Keeping Chickens

"Information on Rasing Chickens,
Building Chicken Runs and Coops, &
Keeping Chickens in Your Backyard"

Dear Friend:

Welcome to Keeping Chickens with Duke,

My name is Duke Dawson and I've been learning about Chickens for over 20 years. In that time, I've gained a huge amount of knowledge about chickens. As a Chicken enthusiast, it is my goal to see that all pet Chickens are properly cared for, so I'd like to share my knowledge with you, free of charge.

Feel free to browse the links on this site for more information about chickens and check out our great resources on buying and building chicken houses.

It's not that difficult to start raising chickens in your backyard. Keeping chickens as pets can be an enjoyable and rewarding past-time. With a little pre-planning you can be up and running in no time. Since chickens are sociable creatures it's best to have at least two or three.

Raising a rooster is optional. You don't have to have a rooster for your hens to lay eggs. Some roosters behave badly by crowing loudly at all hours and are often aggressive. They are however, handsome birds and will help protect your hens from predators. And of course if you want to breed your chickens a rooster will be necessary.

Your chickens will need a comfortable shelter to protect them from the elements and a place to lay their eggs. The easiest and least expensive way to house your chickens is to turn an existing out-building into a chicken coop. If you want or need to start from scratch you have three good options. You can purchase a pre-built chicken coop, buy a chicken coop kit, or build a chicken coop yourself. If you decide to go the D.I.Y. route you can save yourself a lot of time, money and headaches by investing in a good chicken coop design plan.

Keeping chickens happy requires a fair amount of space. The amount will depend on the number of chickens you want to raise and their breed. A general rule of thumb is to plan a minimum of 3 square feet per hen for the house. For the run around the house you should plan 6 to 10 square feet per chicken. The more room you have the happier your chickens will be.

To make the inside of the chicken coop comfortable for your hens requires just a few basic things. Your chickens will need fresh water and feed. An easy way to provide clean water is to purchase a water dispenser, which is fairly inexpensive, available online at the chicken coop source or at your local feed store. Your chicken coop should also include roosts for your chickens to sleep and nesting boxes for egg laying.

Once your chicken coop is set-up, the next step is to get the hens. Sometimes feed stores will sell young chicks in the springtime. A good alternative is to buy from hatcheries. Hatcheries sell chicks and eggs year-round through the mail. When selecting chicks be aware that it is nearly impossible to tell the difference between a hen and a rooster until they are about twelve weeks old.

Keeping chickens provides hours of entertainment and a few benefits as well. When you follow these simple guidelines you will have healthy, prolific egg-laying chickens for many years to come.

Articles on this website cover many topics about the raising and housing of chickens, we’re confident that even the most knowledgeable chicken enthusiast can learn something. Some areas that are covered are:

Chicken Selection -
The type of chickens you’ll want to purchase will be determined by several factors. The purpose for keeping chickens and your environment are two important pints to consider before selecting any chicken bread.

Chicken Care -
How much work is involved in keeping chickens? Can you or your kids really handle the responsibility? You’ll learn the good, the bad, and the ugly reality of raising chickens.

Chicken Breads -
Did you know there are over 60 breads of chickens in the United States alone? Find out which ones make the best pets, how to choose the right chickens for egg laying and much more in our articles and charts about chicken breads.

Chicken Incubators -
Find out how to make them out of scrap materials, but if you’re not handy, you can also purchase them for about $35.00

Egg Production -
Want to know how to get the most eggs from your hens? Find the dos and don’ts on keeping chickens.

Chicken Coops -
Check out our articles and reviews on chicken coop designs. Discover what type of chicken house fits your needs. Learn about the many kinds of chicken coops and whether or not you should build your own or purchase a chicken coop kit.

And much more ...

We’ll also keep you updated on the latest and greatest resources for keeping chickens. If you’re ready to build your own chicken coop check out this complete guide and design plans.

Click here for immediate access to Chicken Coop Building Plans. You will also get:

• The Cheapest Materials To Build Your Coop Out Of
• The Best Materials For The Ground
• How To Build Nesting Boxes For Free Out of Common Materials
• How To Best Position Your Chicken Coop