Backyard Chickens: What You’ll Need to Choose and Care for your New Hens

by Lucy Bradley, Ph.D. – Extension specialist, Urban Horticulture, NCSU

Beautiful, living lawn ornaments that eat bugs, lay eggs, turn compost, and poop fertilizer – our chickens are wonderful backyard pets.  If you are thinking about adding chickens to your family, first be sure you are willing and able to care for them.  Then you have lots of fun decisions to make.

What It Takes to Keep Hens Happy

Even if you allow them to free range, you will still need to protect chickens from predators and the weather by providing a safe coop inside a fenced run.  The coop should be secure but well ventilated and should also provide at least 3.5 square feet per bird.  Inside the coop they will need roosts and nesting boxes. The coop should be inside a completely enclosed, open-air run that provides a minimum of 5 square feet per bird and includes space to get out of the rain and sun.  To prevent predators from tunneling in, the fencing should be buried at least 6 inches deep or be bent out at the soil line, extended at least 12 inches and pinned.

Chickens require constant access to fresh food and water, and eggs must be gathered daily.  The litter beneath the roosts must be moved weekly to the compost bin and replaced with fresh pine shavings.  For gardeners, this is such an amazing gift of fabulous fertilizer – it may seem more like a pleasure than a chore.

And, Now, The Fun Part!

Once you decide that you are willing to take on the responsibility of chickens, you are ready to make decisions:  How many? What kind? How and when to begin?

Chickens are social creatures so you need a minimum of three hens.  The size of your flock will depend on city or subdivision limitations, available space, and how many eggs you want for your family and to share (hens average two eggs every three days).

Many factors come into play as you select your breed:

• Size [full size vs. Bantam (1/4 size)]

• Egg vs. meat

• Egg color

• Heartiness in your climate

• Heritage breed (promote genetic diversity)

• Disposition (docile vs. aggressive)

•Beauty

Remember, these may be your pets for many years; make an informed choice by following the links below.

Once you select your breeds you can decide how and when to begin.  You can hatch fertilized eggs.  This is exciting, but more work and there is a higher risk of getting roosters.  Roosters tend to be illegal in urban/suburban settings, aggressive, loud, unpopular with neighbors, and hard on the flock unless there are more than ten hens. Without a rooster, hens lay unfertilized eggs. Roosters are only necessary if you want the eggs to hatch.

Day old chicks are another option. Purchase female chicks and avoid “straight run” mixes (which may include males) unless you have a plan to eat or give away the roosters.  Keep the chicks in a box with a lamp to keep them warm until they are feathered.  Keep the light on day and night for the first 3 weeks and change the pine shavings daily.  It is not uncommon to have one or two die so start with one more than your desired minimum.  Starting with chicks means you handle them often so they become tame pets.

A third strategy is to start with young hens.  This is more expensive, but less work, and leads to quicker production.  You can also start with mature hens, but be aware that egg production often begins a steady decline after the first year or so.  Older birds will likely yield fewer eggs. In areas with mild winters, you can begin your flock in Oct.-Nov. or in March–April.  In colder climates, begin in March–April.

Keeping Your Hens Healthy

Prevention is the key to healthy birds.  Provide ample space; clean, dry food; clean, fresh water; and good ventilation.  Minimize fly problems by using dry litter under the roosts and composting and replacing it regularly. To discourage rodents, store extra food in a metal can, and place feeder in a metal can each night.  Train your birds to come by giving them oatmeal or steam crimped oats when you call. This is important for management and safety. Pick your girls up regularly.  This makes it easier to check them if you think something is wrong, and helps you know what is normal.  Happy, well-cared-for chickens are fascinating, fun, and make egg-cellent pets.

For More Information:

“Keeping Garden Chickens in North Carolina”, http://tinyurl.com/4wbok2n

Henderson’s Handy-Dandy Chicken Chart:  http://tinyurl.com/y93vr9

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