How and Where to Raise Backyard Chickens: 9 Essential Tips

I knew for a long time that I wanted to raise backyard chickens, but animals can be a major undertaking, so it took a while to take that plunge. When 2020 lockdowns struck and my kids were suddenly homeschoolers, I figured it was as good a time as any to give it a whirl. I’ve had the chicken bug ever since, and I highly recommend it to anyone who is on the fence!

Once you get set up, caring for backyard chickens is easy and doesn’t take up much time, especially considering how much they save you if you’re an egg lover. My girls keep us fed and produce plenty to share with neighbors, too! 

Before you start building your flock, there are some important things to consider that will make your experience easier. I highly recommend reading as many experiences as possible so that you’re prepared for everything, especially predators, because everyone likes chicken! Let’s talk about some considerations that will help your backyard chicken vision take flight. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IX5CHh1foG8

Invest in a Solid Coop

A coop is an important part of the backyard chicken equation. It’s where your girls will sleep at night and lay their eggs during the day. It should be the right size, be in the right location, and provide them with a safe place where predators can’t get to them. 

You can go in many directions with your coop. I’ve seen some truly creative and fun set-ups, and also some high-tech, self-sufficient ones. It all comes down to how handy you are and what look you want to have in your yard. My husband is good at building things and was willing to do so, so our coop is wood with an attached run covered in hardware cloth. 

If you like to build and get creative, you can use many structures to create a coop. I’ve seen children’s playhouses converted, which is adorable and a great way to repurpose materials you may already have. There are lots of great pre-constructed coops out there, as well, that are great for urban settings, and anyone who is looking to get a jump on things and dive right in. 

If you like all the bells and whistles (and really, who doesn’t?), you should definitely check out The Smart Coop by COOP. They have three models, each one more well-equipped than the last. The top model has a steel run, camera, and solar panel, among other exciting features. An automatic door ensures that you’ll never forget to lock up at night. 

Whichever route you choose, there are two highly important factors: they need enough space, which we will get to in a moment. They also need protection from predators. Chicken wire doesn’t keep raccoons out; it just keeps chickens in. Raccoons are one of chickens’ worst enemies, and their nimble little hands are surprisingly strong. They can pull that wire right open. 

You can purchase a prefabricated run or make your own. Make sure you use hardware cloth anywhere you think you’ll want wire. It’s much stronger and more durable. 

Give Them Enough Space

Happy chickens have space to explore and move around your backyard. If you plan to keep your girls inside a run all day, make sure you construct one large enough to keep your birds content. Each chicken needs about 10 square feet of space outside. 

Some birds are more adventurous than others, so if you plan to keep your hens in a run, look for breeds that don’t need as much space. Make sure you leave room for feeders and water, and provide them with some enrichment. 

Inside the coop, you should provide a minimum of four square feet per bird. Ideally, five to six square feet is perfect. They need about 18″-20″ of roosting space per bird as well. You’ll also need one nesting box for every four or five birds, even though they are more likely to wait in line all day to lay their egg in the same box. 

Clean Up Often

No one likes a dirty house. Keeping your coop clean is the best way to ensure that you have clean eggs and healthy birds. Chickens poop a lot. It’s great if you’re also a gardener because you can age that manure and use it as free fertilizer for next year’s garden. 

Make sure that you keep the coop and egg boxes clean by removing the bedding regularly and refreshing it with clean bedding. There are several types of bedding you can use to line your coop and egg boxes. The deep litter method lasts a long time and is a surprisingly clean system. 

The deep litter system consists of two layers of material. On the bottom, spread a thick layer of wood shavings or straw. Then, top with coarse sand. It’s easy to clean out, keeps things dry in the coop, and helps mask odors. 

Give Them Some Shade

When you choose a location for your backyard coop, consider your chickens’ comfort level during different seasons. If possible, provide them with a bit of shade. Being outside all day in the summer can get hot in some regions. Your ladies will appreciate some shelter. We built our coop under tall tree cover, and it stays fairly cool even in the summer. The trees also help protect it from the wind.

Set Up Food and Water to be Convenient

Clean water and food are daily chores when you own any animal, so making these things convenient is nice. I like to be able to leave for a weekend without needing a chicken sitter, so I make sure that my feeders hold enough food for my girls for a few days. I also like to have a hose hook-up nearby and a spot to store food so that it’s easy to access. 

Purchase food and water dispensers large enough to feed and water your entire flock and a few more, just in case you decide you want them. Make sure that your feeder and any feed storage containers are tamper-proof. Other animals will certainly take advantage if they are able to get past your flock and break into your feeders.

Choose the Right Breeds

Just like dogs, there are many breeds of chicken, and they have different appearances, habits, and dispositions. Some are great with kids, gentle and friendly. Others are exceptional egg layers; some can be a bit flighty. Some are dual-purpose, so they lay well but also have a decent body weight, so they are also good for eating. 

You may decide to go with one breed exclusively, or mix them up. Something to keep in mind when you select your breeds is the pecking order. You’ve heard the phrase, but if you haven’t spent much time with chickens, you might not know how this works. 

First, chickens recognize and discriminate based on color. They have impeccable vision and see a wider range of colors than we do. You’ve heard the phrase ‘Birds of a feather, flock together, ‘ and it’s absolutely true. Chickens will find other birds that look like themselves and hang out together if they can. 

If you only intend to keep one breed of hen, expect to always stick to that breed. If you introduce a couple of different birds into a flock of all one breed, they will get picked on and pecked, which hurts. Some breeds can be quite aggressive and mean. 

I’ve found that the key to harmony in my flock is a wide variety of breeds. If no one looks the same, there is no ganging up. There is still a pecking order, but you won’t end up with a whole group picking on just one other bird. 

If you want calm, friendly backyard chickens, Marans are nice, and Orpingtons are wonderful. Easter eggers lay pretty blue eggs and have easy-going personalities. My best egg layers are my ISA Browns. They’re bred to have small bodies that don’t require a lot of food and produce large to extra-large, dark brown eggs. Sapphire gems and leghorns are also great layers of many decent-sized eggs.

Keep Them Busy

Chickens like to stay busy, especially in a smaller backyard. The more space they have to explore, the easier it is to keep them occupied. If you plan to keep them in a confined run, consider giving them some toys or activities to play with. It might sound silly, but chickens love a game. 

Many birds enjoy swinging, and everyone loves to peck at a bell pepper hanging from the ceiling. I’ve seen some chicken owners create an entire playground for their girls. They also like to scratch around in loose material, so use hay or mulch in the bottom of the run to give them something to dig in. 

Make sure they have a place to take dust baths, too. Chickens don’t bathe in water; they bathe in dirt. They like to have dry, loose material to lie in that will absorb any oils in their feathers and skin. A spare tire makes a good container. Fill it with diatomaceous earth, loose earth, and ash—they will love it!

Consider Free Ranging

Chickens that have plenty of room to roam are happiest. The more space and landscape they have to explore, the more foraging they will do, which means savings on the food bill. If you’re able to let your birds free range, they will love it. If you don’t have the space, don’t worry—there are plenty of activities you can give them to keep them happy. Offer them some scratch feed or mealworms for them to regularly dig around in.

Protect Your Garden

This is an important factor for me with my flock. As much as I love my birds, I also love my garden. Gardening is a lot of work, and believe me when I tell you that those chickens can destroy a bed in 10 seconds flat. If you want to keep a garden, you’ll need to keep your chickens out of it, at least until the plants are mature and cover the soil. 

You see, chickens love to dig. It’s their favorite thing to do. Chickens dig all day long, scratching up the soil to unearth tasty insects. While they’re at it, they will scatter your mulch and tear apart plant roots along the way. 

The mulch part is truly frustrating because I can never get it all back where it belongs once they kick it around. They know that there are many yummy bugs hiding in the moist space under that mulch, and they will work hard to get to them. 

Decide how much space you’re willing to defend, and then make a plan for keeping your birds confined to this space. You can do this with a fence, but some birds will still try to fly over. You can clip a wing to make it harder for them to fly, and this is mostly effective. 

Just expect that you will have at least one chicken that can get over the fence no matter what you do. She will probably also have a nest somewhere around the yard that you’ll never find!