Are you looking to join the chicken keeping club? We couldn’t be more excited for you! Raising chickens is a big responsibility that can pay off in many ways. If you’re looking for direction on where to go next, keep reading. Here are 5 helpful tips for first-time chicken keepers.
1. Check Zoning Laws
The last thing you want to do is put in all this work to raise chickens only to find out they aren’t even allowed in your town. Check your city or municipality zoning laws for chickens before you start your flock. If chickens aren’t allowed in your area, you can look into ways you can help change the zoning laws! Hopefully you have enough residents who agree to eventually make chicken keeping legal in your area.
2. Go Big Or Go Home
You might say you’ll only have 4 or 5 chickens before you start. But once you have those 4 or 5, you’ll quickly see how easy it is to double that number! Chicken keeping can be addicting, so stay on the safe side and make your coop larger than what ever you had initially planned. Filling a coop that’s “too large” is a lot more fun than building a new coop to hold all your new flock members. To avoid this mess, just think about how many chickens you want to eventually have and get a coop to fit that number.
3. Beware Of Predators
Your flock’s safety should be your top priority. Chickens are a target for a variety of animals, which means you’ll have to beef up security if you don’t want to worry about them 24/7. Even the neighbor’s dog can become a chicken’s worst nightmare. Locking your chickens up in a secure coop keeps them safe at night, but you still have to protect them during the day. Enclose your pens, build fences, or even consider livestock guard dogs to ensure the safety of your flock during the day.
4. Assemble A First Aid Kit
Chickens are like children, they get hurt sometimes! It helps a lot to have medical supplies on hand so you’re ready if/when the time comes to treat one of your feathered friends. Some common first aid items are: saline solution, salve, poultry probiotics, activated charcoal, petroleum jelly, and poultry respiratory spray. You can really put anything you find helpful in your first aid kit, it’s better to be safe than sorry!
5. Take Your Time
Deciding to become a chicken keeper can be thrilling, but don’t let that overwhelm you with impulsive decisions. Do your research to find the best products and equipment for your flock. Buying the right equipment can add up, so make sure you have enough to spend on all the essentials before you get the chickens. There’s no point in rushing to buy chickens if you aren’t ready for them to come home yet. Chicken keeping isn’t a race, and there will always be more for you to take in when you’re ready.
Chickens bring a special kind of love into our lives, but that kind of love requires effort from us too. If you work hard to provide a safe and happy coop, your flock will reflect that. The world could use more good chicken keepers, and we’re hopeful you will be one of them!