Backyard Chickens: My Advice for First-Time Keepers
A comprehensive guide
When I was growing up, my parents kept a lot of chickens, hundreds, or at least that’s how I remembered it as a kid. They sold eggs to a local hotel for some extra income, and we had a little stand where neighbors could swing by, grab a fresh carton, and drop their payment into a wooden box. It was the honor system and it worked, for the most part.
Colorful eggs
But country life wasn’t all fresh eggs and sunshine. Every now and then, my dad would walk in, shaking his head with bad news: a fox had broken into the coop overnight, leaving devastation behind. I’ll never forget the time he and my cousin decided to catch the culprit. They nearly pulled it off, cornered the fox in the barn, the door ready to slam shut. We held our breath as my cousin puled a rope to close the door… but at the very last second, the fox darted through a gap and vanished into the early evening. As serious as it was to lose many chickens, the image of those two trying to outsmart a fox was just too funny. We ended up laughing hard—because sometimes, even in the middle of a small farm disaster, you have to appreciate the wild charm of country life.
Chickens and rooster getting ready for the night
Now, in our own backyard, we care for five chickens. It’s our second flock, and it provides just the right amount of eggs for our family. And we give a ton away as well to neighbors and friends. With the current rise in egg prices, we’re especially grateful to have fresh eggs at home. I completely understand how frustrating it is to pay up to $8 or even $10 for a dozen eggs. Let’s hope things improve soon for everyone.
Overall, keeping chickens is pretty easygoing. What’s not so easy is everything that comes before you bring your chicks or pullets home. It can be expensive and time-consuming to get everything set up, but once it’s in place, it’s incredibly rewarding.
If you're thinking of starting your own backyard flock, here are a few important things to know before you get started:
In this guide a refer their permanent home as their coop - there is a indoor and outdoor coop section. A chicken run was added onto the coop where they can roam freely in a sectioned off fenced in area in our backyard.
Things to Know Before Keeping Chickens in Your Backyard
Check your local chicken keeping laws
Most rural towns allow chickens, but the rules in suburban or urban areas can vary. Check with your local municipality to find out if backyard chickens are permitted, how many you’re allowed to keep, and how close your coop can be to your neighbor’s property line. The last thing you want is to build a coop and bring home chickens, only to learn that your town, or your neighbors, won’t allow it. Noise and odor complaints can quickly become an issue. And yes, chickens do smell. Do your homework first to avoid disappointment later.
Decide how many chickens you want to keep and plan accordingly
Decide on the amount of chickens you want to keep first. This will help you determine the size of your coop and run. Chickens are social animals and should never be kept alone. Three is a good minimum, but five is even better. They need space to roam, scratch, and take dust baths. Overcrowding can lead to stress, aggressive behavior, and health problems. Chickens naturally establish a hierarchy, or “pecking order,” so giving them enough room is essential.
Coop space: The typical recommendation is 4 square feet per chicken, but the more square footage you add per chicken the better it is for them.
Outdoor run: A secure, fenced run or roaming area is great for chickens. They love grass and will snack on bugs, worms—even ticks. But let them into your flower beds, and they’ll quickly turn them into a mess. We learned the hard way—after we built our chicken run, our flock promptly destroyed the hostas lining its edge. Make sure they only have access to areas where they can’t do damage.
Adding a Rooster? And if you’re thinking about keeping a rooster, remember that you can only keep one. We accidentally ended up with a rooster, thinking he was a hen. At the time, we didn’t have a chicken yard set up, so he stayed in the coop—and as he got older, he got more aggressive. Eventually, he’d jump on us whenever we entered the coop. Roosters grow long spurs and can be territorial, especially in small spaces. In a large outdoor run, this might be less of an issue, but in a confined coop, it became a problem for us.
Beautiful rooster in the hen house
Build or buy a safe and secure coop
If you're only keeping a few chickens, there are plenty of websites that sell pre-built coops in smaller sizes. Check out these websites:
If you’re thinking of building a chicken coop from scratch, be sure to explore these sites for creative and functional DIY coop plans:
Etsy (search “chicken coop plans”)
You can also repurpose an existing structure—like an old barn, tool shed, or playhouse, into a chicken coop. We converted part of our old pool house into one by sectioning off an area with interior walls and a door. One of the windows became their entryway to the outdoor run, which we enclosed with hardware cloth for protection. We also installed a small access door for easy cleaning and maintenance. To enhance security, we added an automatic door from Omlet. It was easy to install in the window frame and closes automatically at night, keeping the chickens safe from potential predators.
Chickens will naturally return to the coop at night and sleep on roosting bars, which should be installed higher up off the ground. Nesting boxes are also essential—make sure they’re roomy enough for hens to lay their eggs comfortably. Line the boxes with straw or wood shavings to keep them clean and cozy.
At one point, we noticed mice trying to get in through the floor. Fortunately, we had installed hardware cloth underneath the coop, which helped keep the critters out. We keep the food and water in the outer coop area but also provide a water source inside. It's essential to ensure your chickens always have access to fresh water, especially during hot summer days. While chickens generally tolerate winter well, summer heat requires extra care—make sure they have plenty of shade and stay well hydrated.
Inside the coop, we use wood shavings, and in the outdoor run, we use sand. The shavings go into the compost when we clean the coop, and we refresh the sand occasionally to keep things clean and comfortable.
Ventilation is also key. Whether it’s summer or winter, your coop should allow for a steady flow of fresh air—without creating strong drafts. Proper ventilation helps prevent moisture buildup, odors, and respiratory issues in your flock.
What to feed chickens
I have to admit, chicken feed isn’t cheap! I buy the organic kind because I believe it’s the best food for my chickens. I’ve occasionally tried regular, non-organic feed, but boy, does it stink. I’m not sure why, but the conventional kind has a very unusual smell, while the organic feed smells much more “normal.”
The food industry in the U.S. isn’t as strictly regulated as in some other countries, and I don’t really know what byproducts go into the non-organic feed. That’s why I feel better knowing my chickens are eating something safer, and ultimately, that means safer food for us too. Of course, that decision is entirely up to you.
Some people mix their own feed or supplement with food scraps, just avoid anything salty, caffeinated, or toxic like onions, potato peels, or avocados. From the books I’ve read on keeping chickens, commercial chicken feed is still the most balanced and reliable option. Treats should be given sparingly.
If your chickens have access to an outdoor run, they’ll naturally find nourishing snacks by pecking around. Anything green, like grass, is especially beneficial, it not only keeps them healthy but can also lead to richer, more vibrant egg yolks.
I buy my chicken feed exclusively form Tractor Supply Co. - It’s local and has everything I need to provide for my chickens.
Choosing Your Chicken Breed
There are so many beautiful and unique chicken breeds to choose from! Some are excellent egg layers, others are raised for meat, and some are known for laying colorful eggs. Great resources to explore include MyPetChicken.com and McMurrayHatchery.com.
You’ll need to decide whether to start with:
Pullets (young hens almost ready to lay)
Chicks (need 3–4 months to mature)
Important: If you choose chicks, you’ll need to provide a warm indoor space with a brooder plate or heat lamp. In nature, mother hens keep chicks warm, so you’ll have to recreate that environment.
Also consider what kind of eggs you’d like:
Brown, white, or colorful eggs
High production layers (daily eggs) or moderate layers (3–6 eggs per week)
We’ve had hens that laid light green and dark brown eggs—sometimes even different shades of green or tan. Each breed lays its own unique color, which makes collecting eggs extra fun!
Buying Chicks: Local vs. Online
You can buy chickens locally or order them online—we’ve done both. Tractor Supply Company occasionally sells chicks. They are the cuttest and I always stop buy to watch them. They are generally offered for sale in the spring.
One year, we bought 5 chicks from a local breeder. Sadly, 2 of them died within the first few days. We’re not sure why.
Another time, I ordered 8 chicks online from My Pet Chicken, fully expecting a few not to make it. But all 8 survived! One of them was the surprise rooster.
The rooster turned out to be absolutely stunning—but extremely aggressive as mentioned before. Tip: If you keep a rooster, make sure to collect eggs daily since all eggs have been fertilized. If you keep chickens without a rooster, that isn’t any issue.
Raising Chicks at Home
Coexisting - birds and dogs :)
If you order chicks by mail, your local post office will usually call you when they arrive.
Here’s what you’ll need to set up a brooder:
A large bin or container
Pine shavings
Chick starter feed
Fresh water with added chick electrolytes (especially after travel)
A heat source (brooder plate or heat lamp)
Chick-sized feeders and waterers
They’ll eat, sleep, and poop like tiny babies for a few weeks until their feathers come in. Be aware that even “sexed” chicks aren’t always 100% guaranteed—sometimes a surprise rooster sneaks in.
As your chicks grow, you’ll need to upgrade to larger feeders and waterers. We recently splurged on a fancy feeder from MyGrandpasFeeder.com. I haven’t installed it yet, but it’s designed to prevent feed from spilling all over the ground—something I’m really looking forward to!
Keeping chickens is a fun and rewarding experience for the whole family. From collecting fresh eggs in the morning to watching their quirky personalities unfold, chickens bring a surprising amount of joy and entertainment to daily life. There’s something deeply satisfying about gathering eggs you know came from happy, well-cared-for hens right in your own backyard. I hope this gives some helpful perspective to anyone new to chicken keeping—it may seem like a lot at first, but it quickly becomes second nature, and the rewards are well worth it. Let me know about your chicken keeping experiences and add anything I may have missed.
