Chickens
& Eggs Small Chicken Breeds Tinier chickens can be so much fun as
pets and they still lay eggs and can even be processed for meat.
Hen & Chicken FAQs How long does it take a chicken egg to
hatch? How many eggs do chickens lay? How can you tell if a hen is old?
and other questions answered on our FAQ page.
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Egg
Laying Chickens for Beginners Raising egg laying chickens, for
beginners, may seem daunting at first. But in my experience, chickens
are one of the easiest and most rewarding farm animals to
have. Their needs are few and their care, simple and straightforward.
Some of the first questions potential chicken owners ask me is if the
birds are very messy, or very difficult to manage. My answer to both
is: No. Granted, if you are planning to raise your chickens indoors, I
would have to say that could be a very messy proposition. But
considering that chickens are generally running around on the dirt
outside, penned in for much or all of the time, their waste is not an
issue if there is enough room in the cage for the birds to spread out.
As far as difficult, again, chickens rank very low on this scale when
it comes to animals. They need to have plentiful water and food and
protection from predators. If you can automate all three of these
criteria, you could leave them to their own devices for days at a time
if need be. Of course, human interaction is ideal in order to keep them
tame, and their eggs should be gathered daily, but they will survive as
long as they have a supply of food and water and predators are unable
to reach them.
The coop and chicken run are the most important elements to a simple
and easy to manage chicken operation. It needs to be of sufficient size
to fit all your birds, with the enclosure walls high enough that the
birds can not fly over. If the wire fencing extends over the top of the
chicken run and covers the coop area with no points of entrance for
predators, you'll have more ability to leave the chickens for a day or
two when needed.
You can buy chicken feeders and waterers that can hold several days'
worth of food and water for your birds, depending on the size of your
flock. Multiple waterers should be used in the summer heat so they
don't run out. .
Resources about egg laying chickens, for beginners:
Care
of Baby Chickens
Best
Egg Laying Chicken Breeds
How to Make a Chicken Coop
(off-site)
You
can start your flock with birds of any age, from peeps (newly hatched
chicks) to pullets (young hens, usually not laying yet) to full grown
birds. As you experience raising chickens in your backyard, you'll
probably try all different ages and find what suits you best for
building your own chicken flock.
Honestly, the only way to overcome concerns about raising
chickens is to give it a try. Read through the articles on this site
and enjoy your new chickens when you get them!
Storey's Guide to Raising Chickens
 Chickens The Chicken Health Handbook Keep Chickens: Tending Small Flocks
Build Easy Chicken Coops Choosing and Keeping Chickens 
Egg Laying
Chickens Book Store
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