The Introductory Guide to Raising Chickens

chicken-picture
Back in the day, if you heard someone say they were raising chickens, you’d assume they lived on a farm. It wasn’t until the late 60’s/early 70’s that community gardening programs became popular, and more people began to see advantages in urban (and suburban) agriculture over time. Nowadays, anyone can raise backyard chickens. Here’s the brief intro and tips for starting:

Why Raise Them?

The eggs
Chickens are useful animals because they produce eggs that you can actually eat. No need to buy eggs at the supermarket again. And honestly, they’re organic and a lot tastier.

Their personalities
You may not know it, but chickens love to play. Yes – they can run and jump, and they’re smart too. If you want to know a little bit more about their personalities, check out our blog on fascinating chicken facts.

They’re manageable
While having a large group of chickens might seem daunting, the truth is that they’re easygoing and manageable animals. They’re also inexpensive.

Think about the expenses and tasks that dog owners have – food purchases, vet trips, daily walks, grooming, toys, and more. For chickens, you’re gathering eggs, providing food and water (not as often as a dog), and changing their bedding (once a month).

What Do You Need?

-A chicken coop. You have to be able to stand in it do the…manure shoveling.
-Food and water. Water goes in containers, and food goes in a feeder.
-Space. As I already noted, chickens are personable animals. Put chicken wire fencing on your list as well.

This stuff will, of course, cost money. But if you want to build the chicken coop yourself, it’ll probably run you only 250 – 500 dollars, depending on the size. That’s not bad for a long-term investment.

Where Do You Get Them?

You can get chickens (and baby chicks) from two main places. One choice is a local feed store (if you go in-season). Another choice is to hatch chicks from eggs. This article from BackYardChickens.com should help you out.

I hope that reading this short article has you interested in raising chickens in your backyard!

Lisa Podwirny is the owner of Ketchum Mfg. Connect with her on Google+!

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