Thinking of Adding a Backyard Flock? Here’s a Beginner’s Guide to Raising Chickens

By Chris Lesley
Founder, Chickens & More

It’s hard to boil down all the things there are to know about keeping chickens into just one article or nine facts; caring for another living creature is a complicated and multifaceted undertaking. However, there’s no need to get overwhelmed by all the wealth of information available online about chickens and the right way to raise them. A lot of the best practices and proper methods for raising chickens actually become fairly common sense once you know a few basic things about the birds, their health, and their behavior. This article explains some of those things, as well as some of the important details about keeping chickens that can easily get lost in the shuffle of setting up a coop and preparing for your brand new feathered family members. 

Which breed of chicken you choose makes a huge difference.

Chickens are a lot like dogs, in that there are hundreds of different chicken breeds for first-time owners to choose from, and which breed you choose will define your chicken raising experience. Some breeds (production strains) were bred for brief periods of very high egg production; other, older lines (heritage strains) were developed for their hardiness and adaptability as dual-purpose birds. Some breeds are valued for their egg laying, others for their personality, beauty, or size. You should research all of this before choosing a breed, to make sure you have the right one for you and your family. 

It might not be legal to raise chickens where you live.

Especially if you live in an urban or suburban neighborhood, there are likely local regulations about what kind of animals you can own, how many, and what kind of structures you can build for them. Check online or with the town clerk to find out what you are and aren’t allowed to do before you buy or build anything. 

Chickens are very susceptible to overheating.

Hot summer months can be deadly to a flock of chickens. It may seem unusual for a bird originally from the tropics, but your hens are much more likely to overheat than have problems with the cold (although that is a risk). Building their run in the shade, using a shade tarp or other shelter, providing a lot of water, and making sure their coop is well-ventilated will all help protect your hens from heatstroke. 

Flocks have highly complex social dynamics.

Being a hen is a lot like being in high school or a medieval court; it’s all about the fight to dominate the social scene for some, and trying to stay out of the way for others. If you have a rooster, he automatically gets the highest social standing, but hens will always be fighting amongst themselves for power and standing. Aggression and bullying aren’t uncommon, and can end with the less dominant birds getting injured or denied food and other resources. Keeping an eye on your flock for these kinds of behaviors is crucial, so you can nip them in the bud before one of your hens gets seriously injured or killed. 

Respiratory diseases can quickly rip through your entire flock.

Chickens are susceptible to a wide variety of respiratory diseases, including coryza, Newcastle disease, and avian flu. Some of these diseases are mild, but others are contagious and deadly, and prevention is the only cure. Maintain a strict quarantine on any new birds you add to your flock for at least 30 days, and hold any visitors, especially visitors who also own chickens, to a high standard of hygiene. Adequate coop ventilation will also slow the spread of disease.   

Predators will try to eat your birds, your chicks, and your eggs.

Wherever you live, various wild animals will try to eat your chickens or their offspring, including hawks, owls, rats, skunks, weasels, snakes, cats, foxes, and even bears. Bringing your hens in before it gets dark is the best defense against these predators; a well-built coop protected by lots of hardware mesh is the second. 

Hens are not always good at protecting their own eggs.

Hens can certainly make good mothers to their chicks, but eggs are a different story. Hens might break their eggs by stepping on them, especially if they aren’t getting enough calcium to build strong shells. Once an egg breaks, the hens may start eating it; once they figure out how tasty they are, they might never stop. Collecting eggs early in the morning is the best way to prevent all of this from starting. 

Chickens can spread salmonella to your family.

Salmonella is unlikely to have a negative effect on your birds, but it can obviously be a serious disease for humans. Maintaining good hygiene for anyone going into or out of the chicken coop will stop salmonella and other diseases from spreading in both directions. Wash your hands thoroughly before and after any interactions and wear designated “chicken boots” that only ever go into the enclosure. 

There are many ways to store and preserve your eggs.

If you buy eggs at the grocery store, you’re probably going to refrigerate them when you get home. This is because commercially available eggs, at least in the US, are washed before being packaged, which makes them more susceptible to bacteria. You can store freshly laid eggs at room temperature if you don’t wash them first; if they’re dirty, you can wipe them down with a dry cloth. Refrigerating and freezing are also good options; make sure to separate the egg whites and yolks before freezing. Other popular methods of preserving fresh eggs long-term include pickling, powdering or dehydrating, and water glassing. 

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There’s a lot to know before raising chickens, but it’s also easy to get convinced that it’s more complicated than it actually is. The set-up and the first few weeks will be stressful, but as long as you remember your chicken basics, you’ll confidently maintain a healthy flock in no time.