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Backyard chicken keeping has become a fad across the country and is a rewarding and entertaining experience. Chickens provide endless entertainment with their outrageous antics and are the only pet that gives breakfast. They are great garden helpers and make wonderful additions to the family. When starting a backyard flock, be sure to check with town offices for any laws or regulations on keeping chickens. Folks who live in heavily settled areas may want to avoid keeping roosters, as they are very loud and can upset neighbors.

Many people think keeping chickens is a lot of work, but keeping a small flock is actually cheaper and easier then having a dog or cat. There are a few basic things needed to get a flock started.  Most important is a coop for the birds to live and lay in. A good rule of thumb when considering coop size is about two square feet of floor space per bird. In the coop is a roost for the birds to sleep on at night and nest boxes where they’ll lay eggs. Hens will share a nest box, most often picking a favorite box to lay in, so one box for every two hens is plenty. Bedding for the coop floor and hay for the nest boxes will be needed along with food. Any sort of food and water bowl will work, but there are many chicken-specific ones available.

Hens will need to be fed a supplement of oyster shells, which provide calcium for strong egg shells.

If the birds do not free range, they will also need to be fed grit as a supplement, which helps break the food down in their crop. Free rangers pick up small pebbles while eating bugs and grass which soothes that need.

Once the coop is all set up, it’s time to decide which breed of chicken to raise and whether to start with chicks or ready-to-lay birds. Chickens come in two sizes, standard and bantam, which are basically miniature chickens. The American Poultry Association recognizes 65 breeds of chickens; though hybrid breeds such as the Golden Comet have been specifically bred to lay huge amounts of eggs whilst consuming small amounts of food, thus making them cheaper to feed than other breeds.

Golden Comets can often be purchased as 20-week-old pullets that are just coming into laying and will start laying ashort while after getting home.

Egg production and temperament vary depending on the breed of chicken. The most productive and friendly breeds, aside from Comets, are Rhode Island Reds, Barred Rocks, and White Leghorns.  Typically in the first year, these breeds will produce one egg a day, then an egg every other day the next year, then every three days the following year and so on. Hens typically are done laying by year five but have a lifespan of up to 20 years if kept safe and healthy. This is something to consider when starting a flock, as folks may want to get part of the flock the first year, then add the rest of the flock the following year to extend the egg production time.

In the springtime, chicks are available for purchase from local farm and garden stores with an average of 25 breeds to choose from. Raising chicks is a bit more involved, yet it’s a great way to raise a mixed breed and very colorful flock, thus enjoying a colorful basket of eggs down the road. Chickens are good for more than just eggs, though. During and beyond their laying years, chickens can be used as free rangers, having free run of the property with access in and out of the coop. The will eat ticks and mosquitos and aerate and fertilize the soil as they move along scratching and fertilizing the ground. Chickens do love to dig holes to dust-bathe themselves and will help themselves to any plants they find tasty, so folks can fence off the areas they don’t want damaged. The manure chickens create is packed full of highly valuable nutrients for gardens and can even be made into a “tea” for plants.

There is endless amounts of information out there on raising chickens, including online forums. Achille Agway has experts on-hand, along with all the supplies to get started, including birds. Backyard chicken keeping is very rewarding, lots of fun, and enjoyed by many. May the flock be with you!