| The sound of a rooster crowing at dawn; delicious, | | | | I disassembled it, moved the lumber to the fenced in |
| farm fresh eggs for breakfast; pest control; these | | | | area, and rebuilt it. It's a simple, three sectioned, |
| are just a few of the benefits of raising backyard | | | | wooden shack with a metal roof. I installed some |
| chickens. In a fairly small amount of space and with | | | | dowels for "roosts". If you have a problem with |
| very few supplies, you can easily start a backyard | | | | predators in your area, you will need to make sure |
| flock of your own. | | | | the coop is predator proof so that you can lock your |
| Chickens are very easy to raise and care for. In fact, | | | | chickens up safely at night. Raccoons are clever, and |
| if you have the space and foliage for them to free | | | | will scale a fence, or dig under it with no trouble. So, |
| range, they will provide a lot of benefits and be very | | | | simply having them fenced in isn't good enough. I lost |
| inexpensive to maintain. Their needs are few. My | | | | a few hens to raccoons until I managed to secure |
| start in chicken farming was sudden, and I had no | | | | the coop properly. |
| time to prepare or purchase supplies. When the | | | | Water |
| chickens were first delivered, I put them in a fenced | | | | Your chickens need a constant supply of fresh |
| dog pen. The only "shelter" was a large dog house. I | | | | water. There are several styles of waterers available |
| set out a couple of bowls with water in them. The | | | | commercially. In addition to a couple of galvanized |
| next morning when I went out with flashlight in hand | | | | poultry waterers, I also set out metal dog food pans |
| to check on them, I didn't see a single chicken in the | | | | with water in various locations. If you are going to |
| pen. I was horrified thinking that some predator had | | | | use bowls, make sure you buy heavy duty ones with |
| managed to come in during the night and wipe out | | | | some weight to them, otherwise your chickens will |
| the entire flock. That was lesson one in how easily | | | | step in the bowls and you'll be refilling them several |
| chickens will adapt to their circumstances. All 25 of | | | | times a day. |
| them had crowded into the dog house to keep | | | | Food |
| warm during the night! I was lucky none had | | | | Chickens will eat just about anything. If you have the |
| suffocated. | | | | space and the plant life, and don't mind having |
| So, here is my quick, short list of the "must haves" | | | | chickens roaming around your property, let them free |
| for your flock. | | | | range. It will cut down on how much you have to |
| Shelter | | | | feed them, and I firmly believe they will be healthier |
| Your chickens will need some sort of shelter. There | | | | by foraging for fresh food in your yard. My chickens |
| are some pretty amazing chicken coop designs | | | | eat grass, leaves (they especially like poke salad), |
| available in books and on the internet. This can be as | | | | berries, grass hoppers, crickets, worms, ticks - I've |
| simple or as extravagant as you want. You can | | | | even seen them gobble up baby snakes and field |
| purchase a ready made chicken coop, or make one | | | | mice. I supplement what they find on their own with |
| yourself. Basically, the shelter needs to provide them | | | | kitchen scraps and a good laying feed. |
| with protection from the elements (rain, snow, sun, | | | | These are the absolute "must haves". There are |
| heat) and from predators. When I first got my | | | | other supplies you may want. But, these basics |
| chickens, I was fortunate enough to have a little | | | | should allow you to get your flock off to a good |
| structure at the edge of the woods on my property. | | | | start. |