But below is a good starter list based on common backyard chicken keeping needs. The Best Breeds for Raising Urban ChickensĬhances are your family will be happy with any one of dozens of popular chicken breeds. Do I want to free-range my chickens-and is that allowed in my neighborhood?.How much space do I have for a chicken coop and run?.How hot and cold does it get in my climate?.Why do I want chickens? (Fresh eggs daily, meat, pets-or a combination of these?).Before heading to the nearest feed store for a flock of chicks, ask yourself the following questions to get a good idea of the kind of chicken breed you want: ![]() Not every chicken is going to suit your family’s needs, and there are an estimated 500 chicken breeds in the world to choose from. These limitations can include a restriction on the number of chickens you can keep and where you can put your chicken coop. Keeping urban chickens, even when allowed, usually has some limitations. Check with your neighborhood Homeowners Association to make sure having backyard chickens is allowed. Not everyone can keep chickens in their backyard, so do your research beforehand and read up on the relevant rules, laws and local regulations. What to do Before Raising Urban Chickens 1. Despite the initial challenges, urban chicken keepers everywhere are finding that a backyard flock of chickens is rewarding and well worth the effort. There are also legal limitations and possibly HOA rules that impact raising urban chickens. Plus, unless a chicken coop is well maintained and cleaned regularly, it can start to smell like a barnyard. ![]() But even then its appearance should be as attractive as possible. Typically, an urban chicken coop is located in a backyard where it will be less visible to the neighbors. For starters, urban chicken keepers must take noise, location, appearance and smell into account. As you prepare to start keeping chickens, don't hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.When it comes to raising chickens, there are a few notable differences between the city and the country. It's likely you'll start with about that many as well. Having taken all that into consideration, in our experience most new chicken keepers begin with somewhere between 3 and 15 birds. Our best advice regarding chicken math: be aware of it, plan and strategize before starting, but don't overthink it and get fewer birds than you actually need and can care for appropriately. You don't want to have more birds than your space and budget permit! That would not be good for the birds or for you and your family.īut we have also seen chicken math work the other way, when a customer orders a small number of chicks out of an abundance of caution, and then regrets immediately that they didn't get more when they realize how wonderful they are, how they're easier to keep than originally thought, and how they want more egg-laying pets. While we're normally big fans of chicken math, it's important to be aware that it can cause you to order more chickens than you should actually keep. For example, you may have determined that you need 10 hens, but according to chicken math, that means you "need" 12 hens (or 15 or 20?-chicken math is subjective!). You can calculate your minimum order here: Minimum Order Calculatorīefore you start your flock, be sure to check your local laws and homeowners regulations to find out if you can keep chickens legally, and if so, if there are any restrictions on how many birds you can keep.Ĭhicken math is a curious psychological phenomenon in which chicken keepers always "need" (a.k.a."want") more chickens than they already have. But for the safety of the chicks in shipping, we do have a minimum order which is based on the customer's zip code, anticipated time in shipping, and time of year (our minimum orders go up in winter to protect the chicks from the cold). Our Breeds List shows each chicken breed with the anticipated number of eggs they will lay each week.īecause of our special packaging methods, we are able to ship smaller orders of chicks to meet the needs of our awesome small-flock backyard chicken enthusiasts. ![]() ![]() For example, if each member of a family of four eats one egg per day, you'll need your flock to produce 28 eggs per week. Each different purpose will influence the number of birds you should have in your flock.įor example, if you want chickens primarily for eggs, it will be important to calculate your family's estimated weekly egg consumption and purchase the correct number and breeds to meet your needs. You might keeps chickens primarily as pets, for show, for meat, for insect control, or a combination of reasons.
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