Are chickens easy to raise? For a person who knows nothing about raise chickens.?

Question

I am reading as much i can but i know if it is going to ok. Such as Can i just let them roam my yard and not stray to far way? When do i water/feed them?
Thanks

Answer 1

You can let them roam, but then they are left to predators. I raise chickens and it's not hard to build simple coops.

I put in a couple of sites to get you started under sources.

You DO want to clip their wings...whether they are in a coop or in your yard. But they are not hard to raise at all.

Couple of tips: if you run out of feed and the feed store is closed...they can eat crumbled toast for a day or two

if you run out of oyster shell...you can toast and crumble egg shell to put into their feed (these are additives to make the egg shells hard)

Answer 2

Do you or neighbours have cats dogs?
Keep chickens safe penned with a lock-up 'run'. House them in a all weather coop. A Large wooden crate (with a roof) will accomodate about 6 hens. But keep cool in summer & warm in winter. Make 'perches' or narrow beams about 10cms off the floor .
They climb on it to 'roost' at night fall - always shut in to avoid losing them.
Feed clean wheat or cracked grains in a shallow dish every morning in the same place each day, best if near coop, to maintain regular feeding - and ALWAYS allow access to clean cool water in purpose built trough or large metal container that cannot tip over. Keep clean also. As for amounts of grain try a large handful of feed per bird or as much as they will eat in twenty minutes. Don't leave a lot of feed to spoil or attract mice etc.
Wire fencing is necessary and if supervised -hens could forage in the backyard - call them back to their own 'run' by shaking some feed in a container,(to rattle) and by loading up their feed bowl - instant conditioning! You know they scratch up seedlings & vege patches! 'Green pick' or fresh grass is good - vege pealings cabbage leaves are exccellent.
Build a nest box in a sheltered spot inside the 'run' or where ever they lay their eggs- 2-3 months of age called 'point-of-lay' - hens.
Roosters will disturb your neighbours but could always be a ready
roast dinner if so inclined. Also they will fight anything if nasty.
Finally Good Luck and try out different fancy breeds which could be lucrative too, - otherwise try breeds such as white Leghorns or Rhode Island Reds or Australorps. Bantams are dwarf varieties. Often the local fodder shop will advise on the pellet feed or grain. Ask questions -everybody has an opinion - you'll be an ol chicken farmer in no time!!! B' gawwk !

Answer 3

Chickens are indeed easy to raise but you need to be prepared first. They make great 4H and FFA projects.

Make sure you have the right equipment - most of which is available at your feed store.

Chickens aren't too particular about their housing - as long as it's clean, you have about 2 - 3 square feet of floor space per adult bird, and it's free from drafts. A 4' X 8' shed-style chicken house with a couple of windows and 4 nesting boxes will be fine for 8 - 12 birds - a nice little flock for a small family.

IT's ok to let your chikens roam about during daylight hours - but if you want eggs, and a clean porch/sidewalk, it's best to train them to come to a chicken house with fenced yard every evening to roost rather than let them roam free. Otherwise you'll be spending a lot of time hunting eggs. And you can manage predators better. Even at that, coyotes, foxes and raccoons are pretty bold - and will raid a chicken coop handily. (remember the old children's song - the fox went out on a starry night - and prayed to the moon for to give him light...)

I feed my chickens every evening so they will come back to their house to eat and roost. I keep clean, fresh water available at all times - in the chicken coop, near the chicken feeder - again as a training tool to keep the chickens from roaming too far. Hint: if you live in northern climes, an electric chicken water heater is a nice thing to have.

I do let my birds out during the day - they'll clean up every bug and spider they can grab. When I don't have a flock of chickens, I get crickets in the house - ick - but the chickens are great for bugs. But in the house they go of an evening. And I shut the door to both the house and their fenced yard.

Use a good grade of chicken wire for the fence - with holes small enough so that young chicks can't get out.

Chicken house cleanings are high nitrogen fertilizer. Great in the compost heap. Good for corn - but be careful as it will burn plants. It's best to let it age or really till it deeply in the garden.

Hope this helps.

Answer 4

Chickens are very easy to keep. Always have feed and at least two water sources available for them. I had one wander into my yard and because I have many wildbird feeders it adopted me and stayed. It was free range and eventually was killed by a cat. The bad thing about this chicken was that you had to search the neighborhood to find the eggs. After that chicken died I bought some more chicks and raised them. I built a pen and a coop for them and had intentions of allowing them to free range but as they started laying eggs in the nesting box, I changed my mind. Much safer in the pen but even then I've had dogs and cats try to get them. I close the coop door every night right around sundown to keep them safe at night from raccoons and 'possums. By the way I live in the city of Los Angeles and knew nothing about chickens before this one chicken adopted me.

Answer 5

I think it's great that you are taking the time to read up first, THEN get chickens...so many people dive head first and get upset because something happens that could have been prevented had they educated themselves, first.

Location, location, location..this will determine what you can do with your chickens and how you house them. If you are in a city area (and are allowed to have them) you may be able to let them free range. You should have a secure place for them to roost at night and someplace that is secure from the neighborhood cats.

If you are in a more open area, they can have the run of the place, but you still need to make sure they have somewhere safe to roost at night. You also need to make sure that you don't have any plants in the yard that they will eat and get sick or worse, die.

be prepared for them to eat anything they can get too...mine jump to reach the orange tree leaves, and will eat just about anything from ornamental grass to paint chips on the wall.

Answer 6

Chickens need fresh food and water available to them all the time. They need to pinned for awhile if you purchase them already grown. If they are small they will need to stay under a light until they have all their feathers. Chickens will wonder a pretty wide area I would maybe let them out while I was outside and then feed and water them to get them in at night so they don't get eaten. If your neighbors don't mind that is even better. They are relatively easy and fun to watch.

Answer 7

I have tried to answer your question but there is soo much information to give you that I have opted to just tell you that I have had my chickens for over 3yrs,am looking to enlarge my flock by another 13 ( I now have 12 hens and 1 rooster).
I live in Texas and my daughter lives in NC. She has begged me to move to NC and one of the reasons I won't is because it would be hard to move my birds. . . I refuse to leave my birds behind. . . Yes I know I can get others but me and my birds have a great relationship and they are spoiled and I could not bear to give my birds to someone who would not care for them like I do.
I also have 6 ducks. . .2 Drakes and 4 Hens. I like them too but because they eat soo much and tend to be somewhat nasty,once they are gone I do not plan to replace them but I can't seem to get too many chickens.
I spend approx $40.00 month in feed. Water is available 24/7 and I refresh it when I feed twice a day.I supplement feed or "treat" my birds with veggie/fruit scraps.(Cost of feed tends to be higher than it should be and that is because of the ducks who are nothing but "gut wagons". All they do is eat and poop.)
I only let my birds roam on my 3 acres about an hour before they go to roost and they never go far from the pens/henhouse.This also prevents having to search for eggs as by this time they have done all of their egg laying in the nesting boxes.( I never let them out to roam if I am not going to be here to protect them from predators.)
Though I was around chickens during my summer stays with my grandparents as a young child I have recently found out that there is more to raising chickens than I ever knew but I find it all worth it and I REALLY enjoy my birds.

IM me anytime you want and I will let you "pick" my brain.

All in all I LOVE my hobby of raising chickens. I am 54yrs old and I intend to have chickens for the rest of my life not to mention I love the benefit of having eggs to share with family and friends and I really love watching my very young grandchildren enteract with the birds all the while learning about the "country" way of life.

Answer 8

My friend has chickens and they stink really bad. :D They seem pretty easy to raise though I mean all you do if feed em'.

I would not let them roam around in my yard because they might take off.

You can go to your local pet store and ask them about what you can feed them. They probably have chick food.

Answer 9

it's funny. I wanted to raise chickens, but then I got a book and read it. I decided it was waaaaay more complicated than I thought. Seems like you could just get them, build a chicken pen, and throw some food at them everyday, then gather eggs. HAHA. NOT. You have to be there every single day. I travel too much.

Answer 10

--- If you live in the country, with plenty of land.--- Feed and water needs to be available all the time. --- When they are full grown you may let them out to roam in the daytime. --- You would need to put them away at night locked away from predators. --- Skunks, raccoons and some dogs will wipe out about all of your chickens in one night.--- If you have a rooster in the group he will help protect you clutch if any get in. ---Give them a nesting boxes and let them raise there own its allot of fun. --- I wouldn't let them roam until they are full grown at least. *** In the city, you need to check the city ordnance for restrictions. ***
good luck and have fun!