Jefferson's Daughters

Raising chickens inexpensively is quite possible if you let go of the notion that you have to do it according to the “rules” espoused by various experts. For example, one article I saw recently says backyard chickens need: shelters with insulation, “treats,” toys, commercial feeders and waterers. They also “need” daily coop cleaning, commercial lay mix, commercial scratch (mixed grains), grit and oyster shell. And of course, if you buy chicks they need a brooder. Most of the articles I’ve seen say you can expect an investment of $2,000-$3,000 before you get a single egg. All this for three or four chickens. I am here to tell you – like a lot of things in today’s world – it just ain’t so. A word of warning. If you live in town, check the regulations on backyard chickens.

Buying Chickens

You have three options: buying chicks, buying pullets or buying adult hens. Pullet, by the way, is the correct term for a young female hen. It is not “poulets,” as described by one writer. She also confesses she spent about $2,200 initially and spends another $130 a month for food and supplies. This is the same writer who says your chickens need toys. Chicks are the least expensive and will run roughly five to eight dollars plus shipping for each chick. A pullet will cost $30 to $40. You will probably have major trouble finding a mature laying hen (and do you have the expertise to know if she’s actually laying?). Check feed stores if you’re lucky enough to have one. Other good options are Craigslist, flea markets and the people who supply eggs to farmer’s markets.

Housing Chicks and Backyard Chickens

Baby chicks don’t need a brooder. They need a heat source (preferably an infra-red bulb with a ceramic housing so it won’t melt) and a cardboard box, wire mesh dog crate or a coop. I like the cardboard box. It’s free, you can toss it when it gets dirty and it’s easy to adjust the heat by raising and lowering the bulb. If you go with the wire mesh cage, use old blankets or towels to prevent drafts and help retain heat). You can use newspaper instead of commercial bedding. Change it daily (just as you do for a parakeet). They’ll do fine in an unheated garage in most climates. If you’re really worried about the cold, put them in the laundry room for a few weeks.

For three or four chickens, you do not need to spend a couple of thousand dollars on a coop. The least expensive one I saw online was $227 plus shipping for a 2-chicken coop. If you feel you have to buy something, take a look at a small dog house. Remodel the roof so you can lift it for cleaning and to access the eggs. You can probably pick up a used chain link dog kennel for a chicken run. Better yet, find a source of free wooden pallets and build your own – it might cost you $20 for the screws. Lay a short board at an angle across one end – the hens will use it for a nest box. Don’t attach the board – you want to pull it down to collect the eggs.

Backyard chickens will be healthier if given extra space. It keeps them from beating each other up while establishing the pecking order. You can find a 25-foot roll of poultry wire for less than $15. Twenty-five square feet gives three or four adult chickens adequate room, especially if they also have a coop. You can bed the coop and run with shredded paper, grass clippings (make sure they haven’t been sprayed with herbicides or insecticides!), leaves, straw or wood chips. The bedding should be at least six inches deep. You do not have to clean the coop every day. The chickens will scratch up the bedding and compost their droppings. They will also get some valuable Vitamin B that way. Clean the coop if it starts to smell or you see mostly compost instead of bedding. Put the compost on your plants.

Food and Water

Fresh water and adequate food are critical for chickens of all ages. While I’m not a fan of commercial food for chickens, it’s safer for the inexperienced person to get chick starter for the first few weeks. Chick starter will cover the issues of nutrition and grit. Chickens don’t have teeth and they grind their food in an organ called a gizzard, which is why they need grit. You can scatter the food on the newspaper or use something like a disposable metal pie tin (again, use a rock to weight it down). For adult chickens, knock up a wooden feed box or two from scrap wood.

Change the chicks’ water at least twice a day. For a water bowl, cut off the bottom of a soda bottle and put a rock in it. The rock keeps the bottle base from turning over and prevents chicks from climbing in and drowning. Dip the chicks’ beaks in the water when you first put them in the coop to ensure they’re hydrated and know where the water is. For three or four adult chickens you can use the cut-off bottom of a plastic milk jug (weight it with a rock). Change it daily.

Feeding Adult Chickens

Chickens are omnivorous – the only thing I’ve ever found that they won’t eat is citrus peel. Once your chicks are past the starter stage, you will probably have enough food scraps to make up half to three-quarters of their daily ration. After the first week, start adding food scraps to the chick starter. Run the scraps through the food processor until the chicks are fully feathered to make sure the pieces are small enough. Make sure chicks have plenty of protein – cheese, cooked meat, cooked poultry, milk products, cooked beans. Skip fish, as it tends to be higher in heavy metals – adult chickens can handle a little fish occasionally. Add fruits, vegetables, leftover bread stuffs, rice, pasta – pretty much anything you eat.

In addition to your own feed scraps, you may be able to get some from neighbors (pay them in fresh eggs). Any time you eat out, bring home all the leftovers. You don’t have to tell the waitstaff you want a doggie bag for your chickens, but in my experience, not only do they approve, they may also add to your takings with stuff from the kitchen. Go easy on the fresh greens for little chicks, as they can cause diarrhea. You don’t need to worry about calcium until they start to lay, and then you can feed them their own crushed eggshells. Scoop up a little gravel from the roadside and they’ll sort through it for grit. Chickens are also happy to eat weeds, especially if they have some dirt on the roots.

Backyard Chickens – What They Don’t Need

As you should be able to tell from this post, backyard chickens have simple needs. Among other things, they don’t really need commercial feed, grit or calcium. They need shelter but rarely need insulation unless you live in a really severe winter area. A flock will huddle together at night to keep warm. The important thing is to make sure they have plenty of calories as they will burn them to generate heat. Put a few branches in the coop for a roost and some in the run – the chickens will use it as a jungle gym. They do fine with make-shift feeders and waterers. They don’t need treats or toys (my chickens play their own games – Chicken-Keep-Away is a favorite.) So while I do think it’s worth it to raise your own chickens for eggs, I know it doesn’t take a lot of money.