When people think of raising chickens they immediately think about the monetary incentives. They immediately consider the costs of setting up coops, buying feed, and chicken maintenance and then compare it side by side with the money that they can earn from selling the chickens or the eggs.

They would then be turned off when they find out that they would have to spend quite a price on the upfront costs before they earn money.

Of course, while this is a valid way to look at chickens, you should also understand that there are some nonmonetary incentives for raising backyard chickens. It would help to focus on them so that you would not be too worried about costs when it comes to raising them.

Here are some of the benefits of raising backyard chickens, that are not related to finances:

Pest Control for you backyard:

One of the more common treats for your backyard chickens would be the insects that are roaming around in your backyard. By having them around, you would have an automatic pest control as they would peck at the bugs and other crawling insects that are in your backyard.

Of course, it would dependent on the space that you allot for them. If you would allow them to roam freely around your backyard during short periods of time, then the chickens would be able to catch more bugs.

Educational factor:

Raising backyard chickens is probably one of the closest things to having a farm in an urban area. This would provide a great method for you to teach your children about other animals aside from the usual pets (the dogs, cats, hamsters, etc.) that they are used to seeing.

Another great educational tool is the fact that the chickens would lay eggs that you can use for food. This would enable you to teach them about where their food comes from. Of course, if you are dealing with children, then it may be a bit too extreme if you would slaughter the chickens. As such, you have to consider how you would showcase the food aspect to them.

The pet fun factor:

When people hear about others who are raising backyard chickens, the immediate mindset is that they are doing it just for the financial benefits. However, you should think in another direction sometimes. When you are raising chickens, it does not necessarily have to have a trade off!

Think about it, if you are keeping any other animal to keep as pets, like a dog for example, you do not think about the monetary incentives. If you would spend for a chicken coop and feeds for your chickens, then you would spend for the dog house and dog food for the dogs. The dogs would not even give you eggs that you can eat!

So you can actually just take care of chickens just for the fun of it. They are also an enjoyable bunch of animals; just like any other common pet.

As you can see, not everything would have to be about money. You can take care of backyard chickens without having to have financial incentives to do so! So what are you waiting for? Get the necessary supplies, and start your chicken flock now!

They say that one of the ways that people are able to learn their lessons well would be through committing mistakes.

Unfortunately, this kind of approach for learning about raising backyard chickens is such a big waste. Once you commit a mistake while handling your flock, you are risking the loss of money, time, effort, and even the life of your prized birds.

That’s why it may be best to be familiar with the mistakes that are commonly done by beginners in order for you to learn about them. You would then be able to learn the necessary lessons while being able to avoid committing the mistakes that may be harmful to your chickens.

Here are some of the common beginner mistakes when it comes to raising backyard chickens:

Not being able to purchase proper feeds:

You should understand that your chickens have varying needs according to age. Generally, chicks and chickens that are just a few months old still do not have the developed organs that are necessary for handling the regular sized food.  You should also add in the fact that most of these chicks would need additional vitamins and minerals in order to grow well. That is why there are some feeds that are catered to chicks and young chicken specifically.

In short, you would need to purchase feeds that properly match their needs. If you want good eggs, then you should purchase calcium rich feeds, if they are chicks, then it’s the starter pellets, and other similar adjustments.

Not understanding the breed:

Another common mistake that beginner’s would usually make when raising backyard chickens would be to assume that all chickens are the same. A chicken is a chicken no matter what breed it is. This is unfortunate as they should know that each breed would have specific needs and varying tolerances about their environment.

You should understand that some breeds are generally more adaptable to temperature changes, while some breeds would immediately get sick. There are also variations that are breed related when it comes to their functions; some chicken breeds are better egg layers while some are better at being meat birds.

By understanding the breed, you would be able to cater your coop design, your method of taking care of them, your objectives, and expectations of the flock to match the capabilities and nuances of the breed that you have.

Getting roosters for an egg laying flock:

Lastly, one of the most surprising things for beginners is that they do not realize that you would not need roosters if you want your chickens to lay their eggs!

Some people think that for their chickens to have eggs, they would need to add a rooster in their flock. Actually, you don’t have to have one, as egg laying is a naturally occurring thing for the hens once they reach a certain age.

You would only need the roosters in your backyard chicken flock if you want the eggs to be fertilized and hatch into chicks.

If you have already decided on setting up your backyard for raising chickens, one of your primary concerns would be to select what breed of chicken you would want to have.  One thing to remember when raising backyard chickens is that you cannot simply go out and get any chicken available. This is because there are a plethora of breeds to choose from.

The different breeds of chickens would usually correspond to the different needs that you have depending on what kind of products you want to reap from raising them. There are usually two main options when you decide to raise backyard chickens, you could decide to sell or use their eggs for a profit, or you can sell the chicken themselves as meat. You should probably decide between the two as you would probably need different breeds of chickens to match either need.

For raising chickens for eggs:

The best breeds would usually be those that are able to lay large, beautiful brown eggs. This is because these kinds of eggs are the type that a lot of people would use and therefore purchase from you.

For this need you may want to select a chicken that comes from the Barred Rock, Black Australorps, or Rhode Island Reds breeds. These are the breeds that are generally famous for the ability of the chickens to produce good eggs.

For raising chickens for their meats

You may want chickens that are generally heavyset and larger framed than others. This is because these are the types that would be able to cook well and sell well in the market.

The breeds that would provide you with this kind of chickens are usually the Orpingtons, Cornish, or Giants. Chickens from these breeds are usually great for roasting, broiling, or frying.

Can a breed do both?

Some people may want to hit two birds with one stone and want the chickens that they raise in their backyards to do both the laying of eggs and giving meat. However, they are wary of having plenty of breeds as they have heard that it is a bad idea to mix breeds in a single coop.

For these people, perhaps the best option would be to select a chicken that is not necessarily great in laying eggs or providing meat, but is not poor in both either. Some breeds that are able to do this are the aforementioned Orpingtons.

Chickens from the Orpington breed would usually be able to add a nice brown egg to complement the meat that it would also be able to provide you.

Now that you are aware of the different breeds of chickens that you could use for your own backyard raising experience, you may want to consider your needs so that you would be able to select one that perfectly suits it.

We received a great post from “Kathy in Georgia” and we thought you’d enjoy reading it as much as we did!

She writes to provide a quick summary to help people who want to know more about how to raise chicks:

“Growing up on a farm in Georgia, I learned first hand how to take care and raise chickens. On the farm we’d mostly use the chickens for fresh eggs, but occasionally, my mother would slaughter one for a nice dinner.  Even though we consume chickens and their eggs, the animals themselves deserve our respect for the gifts that they give to us.

In my family, we like to get baby chicks.  They’re cute and the kids enjoy watching them grow up.

Read the rest of this entry

Overall, chickens are pretty good at adapting to the weather, but when you have sudden spikes in temperatures – it’s best that you help your chickens ease into the warm summer months.

Chickens thrive in temperatures in the low-70s … but as it starts to approach 80+ degrees … just like most animals, your chickens may start to overheat.

… and, this is especially true if it’s humid!

The heat can cause stress on the chickens – and, though, they may not die from the heat (unless they are dehydrated) – the stress may cause them to stop laying eggs for weeks (if not months!) … and meat chickens may stop putting on weight during the hot days.

Look for signs of overheating – such as: panting, the chickens keeping their wings spread away from their body and lethargy.

If you suspect your chicken is overheating, consider the following tips to keeping your chickens cool:

Read the rest of this entry