Backyard Chickens – Six Steps to Prepare
Getting Ready for Your Chickens After talking with your local government offices and obtaining any necessary permits, you are ready to move forward with preparing your property for your chickens. By preparing adequately, raising chickens in your backyard will be educational fun for the entire family. 1. Your first step before moving forward, is making sure you have the necessary financial resources for backyard chicken farming. Without reviewing the costs associated with raising a flock, you may find yourself incapable of fully taking care of your chickens. There are standard expenses like, housing materials, food and bedding but there are incidental costs as well; like medicine if they get sick. 2. Do you have the room? For a flock of 5-10 chickens, you need a minimum of two feet per chicken as well as an outside area for foraging. If your space is too small, your chickens may become ill. 3. Most people start with chicks, so you need the right materials to house and take care of them. For the first few months, your chickens need to be indoors, where it is warm. Many people keep chicks in the house for four months. I normally keep our chicks inside for only 3-4 weeks since we always buy chicks during warmer weather. If you do put you chicks outside when they are younger, you need a properly built enclosure and pen so the chicks can’t get out, and predators can’t get in. We use chain-link fencing lined with the smallest chicken wire we can find and place sheets of metal at the bottom of the pen. We cover the top of the pen with berry netting which provides extra protection from predators. Where we live, we have many predators like hawks, opossums and cats and dogs. You need to buy your pen, building and all supplies before bringing in your chicks. You can buy a prebuilt chicken house or build one. We built our coop using plans from Building A Chicken Coop. 4. Next, decide what you want to raise chickens for. Do you want chickens for meat or for egg production? Whatever your choice, you need a suitable breed. Chickens are bred for specific roles and the breed will affect how you raise them. Learning what chickens are best for your wanted results is important. Area feed stores may carry various chicks in the spring. Look for chicks and older chickens on Craigslist and in local want ads. There are also, several online chicken hatcheries that ship chicks like efowl.com. They carry various breeds, including rare breeds like the Sussex. 5. Care will vary among the different breeds of chickens. Most only need the basics; food, water, clean bedding, etc., however, exotic breeds, like the long tail Yokohama chickens, need special care and attention to their feathers. 6. While care is minimal for most chickens, you will need to set aside at least an hour each day for feeding and watering, collecting eggs and cleaning bedding.
Backyard Chickens – Laws About Raising Chickens
Chicken Laws and Regulations If you plan to raise chickens in your backyard, there are some steps to take before buying your chicks. The first, and most important consideration, is local laws which affects backyard chicken farming. Laws about keeping animals in a backyard vary from area to area; the last thing you want to do is buy chickens only to find out your city doesn’t allow keeping them on your property. Before you make a definite decision to raise backyard chickens, contact your local government office. 1. Start with calling to find out which office handles raising chickens. Once you find out who to contact, I recommend going in person. You will learn more visiting the office than you will over the phone. Plus, many local offices give out free information to anyone wanting to raise farm animals on their property. 2. If your city or county does allow raising chickens, you will need to know the details. Most nonagricultural areas have rules governing what you can or cannot do. For example, there may be a limit of how many chickens you can have. Usually, this will be a flat number, like no more than 10 chickens. Some areas, however, base the number by your property’s square footage; the larger the property, the bigger the flock. 3. Some areas may regulate the type and size of coop and pen you need; or how far to place your pen from the property line. 4. Does your area allow roosters? Roosters are noisy so some areas only allow hens. The rules may also ban slaughtering meat chickens in the backyard. Knowing what types of chickens you can raise is also important. Don’t rely on information from neighbors, check with local officials yourself. Accurate information is essential for avoiding unnecessary expenses or fines. Once you understand the rules and buy any needed permits, you are ready to prepare the area for your flock. If you can’t raise chickens in your backyard, consider starting a campaign to get the law changed. It will surprise you how a few supporters can change a law. Attend a local government meeting to bring forth your petition. Go prepared with good reasons for allowing backyard chickens. It’s best if you can show the council why allowing chickens will be worthwhile. Attend the meeting armed with accurately researched facts. Check the laws for your city and state. Be sure to double check the information for accuracy before buying chickens. You can find more information through your local extension office or area 4-H and FFA organizations. Find area Extension Office Find local 4-H Chapter National FFA Organization
Backyard Chickens – An Introduction to Raising Chickens in the Backyard
Backyard Chickens With people becoming concerned about where their food comes from, urban backyard chicken farming is growing in popularity. Chickens are easy farm animals to keep. There are benefits and drawbacks to raising your own chickens. I hope, this website will answer any questions. Benefits Fresh Eggs – The idea of having fresh eggs anytime you want them is usually the main reason for raising chickens. With having your own chickens, you know what food they eat and how they are cared for. When chickens have access to a natural and varied diet with lots of fresh air and sunshine, they produce a healthier, tastier egg. Your eggs are larger than store-bought eggs and have a firm yolk. Feeding your chickens cracked corn and greens will make the yolks richer and oyster shell helps toughen the shells and makes peeling easier when eggs are boiled.Productive laying hens will produce 3 to 5 eggs each week with the highest yield during summer months. With shorter days during winter, egg production will drop back or stop. Pest Control – Having chickens in your yard is great pest control. They love bugs of all kinds, grasshoppers, tomato worms, caterpillars, beetles and ticks. They will eat most vegetation so you want to make sure they don’t have access to your garden or flower beds. In the spring, place your chickens in the garden area to get it ready for planting. Their pecking and scratching helps rid your garden of weed seeds and grubs while loosening the top soil. Fertilizer – Chicken manure makes a good fertilizer for vegetables, trees, flowers or fruit. I like adding the chicken droppings and the straw from the chicken coop, directly to my compost pile. There is no need to age chicken manure like you do horse or cow manure and since chicken droppings won’t burn your plants, you can put the used straw into your garden. Pets – Chickens are excellent pets. Breeds like the Cochins, Orpingtons or Silkies are good for this. My two favorite animals together! Meat – Like eggs, raising your own chickens will provide a healthier, tastier food source. You can use roosters or hens for meat. Your best choice for meat chickens is Orpingtons and Plymouth Rocks. Both are large chickens making them a popular choice with farmers raising meat chickens. Drawbacks Odor – When you think of backyard chicken farming, the first thing that comes to mind is the smell and noise. This isn’t a problem if you care for them properly. Keeping your chicken coop clean and changing the bedding often keeps the smell minimal. Noise is an issue if you have roosters; hens cluck and squawk but are much quieter. You don’t need a rooster in the flock since hens will lay eggs without one. You only need a rooster if you plan to hatch your own chicks. Eggs – While nothing beats a fresh egg, they do require work. Eggs must be gathered daily; you never want an egg to sit for more than 48 hours. Plus, if you don’t gather eggs regularly, the hens will not produce more; they will nest instead. Zoning – Before you start buying building supplies and the chicks, you need to check with your city or region. Your city may not allow farm animals in residential areas or you might need a special permit. If your city does allow chickens, then there will be a maximum number you’re allowed to keep. Source – Finding a source for chickens, may be difficult. Start by checking with any farm stores in or near your city. You can also look on Craigslist, and the local want ads. Ordering by mail is an option, but you will need to take care of them. Chicks are shipped when one day old. They need to be indoors in a warm area for two months. Several hatcheries have online ordering and use expedited shipping to your door. When looking for a source, you want to make sure the breeders are reputable, and you are getting healthy chickens. Once you decide to raise chickens, the next step is building an enclosure. Even if your chickens free-range, I recommend a building where they can nest and take cover in inclement weather. Chicken coops are easy to build and fairly inexpensive. We built ours with used lumber recycled, wood pallets and a good set of chicken coop plans. Backyard chicken farming is a great introduction to raising livestock for people with limited experience. Chickens are easy to care for and need minimal space. Besides the benefits I listed above, chickens are fun to watch and great education for the kids.
Homesteading: An Introduction to Homesteading
Homesteading home·stead n. 1. A house, especially a farmhouse, with adjoining buildings and land. 2. Law Property designated by a householder as the householder’s home and protected by law from forced sale to meet debts. 3. Land claimed by a settler or squatter, especially under the Homestead Act. 4. The place where one’s home is. v. home·stead·ed, home·stead·ing, home·steads v.intr. To settle and farm land, especially under the Homestead Act. v.tr. To claim and settle (land) as a homestead. On May 20, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Homestead Act, providing public land grants of 160 acres to American citizens, able to pay a small registration fee. The settlers agreed to live on the land for 5 years. After the agreement time was over, they were granted the land deed. The Homestead Act continued until President Franklin Roosevelt unofficially ended it in 1935, withdrawing public domain lands for a nationwide land conservation program. 783,000 men and women, proved their claim and received a land title. In 1976, under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act, the Homestead Act officially ended. While the term homesteading applies to anyone following the back-to-the-land way of life, adopting a sustainable and self-sufficient lifestyle, much has changed since the mid 1800’s. With large parcels of land no longer available in most areas, homesteading has adapted to the “urban” way of life. 21st century homesteading is self-sufficiency, wherever you live. Modern “urban homesteading” practices similar skills found during early homestead days: growing crops, keeping livestock and making much of the basic home essentials like, furniture and clothing. Modern homesteading is possible almost anywhere; whether you live on an acreage or you’re an apartment dweller. While you may not be able to raise livestock, you can practice simple, living. • Container gardening-This is possible anywhere you have access to sunlight for a minimum of 5 hours each day. If you have a patio or a backyard, you can fill it with containers of tomatoes, lettuce, squash or just about anything your family likes. If you live in a neighborhood, start a bartering group with like-minded neighbors; trade your vegetables for ones they grow that you don’t. Containers for your garden don’t have to be expensive; you can use almost anythingfor your garden. We found free machinery crates for our garden. They are the perfect size with good drainage. You can also use old tires, kiddie pools and plastic storage bins or anything you can think of, making sure it has good drainage or something you can add drainage holes to. • Laying hens and meat chickens-Today, many cities allow you to have a few chickens within the city limits. All you need is a couple of good laying hens for fresh eggs and/or meat chickens. Be sure to check with city officials in your area before becoming a backyard chicken farmer. • Buy food in bulk-Anyone, if they have a kitchen, can buy food in bulk then preserve by freezing, canning or dehydrating. • Make your own soaps and lotions-Soap and toiletry making is a lot easier than you would imagine. You can use everyday items you have around your house and find many ingredients at the grocery store. You will find all kinds of instructions on the Internet or check with you local home extension office. • Sewing-While material can be pricey, you can still make quality clothing for less than buying at the store. Look for good, inexpensive sewing machines at discount stores or used ones on Craigslist, EBay or at your local thrift store. Homesteading does take an investment. If you plan to raise animals, you need to consider buying the animals, the feed and upkeep and cost to build enclosures. We own under two acres and can raise our own beef as long as it is only one cow at a time. Or, we can raise two or three goats for milk and currently have around ten hens and one rooster. When the cows are ready for butchering, we have a local meat processor while processing our own chickens. How to build a portable chicken coop. To learn more, click here.For preserving your garden yields, the startup costs can be significant. When planning, you need to consider the cost of the equipment. A good pressure canner and water bath canner, are a must and can be expensive; canning jars and lids will set you back about $10 to $13 a case. Talk with people you know about what you are planning to do. Sometimes, they have these items and no longer use them, willing to give them away. Also check Freecycle, Craigslist or other resale avenues for inexpensive or free equipment. I bought a large pressure canner for $5 at a yard sale and I’ve been using the same canner for over ten years. I like Craigslist for free or inexpensive canning jars. If you want to start canning, I have several articles with good tips and some basics to get you started. I also included some recipes. If you can’t grow your own fruits and vegetables, look for area produce stands, farmers markets or a “U-Pick” farm. Many times you can get your vegetables in bulk for home preserving. Before we started growing our own blackberries, we went to a local blackberry farm and picked our own for half the cost of store berries. Plus, the taste and quality were far superior. Your investment will eventually pay for itself. Depending on how you manage the expenses will affect the time it takes to reach your goal. We bought our items slowly over time; making a plan of what we wanted to do first and what it would take. We used tax returns and bonuses for big items like our lawn tractor, tiller and small storage barn. The smaller items we bought whenever we could afford them. Piece by piece, our homestead took shape. If you plan to homestead on a large scale, becoming fully self-sufficient, there are things to consider before