New to chickens

[olgaczar]

My name is Olga. I am new to chickens and come here to learn more before I get started. I want to keep them for the eggs and pets for my children to learn. How much room do chickens need? How many years do they lay and how long do chickens live? Any help would be appreciated. Thank you!

 

[DobieLover]

Hello, Olga, and welcome to BYC! Glad you joined.
They generally need a minimum of 4 sq ft per bird in the coop and 12-15 sq ft per bird in the run.
The quantity and duration of egg laying is breed dependent. Egg production drops as they age.
Chickens can live up to 10 years and older with good care.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Welcome to Backyard Chickens Olga this is great place enjoy

 

[piminuse]

Hi, Olga, and welcome to the flock!

This group is a great resource to help answer lots and lots of questions and to get great ideas for growing and maintaining your flock.

It's recommended that each bird have a minimum of 4 feet per bird inside the coop, and 10 feet in the run. This can vary by the size of your birds and if you plan on free ranging or not. You'll also need to determine how many birds/eggs you want. Most hens in the prime of their laying will lay 3-4 eggs a week. However, as noted above, this varies based on breed of chicken (heritage vs hybrid) and on age. Expect the first 3 years to be full of eggs, especially if you go with a production hybrid like Novogen, ISA brown or Sapphire Gem.

Again, this site is your friend for helping you plan your flock, so feel free to search aroudn the different threads or to post your own queries like "what breed is best for kids" or "how many chickens for family of 4" etc.

Good luck!

 

[sourland]

Hello, Olga, welcome to BYC, and good luck in establishing your flock. @DobieLover has done a good job of answering your questions.

 

[HappyClucker7]

Welcome to BYC!

 

[Pork Pie]

Hi Olga and welcome to BYC. Here are some helpful links:

• Great go-to resource - Articles
• Coop & Run - Design, Construction, & Maintenance
  Space requirements
• How to start a new thread
• Find other BYC members nearby using the links in my signature, below (turn your phone to landscape to see them).

Best wishes

Pork Pie

 

[featherhead007]

I will only, simply say:

 

[TwoCrows]

Hello there Olga and welcome to BYC!

Looks like you have received some great info already! If you have any further questions about anything along the way, be sure to ask. Welcome aboard!

 

[Chick-N-Fun]

Welcome to our FUNomenal Flock!
Pull up a roost & enjoy your time here!