Thinking about having backyard chickens in your urban setting? If so, you are not alone. Over the last few years having backyard chickens has grown in popularity in both suburban and urban setting. Traditionally, farm keep animals, these pets are simple to care for and also provide a great benefit (fresh eggs are a treat!). Here we highlight a few things to consider if you are thinking about having backyard chickens.
The Coop
Having a proper chicken coop to house your chickens is important. You can either build or purchase a proper coop that fits your space well. This will also serve as the perfect spot for them to eat, roost at night and lay eggs. Choose a structure that provides an elevated roosting bar, has great ventilation and a few boxes for hens to lay eggs. Strong and sturdy floors prevent unwanted guests from entering the Coops, and a run is an enclosure that limits the range and prevents them from wandering into your neighbour's yard. Don’t be overly surprised if you are attending to your flower beds and all of the sudden you have an audience watching you, because they can be curious, but also require 14 hours of sunlight to lay eggs, so spring and summer will definitely be busier months. Many coop designs you can purchase or build offer the great features we mentioned and can fit into your backyard space well and may even become a feature depending on the design you select.
Chicken Feed and Treats
When selecting food for your flock it is important to remember they require protein, minerals, and grit for their gizzard. Nutrition is made easy with layer pellets which contain all of the nutrition needed such as Cluckin Good Chicken treats, which provide the ingredients hens need to lay eggs. Additionally, they also eat bugs, which happens to be one of the great reasons people have chickens. Ensure freshwater is accessible at all times and you can purchase a water container for your coop that stays full for a long time and is also nice to look at.
Choose a Chicken
When it comes to raising backyard chickens, you’ll need to determine which breed of bird you’d like. There are many different breeds with different benefits such as being able to handle colder weather or laying colourful eggs. Do your research to determine the breed and quantity you would like in your flock. To start your flock you can purchase chicks or even hens that are laying age (about 6 months) however, these hens are more expensive than chicks so make a decision when you start that best suits you. Check out some choices here.
See it's quite simple as long as you have the proper coop structure and run space, balanced meals and feeding and pick the chicken breed that best suits you for your urban environment.