Raising Chickens in the city is beginning to trend again. Just take a stroll in a suburb these days, and you are more and more likely to be greeted by the sounds of chickens. As people continue to gravitate back toward the land—be it for economic, philosophical or purely entertainment-based reasons—chickens are returning to their rightful roles as roosting residents, and their keepers are reaping the benefits of fun pets, free eggs, and the thrill of “doing it yourself”. Here’s the quick and dirty on how to get started with your own brood:
1. Check your local ordinances. Some communities, by virtue of an agricultural past, have generous allowances for the keeping of chickens on your property, while other locales prohibit them. Your city hall should be able to answer any questions you may have about local livestock laws. If allowed, ordinances generally specify the minimum lot size you must have in order to keep chickens, then state how many chickens you may keep per square foot of land. Be sure to obey minimum coop distances from property lines, in order to keep the peace both with your neighbors, and with the city.
2. Give the chickens a home. Chickens need a coop where they can safely sleep at night, protected from inclement weather and nocturnal predators. There are a huge variety of coops, from simple, A-framed structures, to large and luxurious accommodations with automated doors and tinted windows; whatever fits in your budget and time schedule will work well for your chickens, as they tend to not be very picky. If you want to go DIY, you can find coop plans online, or you can find people local to your area who build coops for a fee.
3. Get your chickens. Next you’ll have to decide which kinds of chickens you would like. There are two main types of chickens that you will run across: heirloom breeds, and modern hybrids. Heirloom breeds tend to be more traditional in appearance and maintain their innate “chicken-y behavior” such as skittishness, but their plumage can be beautiful. Modern hybrids tend to be more docile and relaxed in behavior, but can also be a bit too relaxed, making them easier targets for predators.
Whichever type of chicken you choose, you’ll also have to decide whether to buy the chickens as chicks, or full-grown. Chicks can be a tenth of the price of mature birds, but require a lot of maintenance for the first two months of their life (heating lamps, special feed, etc.). Chicks will not begin to lay eggs until they are about six months old. Grown birds are much more expensive, but have already been raised and may already be at laying age when you purchase them.
4. Feed and care for your chickens. Once established in their coop, chickens are relatively low-maintenance, aside from regular feeding and cleaning. If your chickens have room to roam, they will augment their seed diet with a variety of insects and grasses (including weeds!) that can be found in your yard. If they are penned, you will have to work a bit harder to provide them with a varied diet, although you can always toss them the occasional slug or dandelion green. The chickens will also need their coop cleaned out periodically, and have their nesting material (hay, newspaper, etc.) changed as well. Provided with some dust for bathing, the chickens will keep themselves clean, leaving the coop cleaning to you.
5. Decide what to do with all of your eggs! Laying rates for chickens are highly variable, and depend upon the breed, the time of year, the chicken’s age, and their health. A good rule of thumb is that a chicken will lay 1-2 eggs per day as long as the weather is fine. You can extend the laying season into the darker days of fall by using a light in the chicken coop. Fresh eggs will keep 4-5 weeks with refrigeration, although the nutritive content of the egg begins to degrade after about two weeks.
There are a number of online resources devoted to caring for chickens, all of which can tell you more about what you need to do and know in order to have a successful poultry concern. Once you get your coop up and running, you’ll be eating better, saving money, and having fun!
Bryan is a member of New Homes Section and a proud contributor to its blogging network. 
I’d just to add another idea: ex-battery hens. They’re not quite a cute as buying chicks and raising them but, sadly, former battery hens end up in the mincer at the end of their laying life (about 6 months). I adopter 4 ex-batties who have still been laying eggs for the 9 months that we’ve had them, so far.
I would not be interested in raising chickens in my backyard.
This is great! Why not?
Backyard chicken raising is becoming more popular near me in Cambridge MA and nearby towns. One town held a house tour with a twist – it was a tour of local backyard chicken coops. It was very well attended.
This is also a nice thing to consider although it’s messy. But this could be another good source of income for us.
I hope my kids don’t see this. They would definitely want a few of those cute little guys!
The idea of raising Chickens in the backyard is fun and at the same time profitable. The enjoyment you get from watching their antics to eating the fresh eggs is worth the efforts you put forth in getting ready to raise chickens in your backyard. Thanks for the ideas you gave here.
My wife works for the Department of Agriculture so is frequently in an environment with the opportunity to purchase multiple breeds of animals. In 2005, I attended an auction with him and saw some quail. I am an avid backyard birder, watching and feeding any bird that visits my yard. When I saw these birds I decided I wanted to raise some.
Wow, this is something that I would have thought would be in my local paper here in AL. It is very interesting, but not a project to experiment with unless you are seriously committed. I hope this doesn’t become a trendy activity that is attempted and then abandoned shortly after. I personally would not want this in my backyard or in my neighbors,’ but if people want it, more power to them…
I would not be interested in raising chickens in my backyard.
Raising chickens can be a lot of fun. Just be sure to have everything you need before you start, as you do not want to be running around trying to find something after they hatch or arrive by mail.