Raising Chickens In Your Back Yard For Eggs
April 24, 2008
One of the most popular reasons for raising chickens is to raise them for their eggs. There’s nothing better than a freshly-laid chicken egg! Keeping chickens is a good idea, but keep some things in mind before you get a flock. First, make sure you have a sturdy coop. If not, the raccoons and dogs will get them. Have a fenced off space for them as they will ruin your yard. Feed them commercial grain every day, not just scraps or they won’t lay.
If you are going to keep chickens, you must have a good place for them to live. Besides the basic requirements, there are other important things to consider. Coops with too little air-flow can often build up a toxic level of fumes that is dangerous for both the chicken residents and their human caretakers. However, too much ventilation, such as cold drafts in the winter, is bad! Your chicken coop should also be insulated so that it is cool in the summer and warm in the winter, thereby reducing your energy costs.
For an average size family, 2 to 4 chickens should lay more than enough eggs for your family, and you may even have some left over to give to others. With the price of a dozen eggs hovering around 3 dollars a dozen, Your friends and family would be more than happy to get a few eggs from you.
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