CONSIDER THE TIME COMMITMENT

Just like any pet, keeping chickens will require some time commitment on your part. Creating the early infrastructure (like housing) incurs the biggest time investment. After that, it’s simply basic daily requirements like feeding, hygiene and safety care. While the time your birds need will be minimal, it will have to happen every day and every evening (when you lock them up in the henhouse for the night). Make sure you’re in a position to be able to provide that time.

BE SURE YOU CAN FRONT THE COSTS

I like to tell folks that they can be as palatial or as humble with their flock’s housing as they’d like to be. Which is to say, your outlay costs can be grand or small. Either way, some money will need to be spent, so bear that in mind when deciding if keeping chickens is right for you.

KNOW WHO'LL LOOK AFTER YOUR FLOCK IN YOUR ABSENSE

Always, always have a “chicken ace in the hole.” If you go out of town or get stuck away from home when the sun goes down (and the predators come out!), determine in advance who will take care of your flock in your absence.

CHOOSE THE RIGHT BREED FOR YOUR CLIMATE

What might work for chickens in Maine may not necessarily serve them well in Miami. Large birds could suffer in hot conditions, while pint-sized breeds are more susceptible to frostbite. Read up in advance of purchasing your birds what breeds do well in your specific climate and choose accordingly.

DETERMINE THE AMOUNT OF SPACE YOU'LL NEED

Chickens need at least two square feet per bird, if they have access to a run, and four square feet per bird, if they are intensively confined. Make sure to provide those amounts, at the very least, right from the outset. Otherwise, you encourage bad behaviors from distressed birds, like pecking and, worst case scenario, cannibalism.

GIVE THE NEIGHTBORS A HEADS UP

An ounce of prevention is worth a dozen eggs, I like to say. While you don’t necessarily need your neighbor’s permission to keep a flock of laying hens, their blessing or at least their knowledge of your plans certainly doesn’t hurt. Let them know your intentions and that you’ve read up on the topic and intend to stay on top of coop hygiene.

EXAMINE LOCAL CODES AND ORDINANCES

The statutes on what’s allowed in the world of backyard chicken keeping vary enormously from city to city. Find out what’s permitted where you live and do all you can to remain in compliance.

CONSIDER PETS AND CHILDREN

While some dogs couldn’t care less about your birds, others welcome the occasion to have an easy chicken dinner. If you have dogs, watch their behavior when you first bring the chickens home and make decisions about mixing their company accordingly. Children, on the other hand, typically adore chickens and want to play with them all the time. That is great, but that’s also why you should pay scrupulous attention to hygiene with your little ones. Separate “chicken boots” reserved just for the coop are ideal, and hand-washing immediately after handling the birds is a must.

DETERMINE THE NUMBER OF BIRDS YOU'LL NEED

Depending on why you’re keeping chickens, you may need as few as two to three, or you may need 25. If you’re a family of four raising birds for the table (that is, to eat), you may need more than if you’re single and want a few eggs every other day. Consider your specific needs, do the math (chickens in high-laying years -- between the ages of one to three -- will typically lay an egg every 25 hours), and plan accordingly.

SELECT A BREED THAT SUITS YOUR PURPOSES

Just like a Labrador thrives in a family setting while an Afghan Hound prefers a quieter environment, different chicken breeds possess different qualities. If you’re looking for a heavy layer, because your household eats a lot of eggs, seek out birds known for that trait. Alternatively, if you’re looking for a breed known for broodiness (that is, the inclination to “go broody” and sit on a group of eggs for hatching) so that you can raise subsequent generations, seek out breeds known for that characteristic.

PURCHASE OR BUILD THEIR HOUSING

Again, you can go for the gold and purchase a premium, premade coop, or cobble something together out of scrap wood you already have on hand. Either way, be sure to have their housing ready to go before you bring your flock home. You want them to be safe and secure from Day 1, so do your homework and be prepared to properly steward your new wards. If you’re the crafty type, we have instructions on how to build your own coop here.

BE CERTAIN THE HOUSING IS PREDATOR-PROOF

Many other living creatures are just as interested in fresh eggs and a chicken dinner as you are. Threats come from above, below, and in between (the cracks and the fence, that is!). Use metal hardware cloth as coverings for ventilation areas (unless windows are provided) and heavy-duty yard or livestock fencing with holes that are ideally no larger than one inch.

POSITION THE HOUSING IN THE RIGHT LOCATION

Place your coop in a south-facing area. Doing so both provides ample sunlight for egg laying (chickens get their cues to lay eggs from the amount of sunlight they receive) and keeps the coop and run dry. Also, if possible, position the housing in a location with a slight incline, so that water (in the form of rain or melting snow) moves away from the coop and run.

PROVIDE ROOSTS AND NESTING BOXES

Our current domesticated birds descended from wild jungle fowl. Accordingly, they feel much safer at night up off the ground, away from predatory threats. Provide wooden roosts (avoid plastic or metal-they need the traction for proper gripping) for your flock, with eight inches per bird for bantams and lightweight breeds and 10 inches per bird for heavy breeds. Roost diameter should be one inch for bantams (smaller versions of chicken breeds -- think the poultry equivalent of miniature poodles) and two inches for standard sizes.

BE SURE THEY HAVE ACCESS TO DUSTING BATHS

Dust baths are much more than a means for your birds to get down and dirty. When you see your fine-feathered friends looking limp in a dirty hole they scratched out themselves, fear not. This messy act is actually a self-serving one. The dust and dirt clog their pores, in turn killing parasites like mites. If your coop doesn’t have access to dirt, provide it by filling a terracotta pot or a clean, new cat litter basin with dirt and sand.

PURCHASE AGE — AND PURPOSE — APPROPRIATE FEED, FEEDERS AND WATERERS

Your flock will have different food and equipment needs at different stages in their lives. If you have chicks, they’ll need chick feed and chick-sized waterers and feeders. If you’ve got layers or broilers on your hands, you’ll have to purchase appropriate food for them. Consider the particulars of your situation and purchase what they’ll need to be properly nourished.

OBTAIN YOUR BIRDS

Fortunately, getting chickens these days is easier than it has ever been, owing to the explosive interest in backyard chicken keeping. Look online for suppliers, in publications like Craigslist, or in local classifieds ads. You can also often find chicks for sale at farm supply stores and at some nurseries in spring and autumn.

COME TO YOUR SENSES DAILY

Employ your senses on a daily basis when it comes to your flock. Look for any signs of harm to the coop from predators, at their droppings for indications of distress (the droppings should be firm and white-capped), and at the birds themselves for any discharge from eyes and ears or foot and claw injuries. Listen for any raspy sounds, sneezing or coughing from your entire flock (respiratory illnesses are the biggest threat to your birds). Finally, smell the air in the coop. It shouldn’t smell of ammonia, which is an indication there’s not enough ventilation in the coop.

MAINTAIN REGULAR COOP HYGIENE

Once a year, you’ll need to do a big, deep clean. That involves removing all of the bedding and then hosing everything down with a mixture of 1:1:10 dish liquid, bleach and water. Scrub the roosts and nesting boxes, as well. Additionally, you’ll need to change out the bedding regularly, knock droppings off of the roosts whenever you see them, and always keep the feeders and waterers clean.

ENJOY YOUR FLOCK!

While it can seem like a lot of work (and at moments it is), the joys and rewards of being a good steward to your flock are numerous. Of course delighting in the taste of farm fresh omelets is wonderful, but the real fulfillment is seen in the eyes of your happy little gang. Happy chickens make for a happy home.

CREDIT

Ashley English is the author of Keeping Chickens: All You Need To Know To Care For A Happy, Healthy Flock, Lark Crafts (2010).

Read more about Ashley at www.smallmeasure.com