I have no idea how to raise chickens

[dar5619]

I'm affraid i will get over run with chickens,,, how do you let them roam free even if you don't have a rooster, won't one from another farm find it's way to your's?

 

[chickenlovefever]

Okay. Well trust me, you have nothing to worry about something like that. If you have no rooster, It won't breed to your hens, and therefore you don't have fertile eggs. It's hard to get a hen to start going broody, anyways. And you won't get overrun with chickens, unless you just throw them out there and feed them once a week without paying any mind. Eggs are still edible, whether fertilized or not, but only a few immature people freak out about eating fertilized eggs. You will rarely, or even never, have any other chicken wander onto your land unless you didn't know it or unless you live in the middle of chicken square. about 3 out 100 chances will you have a rooster that could wander onto your property and see your hens, and he could become the flock leader and become king of the hill there. If this happens, you could catch him and either eat him, kill him, or take him to an animal shelter or throw him on someone else's chicken farm

But chances are, if you have a rooster and you take him down the road and drop him off thinking he'll never return, trust me, he will.
Your hens should be able to safely free range around your yard as long as you have a place that they know is their roosting place, or their home.
Also if you collect the eggs everyday, you don't have to worry about anything happening like your hens setting and chicks hatching, but you will need a rooster to do that. Inder a broody hen, about olny 4 out of 10 eggs usually hatch, or that is the case with me.
Hope this helped, and if you ever need help, just reply back to me!
Happy Chickening!