Raising chickens can be a satisfying and growing experience. They provide fresh eggs for you and your family, aid with garden maintenance, and can even help to control pests. While they provide several services for your property, it is important to calculate the time and money it will take to properly care for your livestock, so we created a brief guide to help get you started with your chickens.
Research your local regulations
Local laws can make or break your chicken-owning endeavors. Contact your local government officials to ask about your city’s chicken ordinance and determine if backyard chickens are permitted. For example, in Loveland, Colorado where one of our locations is based, you are allowed up to six chickens on your property in the city.
These regulations are not the case in every situation. Some cities may not allow you to own birds, or they may allow you to own more than six. We also recommend checking with your HOA if you have one to stave off any unwanted fees.
Another important thing to keep in mind, chickens are social animals and do not live well on their own, so we recommend owning at least three to six birds.
Build or buy a coop
Once you have researched your local regulations and ensured that you are able to own and care for chickens in your area, it’s time to set up housing for your birds. We recommend building your own coop as this offers flexibility and creativity in your chicken housing. You can build it how you want and customize it to fit your property. Another great option is purchasing your chicken coop.
Check out Almanac’s great article on, How to Build a Chicken Coop.
Find your chicken
Once you have housing figured out, you can start looking for chickens. There are several options for you to consider. Believe it or not, there are many different breeds of chicken that produce different colors, muscle tone, and numbers of eggs each year.
Different breeds also have different temperaments, similar to dogs. For instance, Rhode Island Red chickens lay 250 medium-brown eggs a year, are very friendly, and are hardy birds. This is just a quick example, but there are hundreds of chicken breeds to consider.
A good place to start is determining if you want layers or broilers? Unlike layers, broilers are typically larger and bulkier breeds and come with more muscle tone. Another difference between layers and broilers is that they grow fast and should be processed at 8 – 12 weeks of age.
Another factor to add in is how well the animal will do in Colorado’s winter conditions. The Happy Chicken Coop does a great job at breaking this down in their article, 7 Chicken Breeds That Do Well in Cold Climates.
Match your feed
Your chickens are going to need something to eat, and lucky for you, there are a plethora of options. Agfinity carries a ton of poultry feeds to help you achieve your goals.
If you are going for maximum egg production, we make chicken feed specifically tailored to boost egg production. We also carry different foods for chickens at different stages in life. When your chickens are young chicks, they will require different nutrient distribution than a full-grown hen and we can help you find the right food for your birds. As a local cooperative, we have several Agfinity locations across the Northern Colorado area along with many local dealers that carry our quality poultry feed brand, AgLand of the Rockies. For any additional chicken-raising questions, please reach out to our local experts located at our Town & Country by clicking the button below.
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