An Easy Introduction to Raising Chickens for Fun (by Joshua Duvauchelle)

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Raising chickens is a fantastic hobby, and one of the reasons poultryOne.com was founded in the first place! However, if you're new to raising chickens or haven't even started yet, it's smart to read a few basic articles before you dive in. We have many articles for beginners which you can find listed (for free) in our chicken article library.

Take a few minutes, read all the articles on this site, and go ahead and join our online community of poultry hobbyists.

Why are you raising chickens?

It is important to understand your personal reasons for raising chickens because it will help you choose the right breed(s) and how you go about building your chicken coop. The main reasons people grow their own chickens are:

The reason you're raising chickens may influence, to a certain degree, what you need to get started in this fun hobby. Of course, most chickens have general requirements: a coop/run to protect them from predators and the weather, clean water, fresh food, and adequate space. However, your individual purpose for raising chickens may affect how you go about building their coop or what you feed them.

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The reason you're raising chickens has the greatest influence on what type of breed you get. If you want to raise chickens for fresh eggs, it'd be best to go with a dual-purpose breed like the Rhode Island Red, or a commercial egg-laying strain such as the White Leghorn. If you're raising chickens for meat, you'll want a fast-growing breed that converts feed into body weight efficiently, such as the Cornish Cross. And if you're raising chickens just for fun...well, the possibilities are practically endless!

How Do I Start Raising Chickens?

First, you want to consider how you want to start your flock. Most people start their first chicken flock using chicks purchases from commercial hatcheries like Murray McMurray Hatchery. You can also purchase chicks from your local feed store.

If you're feeling a little more adventurous, and don't mind taking a few moments to educate yourself on the matter, you can also start your flock using fertilized eggs and incubating them yourself. This takes a little more time, but it is a great experience and will be especially educational for children.

Either way, once you get your chicks hatched or purchased, you'll need to put them in a brooder to keep them warm. You should place the brooder in an area that is free from drafts (which can be deadly for little chicks!) and protected from predators (especially little children or family pets). Chicks need a temperature of about 95 degrees for the first 7 days, which will be slowly lowered until they're completely feathered out.

As with any type of animal, make sure you give your chicks easy access to fresh, clean water and food! Chicks should be fed chick starter, a feed with a high amount of protein that is essential for their proper growth and development. If you purchased your chicks through a commercial hatchery, they may be a bit stressed out from being mailed cross-country. If you think it will help, purchase a chick vitamin-mix and add it to their water to help boost their immune system.

What About A Chicken Coop?

As your chicks become older, you'll need to take them out of the brooder and place them in a coop. A good coop will protect them from the weather, give them adequate space, provide roosts, and (if they're layers) allocate some room for nesting boxes.

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If I Am Raising Layers, Do I Need A Rooster?

That is a common question that we feel must be answered right here: No! We receive a lot of questions from people wondering if they need roosters to get their hens to lay. Thankfully, you don't! In fact, if you're raising layers you are probably better of not having a rooster to begin with.

Building A Chicken Yard/Run:

Your chickens would love to be able to play outside, where they'll have access to sunshine, fresh air, and maybe some plants and bugs. An outside chicken yard or chicken run should be protected with a strong fence, and provide a small lean-to or shelter of some sort. You might also want to consider a portable run that can be moved around your yard so that your chickens can always have fresh ground to roam on.

The days of true "free ranging" are practically over. Cars and your neighbor's pets are dangerous foes, as well as natural predators like hawks and raccoons. A chicken yard is a happy compromise between the freedom of "free ranging" and the confines of a chicken coop. If you're able to, we strongly encourage you to give your chickens some sort of outdoor enclosure where they can enjoy nature without the risk of being harmed.

What Do I Feed My Chickens?

We've got a great article on feeding chickens which has been especially useful to beginners. Feed comes in several forms, including pellets, mash, and crumbles. Pellets are the easiest to feed, and the chickens can see them easier so that there is less wasted. However, experiment with the different kinds and see which works best for you.

You will also want to give your chickens grit. Grit is basically small pebbles and stones that the chicken stores in his gizzard. Because chickens do not have teeth, the grit is used to grind up their food. For chicks, grit is only needed if the chicks are eating grain or other foodstuffs. Chicks fed mash or crumbles do not need it. If you are feeding your chicks grit, do not give chicks oystershell. The extra calcium in oystershell will cause bone development problems in young birds (although it is highly beneficial for layers!).

Raising Chickens Is Fun!

There is a lot more to learn about this fantastic hobby. This article is merely a launching point to give you a few pointers about raising chickens. As you raise these fun birds, you will need to learn how to prevent diseases, eradicate parasites, and deal with problems like egg eating and feather picking. But, with the resources from poultryOne.com and help from other hobbyists in our free online poultry community, raising your own chickens will be a success!