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[FarmingForFun]

My best advice for raising a backyard flock is to repurpose as much as you can. It is easy to get hung up on going out and buying a lot of stuff brand new when if you look around you may already have what you need. If you are going to build a coop yourself see if you can find and old shed or similar building to repurpose…not only will this save you time and effort it could also save you some cash. When it comes to nesting boxes find some old cabinets or shelving and divide it up accordingly this will save money and the trees from the lumber you wont have to use. If you need a feeder or water container find a bucket (that did not have anything toxic in it to begin with!) and make some adjustments. You would be surprised at how pretty some repurposed items turn out (kind of a rustic look!). Repurposing can help your wallet and the environment! Good luck with your flock everyone!

 

[SkiBikeClimb]

Embrace the journey. Backyard chickens should be more than eggs and a coop. From the early days of researching breeds to the reality of cracking fresh eggs into your favorite cast iron skillet, allow your fluffy friends to influence your life for the better. Consider trapping that rain that runs down the peak of your backyard coop into a rain barrel, and use it to water your garden or flowers. Or, perhaps modify that slightly leaky coop covering into a rooftop garden of it's own. Too complicated? Knock on your neighbors door and greet them with some fresh eggs as a "thank you" for being a good neighbor. Or, pay the local kids a nominal fee for worms or grubs they find and feed to your birds. Backyard birds will teach you a thing or two...if you let them.

 

[churchill]

I highly recommend going in on chickens with a neighbor. Between you and a friend nearby, your chickens can be taken care of in the event of a nasty, nasty hawk sighting, down to vacations. Even when our babies were in brooders, my neighbor and I have helped each other out, down to caring for day olds in each other's homes when scrubbing floors, to protect baby lungs.

 

[kmac720]

I am only 10 days new at having a small flock of nine! My best advice so far is to be ready when you start because chicks grow really fast! I started out thinking that the 50 gallon plastic tub would be fine for the first month and would also be cheap giving me more money to spend on a coop. I've already had to add a plastic tub because they are growing out of their space so quickly. If I had the chance to start over, I would have started with a larger plywood box or started in the coop. Since I thought I had time to build our coop, I'm kind of in a bind. I had only planned to have 5 chicks, which the tub may have worked for, but came home with ten, chicken math

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[jodeen]

My best advice for raising chickens is to keep them in a Chicken Coop especially at night.
They have too many predators and will soon disappear if allowed to run loose all of the time.
Feed them a quality food for good egg production.
Chickens are very enjoyable to own.
I grew up with chickens and I am planning on getting a few so my 4 year old Daughter can experience what I did as a child.

 

[Sharisr32]

My best advise is to. Keep a journal of experiences . Knowledge tidbits that can be revisted on a as needed basis canbe very helpful. Listen to others and gain experience in all things chicken . Develop a system to keep track of each bird .Immunizations are very important using numbered bands are very helpful. Keep breeding records and the quality of those parings offspring Keep track of purchases of new stock and NPIP numbers to ensure you are breeding healthy offspring - Keep track of upgrades to coop designs what works best for you. Keep track of health issues within your stock and what worked to aid you returning them to health for example household asprin @5 grains to 1 gallon of water can help an egg bound hen to reduce swelling and disconfort . Be your own book .

 

[GardeningGrl]

My best advice would be to choose a breed that's appropriate to your climate and raise it in the most humane, but realisitic conditions possible. If you're in the north, NOT over-heating is so important, particularly if you live in an area prone to power outages. It's regularly below freezing here in Northern Maine, but we only run our heat lamp if the coop risks dropping well below zero at night (and we only run it during the coldest hours of the night). Luckily, this means that if the power kicks out, our girls don't risk freezing to death because they've built up enormous feathery coats. Combined with a good handful of corn before I turn in for the night and hot water in the trough every morning, our girls are happy, vigorous, and still laying eggs in mid-winter.

 

[sunnyllama]

My best advice for raising chickens is the same as my best advice for doing anything: show respect.

• Show respect to your birds by getting the correct breed for your lifestyle, protecting them, feeding them well, and giving them the attention they need.
• Show respect to others by taking advice and asking questions.
• Show respect to yourself by feeling confident that you can do your best.
• Show respect to the earth by using every bit of your fortune (ie...seeds can be planted in egg shells after you have enjoyed your farm fresh egg, rain water can be collected to water the birds, droppings can be composted, kitchen scraps can be used as feed instead of trash, etc.)
• Show respect for the process by appreciating the small things that chickens can bring to your life with their big personalities and quirkiness.

As long as the proper respect is given, even if you reach an end you will have a journey you can be proud of!

 

[BantamoftheOpera]

Keeping chickens is my favorite part of the day. You can have a lot of fun with it if you practice prevention, particularly when it comes to rodents. Our coop is part of an existing structure that didn't have a floor. We decided to lay wire mesh over the earth and then we topped that off with wooden boards. Then we put the bedding down. We have had no problems with rodents in the coop. Our feed shed did attract rodents at first so we decided to use a refrigerator we found on the side of the road that was no longer functioning. We turned it so that the door faces up and it seals nice and tight. We just pour our food in when we have everyone on the same feed. When we have young birds we just keep the individual bags in there so the mice can't chew through them. This is such an easy way to keep food from getting wet or contaminated through rodent feces.

 

[peanut11]

You need to start small ... like 4 to 5 chickens. The pen must have nesting boxes and be off the ground, with a ramp. It must have an outdoor run area where they can scratch up bugs, etc. I really would love a new coop/pen.