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4 Responses to What do you need to have backyard chickens?

1. You need a little coop (shed) and about 6-9 bandie chickens for about 6-9 eggs a day (if you want the eggs to be fertile then you need to get a rooster also).

   

   Tim
   June 17, 2011 at 6:03 pm
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2. First of all you need to contact your local authorities- some areas don’t allow you to keep chickens at all, some may have restrictions on the number of birds you may keep, you may have regulations regarding how far the birds have to be kept from boundary lines and neighbors houses, you may have to pay a fee for a permit or annual “license”, many areas do not allow you to keep a rooster, some even dictate that you must ration feed the birds to reduce the chance of rodent problems, you may be required to construct your coop with a cement slab floor, if you intend to build a coop you may need to apply for a building permit etc etc…. Depending on exactly where you live there could be no rules or regulations or there could be hundreds- those I’ve just mentioned are a few that I’ve come across in communication with urban chicken owners. It doesn’t pay to ignore the regulations- some areas have fines and some areas will confiscate and put down your birds if you do.

   It’s considered courteous to tell your neighbors that you intend to keep chickens- they may have some concerns of their own (noise, smell, rodents etc…), offer them the odd carton of eggs and most neighbors are pretty happy but do check the security of the fences etc between you- especially if your neighbor keeps dogs.

   Measure the area of the backyard you are prepared to hand over to the chickens- where you intend to build your coop and run, or go to the store where you intend to purchase your coop and measure it. A healthy chicken needs about 1 metre square of space including inside and outside area- don’t be misled by the coop manufacturer, always go off your own measurement of floor area as some manufacturers simply offer the figure which the inbuilt roost can comfortably handle.

   Now work out how many chickens can fit in that space, keeping in mind that large and active breeds would do better with more space, bantams can cope in about half that area and if you intend to let them “free range” the garden mostly, you can also reduce the space (but keep in mind that in periods of extended bad weather they will need space to perform natural chicken behaviors such as dust bathing still, so it’s worthwhile making sure they have a covered outdoor area as well). If you are mostly just after eggs, it’s worthwhile to get one bird per each person in the household plus one- but please bear in mind too that after the birds first year, egg production becomes seasonal, and the number of eggs produced each year reduces- so it’s worthwhile considering at this stage what you are going to do when the hens slow and/or finally stop laying.

   You say you want white egg laying birds- which basically means you’re looking at getting one of the Mediterranean breeds (such as the Leghorn). When you buy stock, check their ears carefully to make sure they have white earlobes- not red and not earlobes that are mostly red with some white. that increases your chance of actually getting a good colored white egg shell. However, it’s important to bear in mind that almost all the Mediterranean breeds are fairly highly strung birds- unless they have been well handled they are not exactly the most “affectionate” birds- the pay off for this is eggs as they are great layers, but if you want “pets” then you may be better compromising and getting a more cuddly duel purpose breed (fewer and generally cream to brown eggs)

   I will forever argue that mixing breeds and especially birds of different sizes is not recommended. If you simply must have mixed breeds, do your research and buy breeds that are all roughly the same size and weight and by at least two of each breed and color variety- so you basically have a coop full of matched “twins”. If you do this, you will have relatively no problems. If you want examples of the problems you can get in a mixed coop, please feel free to email me and I’d be happy to explain in greater detail, but for now this answer is probably going to be long enough as it is.

   Since I am nowhere near you, I can’t help regarding breeders and suppliers, however visit your local newsagency as there are several great magazines and other publications which cover the poultry fancy- you will usually find listings for poultry clubs, advertisements for suppliers etc- and from there you should be able to locate everything you need.

   Good luck!

   

   Araucana
   June 17, 2011 at 7:03 pm
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3. a 30×30 is quite a lot but it also depends on how many chickens you’re getting.
   First of you’ll want to think how many chickens you want 🙂 (I have 6 hens) boy or girl depends on where you live. if you live in a city or a very close neighborhood not a good idea to get roosters 🙁
   You’re fine if you live in an open space and can get hens AND roosters 😀

   I think in Los Angeles you are able to hold as much as 5-7 chickens. You should ask your Los Angeles City Hall… thing. I wouldn’t suggest a rooster cause they is loud D: and you only want eggs so hens are great 🙂

   There are many types of chickens that you can choose from that lay blue, white, green, spotted(?), and brown. there are other types of eggs but this is all I know :P.
   There should be charts or information about chickens and what kind of eggs they lay so that should lay it down 🙂

   Hens are okay with each other as long as you get them all at the same time cause if you had a chicken for over 4 months and they’re grown and you bring in a new chickies then say goodbye to it cause it will be either pecked to death or just bullied all it’s little lonesome life 🙁 *sad face*

   In my area I got them from a place called: Pet’s and Farming
   They have a lot of chickens, doves, turkeys, parrotlets,
   parakeets, donkeys(?), geese, ducks, etc.
   The chicks where around 6 bucks. So they are cheep 🙂

   From there once you chose your type, you can go onto the housing 😀 (them coops! >:D)

   ——-COOP——————————————————

   Chickies:
   If you’re getting baby chickens first you’d better take them inside for a while until they grow like.. butt feathers or something. Maybe a few weeks (I took mine in for 4 weeks greedy little things..)
   because at night it’s pretty chilly e_e. While this time it’s best to start making the pen/coop 🙂
   (best if it is before you get em!)

   Mama chickens:
   after they grow into their good feathers as in they look less scruffy/or you bought them as big grown up chickens you can move them into the coop. I made it around 5 ft. tall and 3 feet wide and stuck 2 long perches in there. at the bottom I would suggest wood shavings like the ones you use in hamster beddings. that way when they poo you can easily clean it out :D. But If I where you I would make the coop a wee be bigger if you’re gonna have 7 or more chickens, they fight e_e (specially if you have 2 males or more).
   If you’re going to make it from scratch you’d better get your construction hat on. (not expert at this look up online or ask friends)

   Okay you’re set for the coop! 🙂
   For the backyard, you’re completely fine with 5-7 chickens 🙂
   I have a 25×35 backyard and they work great with it 🙂
   But once you let them into your backyard… you’re plants (meaning grass, weeds, some flowers, and lot’s of mulch) will be gone by next year. Not pretty. but it will grow back out eventually 🙂

   And chickens LOVE dirt baths when it comes to summer 🙂
   Make sure to have a largish dirt path/ area where they can just roll around it.
   Don’t worry they don’t need baths!

   ———CARE————————————
   Chicken Nesting:
   When you get chicken when they are babies it won’t be soon when they start laying eggs.
   It’s a slow process. It took around 4-7 months for all of my chickens to mature and start laying eggs!
   at first the eggs will be kind of small you know.. grocery sized? (not that big!)
   but once they get bigger and eat a lot more it will grow like big 🙂
   This is what my nesting area looks like:
   http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/ae211/Ponchie123/chickennesting.jpg

   Water:
   Water is water. The usual rule to water 😛
   USE CLEAN WATER.
   Tap is fine, the hose water is fine, bath water is fine, toilet water(?) eh, but no toxic, chemicals, etc.
   If you already have a pet you get the idea.
   This is what I used for their water bowl:
   http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/ae211/Ponchie123/chickenwater.jpg

   Food:
   I used the usual chicken/hen/chick scratch and they love it.
   I also mix in seeds/ dried corn in too. The backyard itself would be enough for half the day as well 🙂
   They love vegetables and fruits so make sure you put out a large batch often. Good calcium and nutrition 😀 I suggest lots of watermelon cause ANY type of chicken would love it 😀
   A mixture of skinned carrots, lettuce, peas, watermelon(?) is what I use and they’re good with it 😛
   Also the usual rule: don’t feed them chocolate, toxic, chemicals, plastic, glass, etc.
   They eat bugs too e_e
   I held a giant bee and spider up to on and they ate it so fast I thought it just exploded ninja like o_o
   This is what I used for their food bowl:
   http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/ae211/Ponchie123/chickenfood.jpg

   Taming (?):
   If you want one to get used to you petting it or holding it, there are many ways to tame them ish.
   They can sometimes peck at you when they feel insecure but that rarely happens 🙂

   

   cutechubbyapple
   June 17, 2011 at 7:12 pm
   Reply

4. If you have that small of a yard I would just go with a chicken tractor. Different breeds can live together, but roosters won’t. Sometimes if they live together they will start plucking each others tail feathers out, and possible fight. Unless you want to breed them I wouldn’t even worry about a rooster. Hens won’t always lay everyday. I have 11 hens and average 8-9 a day. So just figure out how many you eat then go from there.

   

   Nick
   June 17, 2011 at 8:05 pm
   Reply