Basic Guide To Keeping Backyard Chickens

Chickens make wonderful pets as they are playful, entertaining, friendly and affectionate. Though they are the most underrated pets, you can become excellent hosts to your chickens, not to mention the loads of eggs you can get from chickens.

Chickens have individual personalities and once you get to know them, they become so loveable.

You can grow them easily in your backyard once you have all the right equipment.

This blog will guide you to keep chickens in your backyard and grow them properly without any hassle.

Benefits of Growing Chickens

Before we dive into the actual part, let’s see the benefits of keeping chickens in your backyard:

• Fresh eggs supply

Whether you like your eggs scrambled, poached or fried, you will have an endless supply of fresh eggs in your backyard. The eggs at your home taste a lot better than the store-bought ones as you control what you feed the chickens. If you want healthy eggs in your home, then growing chickens is the best idea for you.

• Sustainability

Keeping chickens in your backyard is more than just getting delicious eggs. Chickens help eliminate scraps, produce natural fertiliser, assist with composting and make a nice appeal to the backyard. Having chickens roaming in your backyard is the most rewarding and easiest way to start living green.

• Peace and serenity

A flock of chickens in your backyard flying and roaming makes you connect to nature. Every time you look at your flock, it can bring peace, serenity, and tranquillity to your mind and heart. It’s a great way to be close to nature.

What You Might Need to Grow Chickens?

Let’s have a look at how you can be ready to keep chickens in your backyard. You need to collect the following items so that you can witness a true chicken pet-growing environment.

• Chicken coop
• Feeder
• Drinker
• Nesting materials such as straw, wood shavings, shredded paper
• Grit
• Grass and dirt

Things to Consider When Growing Chickens:

• Rooms for chickens

Having a chicken house is ideal for your flock to grow and lay eggs. However, if you want to enjoy their presence, then let them roam free in your backyard. It also works if you have a free-established garden at your home.

If you don’t have enough space, then choose a chicken tractor. It consists of a house and space to let your chicken roam freely and have access to fresh greens and bugs.

• Keep the area safe

Even though your chicken flock stays in your backyard, make sure the space is protected from predators. Make sure the cats and other predators don’t have access to the chickens.

Also, ensure you are keeping proper nesting boxes for chickens to lay eggs. You don’t want to find the eggs being broken, stolen, or eaten by predators.

Like humans, chickens also need proper ventilation for air circulation. Make sure the chickens get proper fresh air throughout the day.

Also, include perches to roost on at night. All these precautions are necessary to make your chickens thrive in your backyard.

• Be prepared for chicken illnesses and injuries

Make sure to know what kind of illnesses chickens get and be prepared to handle the situations. Ensure to keep medicines handy and keep them happy always for them to grow and thrive properly.

Your Daily Activity with Chickens Involves:

1. Making sure they have plenty of food and water
2. Cleaning the coop and sanitising it when needed.
3. Always empty the nesting box of any eggs. They might eat them if you are not taking them out
4. Make sure to open the coop door so that they can roam free in your backyard
5. Always count the chickens before each night so that every chicken is well.
6. To protect them from predators like foxes and cats, make sure the coop is sturdy and has a strong mesh attached to it.

Final Thoughts

Growing chickens as pets in your backyard is an excellent idea if you want to get endless entertainment and a fresh supply of eggs. Research thoroughly what you need and make sure to take time for your chickens so that you can give proper care to them. They will thrive and make sure you have all the eggs you need to eat.