These chickens lay between five and six brown eggs per week and are a social and family-friendly bird. They are also excellent foragers, meaning they can live happily eating insects and seeds found in the grass.
The Hamburg chicken is another great foraging bird that will lay between three and four eggs per week. The Hamburg is a relatively small breed, so it doesn’t need as much food to keep it healthy. However, the Hamburg is known for being relatively vocal, so it might not be the best option for urban backyards.
How to organize the coop
There are three key things to consider when setting up the chicken coop: it must be spacious, predator-proof, and equipped with all the necessary accessories.
First, space is important. Overcrowding birds in a coop can lead to stress, inhibiting their egg-laying potential. As a rule of thumb, each chicken should have between three and five square feet of room each.
To keep predators like raccoons, coyotes, and snakes away from the chickens and their eggs, be sure your coop has sound walls that are built a few inches into the ground. This will help prevent predators from digging under the walls to enter the coop.
The door should also be secure, since raccoons are quite savvy with opening loosely latched coop doors. You might want to consider purchasing an automatic coop door that follows your flock’s foraging and sleeping schedule.
All chicken coops require accessories like a feeder, waterer, nesting boxes, and perches. Typically, one feeder and one waterer will suit a flock of eight to ten birds. There should also be one nesting box for every two birds, and a couple of roosts or perches. You can build those yourself by using two-by-four pieces of wood or a few sturdy tree branches.
