Knowing how to raise chickens is a valuable skill to have when it comes to producing your own food. It’s fun and it doesn’t cost a lot of money to get set up for your first flock.

Chickens needs are simple. They need a safe shelter, an enclosed run, access to fresh water and daily feeding.

 

 

As with all things relating to self sufficient living, it’s important to keep focused on the primary goal. Food! Fancy hens may look pretty, but they are expensive to acquire and have little value as food producers. Sticking to the tried and tested breeds ensures that you will get maximum yields.

Make sure that you get the right breed for the job. It’s no use buying meat birds and expecting lots of eggs from them. Likewise layers won’t yield satisfactory meat for the dinner table.

Some breeds are dual purpose and will give you a reasonable quantity of eggs while being large enough to make a good sized table bird.

Which breeds are for meat and which are for eggs? Take a look at Types Of Chickens

If you want to establish a laying flock quickly, then choose point of lay birds, rather then hatching chicks or raising day olds. With point of lay birds, you can just bring them home, pop them into the coop and give them food and water.

Hatching Chicks

When you are hatching chicks ,you won’t know if the chicks will be male or female, so if it’s laying hens that you want, then this might not be the best way to get your flock.

You’ll need an incubator and you must be available every day to care for the eggs.

For 21 days you need to turn the eggs and keep an eye on the temperature and humidity in the incubator.

Hatching chicks is the cheapest way to get your flock of birds, even with the additional expense of an incubator, as it can be used over and over again.

Read more about hatching chicken eggs

Day Old Chicks

These are cheaper to buy than point of lay birds, but if you don’t take good care of them your losses will be high. If you buy one of the sex link breeds you can specify whether you want males or females.

Chicks are cute and fun to watch. They need to be kept warm, which requires a brooder box of some sort with a heat source.

Provide plenty of food and clean water for your chicks to thrive.

Lean more about raising baby chicks

Point Of Lay

Point of lay birds are, as you would expect, ready to start producing eggs. They are the easiest option for establishing a flock, but unfortunately also the most expensive.

Chickens will need to be treated for worms fairly regularly. If you add foods to their diet which are known for their anti worm properties then you may be able to avoid using chemical wormers. These foods are a preventative measure, if your birds have a worm infestation then treat them quickly with a commercial wormer.

Read more about egg laying chickens