Nowadays, chickens are very popular, and even though I'm not typically a fan of "trends," I actually think this one is great! There is a ton of information available on raising chickens, and it can be very daunting at first.

Although I don't claim to be the ultimate authority on all matters pertaining to chicken rearing, I have kept a flock for a number of years and would like to share my seven top tips for keeping chickens to make it easier.

1Instead of starting with eggs, use young or adult birds.

It may seem fun to hatch your first batch of chickens from eggs, but it's much easier to begin with a healthy group of chicks and work your way up from there.

Before tackling the occasionally frustrating world of egg incubation, give yourself time to get comfortable with the inner workings of chicken health and behavior, even though you may want to contemplate hatching your own chickens in the future.

The majority of your neighborhood feed stores receive chick orders in the spring, so carefully study the store flyers to find out when they'll be in your region.

Another choice is to choose adult chickens for your first flock that are already laying eggs. Even though this occasionally works, you frequently end up with "culls" from other people's flocks, so be cautious of what you purchase.

2Choose chicken breeds that serve two purposes

Typically, there are two types of chickens: meat breeds and laying kinds. If you're not sure which path you want to take, pick a breed that is reputed to produce a respectable number of eggs but also has sufficient meat output in case you end up with additional roosters or hens that don't lay.

My personal favorite breeds are Araucanas, Barred Rocks, New Hampshire Reds, and Rhode Island Reds. Furthermore, compared to other more "specialized" breeds, dual purpose chickens appear to be more resilient and independent. Dig deep into your research to find the comparison of other breeds at Best Laying Hens.

3Your coop doesn't have to be completely illogical

Recently, I've noticed some wild chicken coops. It's difficult to determine whether they were designed for a human or a bird because some of them are fancier than my own home. Don't let owning a nice coop stop you from raising your own flock of birds. Chickens don't need a five-star hotel to be content.

Chickens require:

● safeguarding against predators

● nesting boxes (for layers)

● space to wander about, and a place to roost

By altering an existing structure (a small barn, shed, or even a doghouse) or creating a tiny chicken tractor, you can easily satisfy these requirements. Visit the Backyard Poultry board on Pinterest for ideas on chicken tractors and coops.

4Be as natural as you can

The gimmicks increase in popularity as chicken keeping becomes more popular. Your chicken experience can be as straightforward or complex as you wish.

I try to keep my hens as natural as possible by:

● When at all possible, let your chickens roam freely to reduce feed costs and give them a diet closer to what nature intended. They also adore it! (Simply watch out for potential predators.)

● Avoid cleaning the coop with special "washes" or chemicals. I substituted a homemade, natural remedy instead.

● Crushed eggshells can be fed to chickens to help augment their calcium intake.

● Kitchen waste can help chickens get extra nutrition, so give them a variety of scraps. It keeps up.

● Kitchen waste can help chickens get extra nutrition, so give them a variety of scraps. It also prevents an additional amount of trash from falling into my trash container.

● To induce them to lay, do not leave the lights on all year. I prefer to let my chickens take a break from laying eggs because they were made to do so, and it also helps me use less power. (But, anytime our temperatures plummet, I DO give warming lights.)

● Make your own whenever you can. By making my own feeders and chick waterers out of recycled materials, I've avoided having to buy the pricey chicken equipment at the feed shop. Our nesting boxes and roosts were also constructed from leftover lumber.

5Create a schedule for your chickens

Some people spend numerous hours spoiling their chickens and seem to treat them like dogs.

Since I am responsible for managing a large homestead with numerous other animals, I do not have that luxury.

It's easy to "forget" about my hens at times because they are actually one of my homestead's lower maintenance features.

I've discovered that when I develop a daily pattern for filling feeders, waterers, refreshing the bedding, and gathering eggs, everything runs most smoothly.

In this manner, the unfortunate females won't be neglected.

6Maintain cleanliness

This relates to the preceding idea of creating a routine. Clean nesting boxes produce clean eggs, which raises the question of whether or not to wash your eggs.

A little bit of protection goes a long way; changing the bedding and cleaning the boxes each day just takes a few minutes.

The chore will be much larger and there will be many more soiled eggs if you wait until the end of the week.

The same is true for your coop's floor; if you're utilizing the deep litter approach, spend a few minutes turning the bedding each time you go inside.

7Purchase a heated water bowl (for cold climate flocks)

I typically favor non-electric solutions to challenges because of my personality.

A heated dog bowl, on the other hand, has come in quite handy when dealing with chicken water!

Shallow chicken buckets or pans freeze easily in chilly climates like mine, so you'll need to go outdoors every couple of hours to break the ice and replace them.

Invest in a plug-in dog bowl to save yourself some time and hassle.

My daughters really appreciate it, and it's a terrific investment. (In warm weather, on demand waterers—basically drip pet waterers on a bigger scale—might be easier to maintain clean than regular waterers, but they are prone to freezing.)

Conclusion

As you can see, raising chickens may be as simple or as difficult as you like. Build a Victorian-style coop and prepare them delectable delicacies if you have the time and energy.

But if you're a full-time homesteader like I am, you'll probably be pleasantly surprised by the advantages chickens will bring to your farm without putting in a lot of extra effort.