Is it difficult to build your own chicken coop in your backyard? If you are good with hand tools and able to read a building plans, it is actually quite easy.

Owning a small flock of chicken is the new trend nowadays and city dwellers are discovering the delights of raising their own chicken. This article tackles the basics of raising and maintaining a few chickens in an urban setting.

But first, what are the benefits of raising hens? Well, there are many.

Aside from being an excellent source of food hens will help you in your pest control, to grow a healthy garden and can even be a pet to your children. Since insects, including potentially harmful insects like grasshoppers, fire ants, ticks, termites, fleas, flies are all food for the hens they act as a means of natural pest control.

Chicken are even known to kill and eat scorpions! So, when you have chicken you can stop spending money on dangerous chemicals and let the chickens do the work for you for free. Another side benefit of raising your own chicken is the chicken manure you’ll get for your garden which when mixed with other organic materials like saw dust, wood chips makes for an excellent and natural fertilizer which can even outperforms the commercial fertilizers.

But make sure that you mix it with some composting material because it is too potent by itself. One of the best benefits of raising chicken is that it can give a hands-on learning experience to your children and chicken are gentle enough to be considered as house pets.

Of course, the main and most obvious benefit of raising chicken is the steady flow of fresh eggs. Home grown eggs are much better than the eggs you purchase in your local grocery store and as a rule almost always taste much better mostly because those eggs come from chicken farms where chickens are commercially raised and the main concern for the farms is mostly the profits and not the quality of care or even feed provided to the chickens.

Determine how many eggs you can consume and give away or sell in a day and limit your flock to that amount considering that each hen will lay one egg approximately every 24 hours. Do not make the mistake of raising too many hens.

The first step in starting your chicken farm is by collecting information about local rules and regulations regarding raising chickens within city limits like the number of chicken you are allowed to keep etc. Mostly this information can be had by making a phone call to your city hall or by simply checking their website.

Roosters are usually banned in most cities due to the nuisance they create but since you don’t need them anyway this is not much of a problem. Once you get your legal issues straight its time to buy the chicks.

You can buy one day old chicks in spring at your local feed store. Before purchasing the chicks do make sure that they have been vaccinated against Marek’s disease and Coccidiosis and that they come from a flock which has been tested for Salmonella.

Chicks are too small to be kept in chicken coops right away and should be kept in small pen or box with wood shavings and some heat source like a heat lamp. Gently handle the chicks every once in a while so that they can become accustomed to humans.

The feed store can help you about what to feed your chicks. Once the chicks are about 30 days old they would start to feather and at this time they can be transferred to their coop which would be their permanent home.

The coop should have nesting boxes for the hens to lay their eggs and roosts where they would sleep. Chickens require about 8 to 10 square feet each and should be waterproof. They should also have a door large enough for humans to enter and small windows which can be opened or closed depending on the weather.

A fence in “yard” connected to the coop is also necessary so that the chickens can roam about without being threatened by predators like dogs, cats or raccoons. You can expect to start collecting the eggs after about 4 – 5 months from the date you purchase the chicks and once you reach this stage the only task left for you would be to feed the chickens, clean the coop and collect the delicious eggs.

Like many, you too, must be wondering about the most fruitful procedure of raising chickens. Now a day, due to the spiraling cost and growing concern about the manner of production; food is becoming more of an issue.

Therefore, to combat all these, use herbs to raise your chickens not only naturally and in a perfect manner but also to add flavor. Chickens are considered to be low carb diet and together with eggs, these had always constituted an important part of our meals.

Raising chickens in cages is seen as unethical and so, the subject of free range chickens is gathering popularity across the globe; however, the price of store-bought free range eggs can strain your purse.

You can raise your own chickens, if you have some space; even though you might be living in a city. Try not to raise roosters as these birds make a lot of noise; however, give a serious thought about raising hens.

There is nothing better than home-grown eggs and hens can be excellent pets, too, if you have children in your house. These cuddly pets have some real personality and are fun to watch; however, have a proper enclosure for these birds, if you want to keep your house clean.

Buy day old chicks from the local feed stores and start raising your own chickens, since it is easy and quite inexpensive. Even the children would love to watch these small birds in their cute fluffy stage.

Get hold of a strong and sturdy box and place the chick in it with some food and water. Handle and nurture your chick on a regular basis, so that it gets accustomed to people and will feel happy when you cuddle it, after it grows up.

Provide some open and safe area for your chickens to play and scratch. Take precaution and do not feed your chickens – raw beans, raw potato peels, avocado skin and food containing sugar and salt, since these might prove to be toxic and harm them; in extreme cases, even death.

The basic health of the chickens should be of paramount importance to you, when you are thinking about raising them. Herbs can make your birds healthy; add these to their feed or water.

Nettle – a kind of herb – contains calcium, potassium, protein, manganese, phosphorus and Vitamins A & C in high quantities; therefore, it is a good idea to add this to your chickens’ diet. Chickens are vulnerable to mites, body lice and worms. Nettle, along with garlic – another great herb – not only treat but also prevent worms from affecting and causing health hazard to your hens.

Garlic has an added advantage, since it prevents lice and mites from affecting your hens. Grow insect repellent herbs like lavender, rosemary and feverfew near your hen-house, so that your hens can nibble as well as brush against those.

Add Oregano – an anti-parasitic and anti-fungal herb – along with cider vinegar to your chickens feed to keep them healthy. Along with these, try to feed your chickens.

Dandelion – a complete food by itself and Calendula flowers, which contain a high level of sulphur, to keep them healthy and improve yolk color. Try to keep their drinking water fresh, too. Follow these simple steps and you can raise healthy chickens without any problem.

Owning your own chickens can have multiple benefits. Fresh eggs and poultry are the more obvious ones, but the ability to know how each was raised is important, also.

Commercial farmers may use chemicals, including hormones in their operations. Producing your own eggs allows you to leave out any chemicals or practices you object to. If you are able to produce more than your family consumes, the animals can also become a source of income.

A proper chicken house in a proper location is important. It is not a good idea to locate the chicken house too close to your own dwelling. Chicken droppings do not have a pleasant odor, and will make the home unpleasant for the residents, and can be an embarrassment when guests are visiting.

Likewise, the chickens will not appreciate the noise and smells that come from a human dwelling. A decent degree of separation benefits both.

The area in which the house is placed should be fairly level. Sloped areas can have considerable runoff in heavy rains, which can be problematic with chickens. The waste from your chickens should never be allowed to reach a creek, river, lake or ocean.

Your neighbors will also not appreciate any of the runoff reaching their property. In addition to problems that can occur downstream, water that enters your chicken house can lead to sickness among the animals. Damp waste products are a prime breeding ground for diseases.

The size and construction of the house are also important. Overcrowding is not good for the animals, but too large a house can be cold and drafty in cooler weather. The house should be sturdy enough not only to protect the chickens from the elements and keep them contained, but must be able to keep out predators.

Hawks, foxes, some dogs and other animals will prey on the chickens if given the chance. If you feel unsure of your plan, consult with a local farmer or agricultural expert in your area.

Chickens are raised all over the country, and someone nearby can answer your question. While building a chicken house might be harder than one would think, it is well worth it when done properly.

The average hen bred for egg production will produce about 100 eggs in a given year. While it might seem like a small flock would make the eggs pile up, they might disappear faster than you would think.

The average American eats about 200 eggs per year. While that number may seem higher than one might expect, remember that many of them are not eaten as eggs, but are ingredients in cakes, muffins, pancakes, mayonnaise, marshmallows, egg rolls, egg noodles, batters for fried foods, and in many other places.

There are no worries if you end up with more than you can eat. A small amount of excess could be shared with neighbors. Many rural families raise a portion of their food, and frequently share any crops that produce more than can be eaten by the grower.

Sharing eggs might result in a neighbor showing up later with a bushel of corn or beans. Larger quantities can even become a source of significant income.