Raising Chickens for Eggs in Your Backyard: What You Need to Know

Bringing chickens into your backyard for egg production is a rewarding endeavor, but it requires a bit of preparation and understanding of the challenges involved. Here are the essential things you should consider before embarking on this poultry adventure.

Understanding Chickens and Their Habits

Chickens are inherently messy creatures. They defecate regularly and with minimal prompting. Their droppings quickly spread throughout their pen and any areas where they roam freely. This means that regular cleaning is a must. If they are allowed into your garden, expect damage from them pulling up plants and grass in their quest for bugs in the roots. At one time, we had a lawn. Now, we have chickens and a vegetable garden with a six-foot fence, as the chickens somehow managed to overwhelm our previous landscaping.

Preparing for Potential Adversity

Unpredictable events can happen to even the most well-cared-for flock. For example, we lost an entire chicken flock to a coyote. It's important to prepare for such occurrences and not be overly disheartened by them. This is a common challenge faced by poultry keepers and it's something you need to accept as a risk of owning chickens.

Noise Considerations

Loudness is another factor to consider. Chickens are incredibly vocal, especially when laying eggs. If you're in a residential area, this can be a source of complaints from neighbors. We've found that our six chickens produce about 5-6 eggs per day, accumulating to 40-odd eggs per week. This is more than my family of five can consume without issue. However, the eggs do help in offsetting the noise level for our neighbors, who appreciate the less noisy environment.

To manage this, it's important to remind yourself that owning chickens is not about saving money on eggs. The labor, the space required, and the need for regular care often negate the financial benefits. In fact, I learned the hard way that the best way to hard-boil really fresh chicken eggs is to steam them, not to boil them. This is a known issue among chicken keepers, and googling will provide detailed explanations and tips.

Responsibilities of Chicken Ownership

Before you bring chickens into your backyard, make sure to do the necessary research. Chickens, like all animals, require regular care and attention. Their living area must be completely set up and ready to go. Feed them quality food, not necessarily the most expensive, but one that is appropriate to maintain their health. Lastly, remember that animals have feelings, though different from ours, they need to feel safe and be fed regularly to avoid becoming food-aggressive. Chasing chickens is not fun for them and should be done only if absolutely necessary.

Lastly, check with your city or county to make sure that keeping poultry on your property is legal. Regulations can vary widely from one area to another, and failing to adhere to local laws can lead to legal troubles and unwanted attention.

In summary, raising chickens for eggs in your backyard is a rewarding experience, but it comes with a set of responsibilities and challenges. By understanding these factors, you can ensure a happy and healthy flock and a successful egg-laying operation.