How to keep chickens

Whether you want them for their eggs, meat, or just for their company, chickens can make a fun and productive addition to your backyard. A small flock of egg-producing hens can be easy and inexpensive to maintain, even in urban environments. They also provide chemical-free pest control in your yard, as well as free top-quality fertilizer. Learn how to keep chickens in your backyard with these basic tips.

If you plan to purchase day-old chicks or hatch them on your own, you'll need special supplies for their first sixty days including brooders, lamps for heat and specially designed feeders and waterers. Brooders are the chicks' first home, and can be as simple as a cardboard box. many backyard chicken owners use rabbit or guinea pig cages or even glass aquariums.

Clean litter like pine shavings is used to line the bottom of the box and by the time the chicks are four months old, they'll need a dowel or stick as a low roost about four inches off the floor. A 100-watt light bulb with a reflector, like the clip-on utility lamps sold at hardware stores, will keep the chicks warm and chick waterers will prevent them from soiling or drowning in their water source. Corral the chick feed into one sanitary spot with a commercial feeder or an appropriate DIY substitute.

Once they're grown, your chicks will need a coop. You could build your own using free plans found online, or purchase a pre-fabricated chicken coop like these 8 awesome urban options. The coop will provide a place for your chickens to rest that is protected from predators and the elements. You'll need about four square feet per chicken inside the coop, and one straw-cushioned nest box for every four laying hens. Be sure that the floor is sturdy enough not to sag under the chickens' weight, and that the roof and walls are adequate against the weather in your region.