Chicken questions - FAQs

Raising and buying chickens

How to raise chickens?
Answer: Raising chickens is as simple as: feed them properly, keep them warm and dry. Simple. Keep the chicken coop around 70F. Give them fresh water. Feed them seeds, worms and grass. If a chicken appears sick, remove it from the group, and consult your vet if you are concerned about any health issues.
Where can I order chickens?
Answer: Directly from farm, by mail, or online. Start by looking at McMurray Hatchery and Meyer Hatchery. On Ebay.com you can buy chicks, and eggs for hatching for cheap. Local farms may sell adult birds, and chicks, typically by the dozen. When you receive newborn baby chicks, they tend to come in paper box that looks like a doughnut box.

Feeding chickens

Can i feed my chickens sunflower seeds?
Answer: Yes, but only the meats of the sunflower seeds. Chickens do not like the shells. In general, you want to look for seeds high in omega-3 and omega-6 such as Wheat-germ (omega-3) and sunflower seeds (omega-6).
What can chickens eat?
Answer:You can feed chickens: sunflower seeds, Wheat-germ, regular green lawn grass (non-fertilized), garden worms, and seed mix. Vary their diet, however. If you have a lawn allow them to eat your natural lawn grass.
Can chickens eat hay?
Answer:No. It might be physically possible, however this is not nutritious.

Behaviour:

Why are my chickens pecking each other?
Answer: Ask yourself: As your chickens too tightly enclosed? Are they getting enough exercise or are they cooped up? You may want to provide them with a larger space.
Can chickens fly? Answer:Yes, but only for a few seconds. If you do not enclose you chickens in a pen, they may choose to roost in a tree on a warm summer night. Don't worry, they will be back for breakfast the next day. If you are really concerned, you can clip the feathers on the ends of their wings to imped flight.
How are chickens different from each other? Answer: Think of chicken breeds like dog breeds. They come in hundreds of types of shapes and sizes. What makes one dog better family pet? It really depends on what you are looking for, which is terribly subjective. As a general rule, Cornish hens taste better. For eggs, it there is no perfect one. It's more a matter of feeding them a balanced diet, and keeping the hens coop between 70 and 75 degrees F.

Chicken coop maintenance

How to build a chicken coop? How to make a chicken coop? How to construct a chicken coop? Answer:Think about building a mini, elevated garage, but for your chickens. That's all their is to it. You can also click on the link on the left of this page to download easy step by step diagrams for construction.
How to clean a chicken coop?
Answer: Cleaning a chicken coop involves the removal of excrement, bedding, food and dirt. Use a small push broom ans sweep into your compost bin or garbage.
What to do with grains from the bottom of the chicken coop?
Answer: You can sweep these into your compost bin or garbage. Totally up to you.

Urban Small Flocks

Can you keep chickens on an apartment balcony?
Answer: No. While it is technically possible keep a hen in a cage on a balcony, this is very unhealthy for the bird. Also, if you had more than one bird in such a small space, they will fight much more than otherwise. Furthermore, anyone who has ever tried this will also attest to how noisy hen and/or roosters can be. Unless you have understanding neighbors and do not might constant noise, this is truly not a good idea.