There are some things I wished people would have told me before I got chickens. So to help you, I am listings some thing you should know before your get your first chickens.
I really enjoy having my flock of backyard chickens and the fresh eggs are amazing! I have learned a lot from years of taking care of my hens.
Here is a list of things you should know about before getting chickens.
You Might Get A Rooster
When you buy chicks you can by pullets, which are all female, cockerels, which are all male, or straight run which is a mix of male and female birds.
The only problem is that sexing chicks is not 100% accurate so you will probably wind up with a few roosters in your flock.
Expect to have a few roosters in your flock and have a plan to either keep them or get rid of them.
Your Neighbors Don't Like Roosters
I tried getting away with a rooster but... my neighbors really didn't like all that cock-a-doodle-doodling (yep that's a word).
My words of wisdom are, don't think you can get away with a rooster. Most people who don't have chickens think roosters are an annoyance.
I have also reviewed the whole no crow collar thing and I personally don't think they work well. Expect to get rid of those unexpected roosters.
Chicks Take Time To Raise
The most time intensive part of chicken keeping is raising chicks. The good part is that raising chicks is also the shortest phase of a chickens life.
So when you are cleaning out that brooder or mixing up some electrolyte water remember that chicken keeping gets easier in time.
Not All Chickens Are Egg Layers
Some chickens are better suited for meat while others are great at laying eggs. You can find my favorite egg laying chicken breeds here.
You Can Make Your Chickens Friendly
When you are raising chicks there are thing you can do to make them friendly for life. Friendly chickens are much easier to care for!
Here are my tips for raising friendly chickens.
You May Or May Not Save Money
You can practically go out of your mind trying to figure out if you are or are not saving money by raising your own laying hens.
My advice to you is do a rough estimate with this chicken cost calculator. If the profit or loss seems good to you go for it!
It is also good to remember that home grown eggs taste amazing and keeping chickens is a form of entertainment.
You Can Estimate How Much They Will Eat
If you are wanting to find out how much your chickens will eat you can. Here is how you can find how much your chickens will eat.
It is good to note that free ranging chickens eat less feed. You can also save on feed by giving your chickens food scraps.
You Won't Get Eggs For Awhile
Chicks won't start laying eggs until they are at least 6 months old. The anticipation really builds until you see that first egg laying in the nest box!
Plan Space For Your Chickens
When planning your chicken coop you need to build plenty of space into the coop. If might also be wise to plan for extra space incase you get more chickens.
Here is how much space each chicken needs.
Your Hens Will Lay Eggs Without A Rooster
As a chicken keeper the most common question I get asked is, "Do your chickens lay eggs without a rooster". I really don't understand why people ask this, but the answer is yes.
You don't need a rooster for your hens to lay eggs.
Your Chickens Will Create Manure
Chickens poop a lot, but this can actually be a good thing. You can turn all this chicken manure into the best gardening amendment available.
Simple compost your chicken manure and bedding! I keep the compost pile right next to the chicken coop making it easy to clean the coop out. Chicken compost is a great amendment for the garden.
Gardening With Chickens Is Different
Chickens can be good and bad for your garden. They can eat pests but also eat your vegetables so they can't always be in the garden.
I made this post showing how I garden and keep chickens.
Don't Believe Every Thing You Read
Please don't just take someone's word on social media for chicken keeping advice. Some information is great and helpful but other is false and not helpful.
Find reputable chicken keepers (like me) and follow their pages. If you do see a tip, research it before you try it out on your chickens.
Chickens Don't Lay Eggs Forever
Chickens will start to decline egg production after 2-3 years of life. This is the natural cycle of a chickens life and you will get fewer eggs every year after.
Heritage breed chickens will usually be productive longer than other breeds. That is one reason I only raise heritage breed chickens. You can find my favorite breeds here.
Chicks Need Safe Bedding
When choosing bedding for your chicks be careful! Some animal bedding is actually dangerous for young chicks. You can find good bedding options here.
Chickens Benefit From Supplements
I keep my chickens in tip top shape by giving them herbs, supplements, and letting them free range. If you keep your chickens healthy they less likely to experience health problems.
These herbs are great to give to your chickens. You can also learn more about oyster shells here, and grit for chickens here.
Chickens Stop Laying In Fall
Your chickens will naturally stop laying eggs in the fall because of the decreasing daylight hours. You can stop this natural process by putting a light source in your chicken coop.
If you want to keep your hens laying through winter read this post.
Build A Predator Proof Coop
Hawks, foxes, wolves, coyotes, and many other animals would love to have your chickens for a midnight snack. Where you live will determine how much you protect your flock, but you need to keep your birds safe.
I buried the chicken wire around my chicken coop and covered the run with netting. You can learn more about predator proofing your coop here.
Chickens Will Lose All Their Feathers
Don't panic when you go out to the coop and notice a naked chicken. Chickens molt every year as a natural process to make new feathers.
You can learn more about helping your chickens through the molting process here.
They Dust Bathe
Chickens love to roll in the dirt! You may notice that your chickens flap around in piles of dirt, this is their natural way of keeping pests at bay and staying clean.
I did not know about dust bathing before getting chickens so I did not make a dust bath area for them. That is okay because my chickens will randomly choose new spots to dust bathe.
This post is great at showing you how to build a dust bathe for your chickens.
You Shouldn't Heat The Coop
It is okay to not heat your chicken coop. New chicken keepers often feel bad leaving their chickens in an unheated coop for the winter, but heating the coop is actually bad for the chickens.
Here are all my tips for keeping a chicken coop warm without using an ounce of electricity. (Before someone asks yes, I know electricity is not measured in ounces)
You Will Want More Chickens
Every chicken keeper I know wants more chickens after they realize how fun they are to raise. Some people also call them the gateway animal that will lead you further down the path of raising your own food.
So, don't say I didn't warn you about the dangers of chickens!
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