This post is your guide to all things chicken! Everything from why you should raise chickens, different styles of rearing, choosing breeds that are right for you, designing a coop, keeping you flock healthy and raising chicks. It’s the perfect place to start if you’re just starting out with your first flock, or are interested in raising a flock in the future. Be sure to check back often as more posts are being added. Community Chickens wants to help you raise a happy, healthy flock in every way we can.
Jump to:
Chicken Revolution | Introduction to Chickens | Urban Chicken Keeping | Choosing Breeds for Your Flock | Poultry Shows | Chicken Anatomy | Laws | Climate | Coops | Waterers | Roosts | Egg Boxes | Feeding | Cleaning | Free Ranging | Gardening With Chickens | Chickens and Composting | Health | Parasites | Injuries | Molting | Behavior | Boredom | Dust Baths | Problems | Laying | Eggs | Egg Recipes and Tips | Chicken Recipes | Broody Hens | Roosters | Hatching | Incubators | Brooding and Chicks | Introducing Teenagers | Meat Birds | Predators | Chickens and Other Animals
The Chicken Revolution
There’s no denying that keeping backyard chickens is catching on. People across the country are keeping chickens in suburban backyards and even cities. Much of the rise in chicken rearing comes from an increased interest in where our food comes from. Raising chickens allows people to get a fresh source of meat or eggs and control over how that animal is treated and what it is fed. The following posts discuss why people choose to raise chickens and how it has made their life more fulfilling.
My First Flock: Broody Hens, Blow Dryers and Powdered Sulfur
Top 10 Must-Haves to Simplify Chicken and Poultry Care
2017 Community Chickens Holiday Gift Guide
Top 5 Reasons To Raise Chickens
Homestead Chickens Increase Self-Sufficiency
8 Ways Chickens Enrich my Life
Be sure to check back often for more posts on this subject!
Introduction to Chickens
To begin, these posts cover a basic overview of what goes into raising a backyard flock. There is a wealth of information here to help a person who has never raised chickens, or those of you who need a refresher.
A Bit of Chicken History and Terminology
A Guide to Hatching Chicks in the Classroom
7 Facts I Have Learned About Chickens
My Experience Keeping Poultry – The First Year
How to Prepare Your Flock for a Pet Sitter
Get Started with Poultry (Podcast)
A Pocket Guide of Chicken Terms: For the Novice
A Beginner’s Guide to Raising Chickens
7 Points to See if Chickens are Right for You
What I Wish I had Known Before Getting Chickens
Be sure to check back often for more posts on this subject!
Urban Chicken Keeping
The chicken revolution is spreading country wide and chicken keepers are showing up in all sorts of locations. No longer is this versatile livestock kept solely in farming communities. Learn how to raise chickens in an Urban setting.
Keeping Urban Chickens (Podcast)
The City Chick and the Country Chick
Raising Backyard Chickens, Even in the City
Be sure to check back often for more posts on this subject!
Choosing Breeds for your Flock
Choosing the right breeds for your situation can be overwhelming. There are hundred of beautiful, interesting breeds to choose from. Things to consider include climate, size, temperament, and egg production. Other reasons include the breed’s standing with the American Livestock Breed Conservancy, what breeds are available and if they are recognized by the American Poultry Association.
Low-Maintenance Backyard Chickens
There’s a Lot to Love About Legbars
Breed Profile Crevecouer and the Polish
What Makes the Perfect Backyard Chicken?
Breed and Color Profile: Blue Lace Red Wyandotte
Tips for Buying Poultry from a Breeder
How to Find the Right Poultry Breeder
Easter Egger Chickens and Blue Eggs
Choosing the Breeds For Your Needs
Breeds That Work For Your Needs
Episode 1 – Choose a Breed for Your Needs (Podcast)
Episode 2 – Where to Get Chicks (Podcast)
Best Breed of Egg Laying Chickens for a Chicken Coop
Best Chicken Breeds for Backyard Flocks
French Black Copper Maran – Breed Profile
For the Love of Barred Plymouth Rocks
5 Tips for Chicken Breed Selection
Choosing the Best Chicken Breeds for Your Flock
What’s the best breed for where you live?
For more posts on this subject be sure to check out the Community Chickens Guide to Backyard Breeds!
Poultry Shows
Attending a poultry show is a great way to learn about different breeds. It’s also a great place to find breeders of rare birds. Here are some tips on making the most of a poultry show!
Hatchery VS Farm Raised Chickens
Ohio National Poultry Show Shopping Haul
Attending the Ohio National Poultry Show
Tips for Surviving Poultry Show
11 Tips for Attending Poultry Shows
Visiting Grandpa Tiny’s Fowl Fest
For more posts on this subject be sure to check out the Community Chickens Guide to Backyard Breeds!
Chicken Anatomy
Learn about basic chicken anatomy in these posts. Everything from feathers to digestive systems and how an egg is laid.
How Your Chicken’s Cecal Pouches Affect Its Droppings
Talking Chicken – A Guide to Common Terms
An Eggs-periment in Egg Anatomy
For more posts on this subject be sure to check out the Community Chickens Guide to Health and Safety
Laws
Before you decide to get chickens you must first find out if it is legal for you to own them. If it’s not, be inspired to try to change legislature in your area.
The Chicken Ordinance that Almost Wasn’t
Backyard Poultry and Chicken Laws: How to Change Urban Chicken Laws
Be sure to check back often for more posts on this subject!
Climate
Climate plays a large role in raising chickens. It can determine which breeds are best for you to raise, how you might build your coop, and what elements you are up against when choosing to raise chickens. Learn about how chickens react to different seasons. How to keep chickens warm in the winter, cool in the summer, how to help your chickens get through the Autumn molt, and the joys of collecting eggs in the first days of spring. Each season effects your flock in a different way.
5 Practical Winter Care Tips to Keep Your Chickens Healthy & Happy
How to Get More Eggs in Winter
4 Steps to Keeping Your Chickens Warm this Winter
Keeping Your Flock Safe During Winter
Homemade Summer Chicken Heat Beaters
Winter Eggs: The Big Egg Laying Slow Down
Treating and Preventing Frostbit on Chickens
Winter Tips for Raising Chickens
Tips for Keeping Chicken Happy and Healthy Through the Cold Winter Months!
Prepare Chicken Coops for Winter in 6 Steps
How to Care for Chickens During Wildfires
Chicken Coop Care According to Season
Chicken Keeping Through the Winter (The Natural Way)
A Winter Check List for Chickens
Keeping chickens through the winter
9 Tips on Prepping Your Flock for For Fall
About Heat Stress and Keeping Your Flock Cooled Down!
How to Keep Your Flock Cool This Summer
For more posts on this subject be sure to check out Community Chicken’s Guide to Winter
Coops
This is only a small sampling of the Community Chickens long and expansive lists of posts that will help you choose or build the perfect coop. Our archives include, DIYs, coop tours, coop plans, ideas on how to use recycled materials and much, much more!
5 Practical Chicken Coop Designs
Coop Size and Chickens Per Square Foot
The Ultimate Chicken Coop by Hampel Corp
Does Your Flock Need a Grow-out Pen?
All Cooped Up With Nowhere to Go
5 Key Steps to Building a Chicken Coop
6 Things Every Chicken Coop Needs
Cool Coops! – The Grand Chick Hotel
Chunnels Provide Safety and Room to Roam
Tight Budget? 5 Ways to Finance Your First Coop
Pasture Your Poultry With a Chicken Tractor
The Garden Roof Coop- The Chicken Yard!
Cool Coops! The Pay it Forward Coop
Community Coops with Mother Earth News Blogger Anna Twitto
Community Coops with Grit Blogger Jennifer Quin
The Makings of a Great Coop! 7 Things to Get You Started
DIY chicken coop, re-purposed material
Top 7 Things to Consider When Deciding on a Chicken Coop
For more posts on this subject be sure to check out the Community Chickens Guide to Backyard Coops!
Waterers
Keeping a chicken’s water clean is a challenge to every chicken keeper. Chickens like to scratch and this makes water messy. Learn about different waterer options, how to keep waterers clean and unfrozen in winter.
Build Your Own Low-Maintenance Food and Water Sysytem
Will a Saltwater Bottle Keep My Chicken’s Water From Freezing?
DIY Large Volume Chicken Drinker: Drip Free & No Ice
All About Watering Nipples – Keeping Your Birds’ Water Clean
Keeping Poultry Waterers Clean~ A Neat Solution
Community Challenge: Frozen Water Solutions
Be sure to check back often for more posts on this subject!
Roosts
It is a natural instinct for chickens to roost at night when they sleep. In the wild, this provides a safe, elevated place away from predators. Provide your chickens with a comfortable place to roost so they feel safe and happy at night.
The Importance of Roosts for Chicks
The Early Bird Gets Her Preferred Spot On The Roost – Sometimes!
For more posts on this subject be sure to check out the Community Chickens Guide to Backyard Coops!
Egg Boxes
Chicken also need a place to lay their eggs. Egg boxes must be kept tidy and dropping-free so that you can collect clean eggs. Here are a list of posts that will help you design functional egg boxes.
Nice Chicken Nests for (Nearly) Nothing
Fresh Eggs: From Hen To House!
“What Would You Do?” Getting Chickens to Use a Nest Box
For more posts on this subject be sure to check out the Community Chickens Guide to Backyard Coops!
Feeding
There are many options for chicken feed. Many brands of chicken food, different protein levels, treats, and scratch. These posts will help you decide what kind of feed you want to provide for your chickens, ideas for homemade treats, supplement options and a good collection of DIY feeder options.
Not All Chicken Food is Created Equal
*Update How a 7-year-old Challenged me to take the “Feed Greatness Challenge”
How a 7-year-old Challenged Me to take the “Feed Greatness Challenge”
Trying Out a New Organic Feed for My Chickens
Trying Out a New Organic Feed for My Chickens
Trying Out a New Organic Feed for My Chickens
25 Acres’ Top 3 Irresistibly Nutritious & Shelf-Stable Poultry Treats
Homemade Electrolytes for Chickens
Natural Feed Supplements for Chickens
Formulating Your Own Chicken Feed
Why We Don’t Feed Scratch Grains
Feeding Crushed Egg Shells to Your Flock
Stop Buying This if You Free Range
Why we Stopped Offering Calcium Supplements to our Breeding Hens.
How to Build Your Own Continuous Feeder and Grit Dispenser
Dietary Supplements for Backyard Chickens~Post One of a Two Part Series
DIY Raising Mealworms (Part 1)
Be sure to check back often for more posts on this subject!
Cleaning
Keeping your coop clean is not only aesthetically pleasing, but very important for a healthy flock. Check out these posts to find out how to make the dreaded chicken chore faster, healthier and easier to accomplish.
A Clean Coop and Processing Facility Means a Happy Egg Farmer
Keeping a Clean Coop for Healthy Chickens
5 Tips for a Cleaner Coop with Less Effort!
11 Uses for Vinegar Around the Coop
For more posts on this subject be sure to check out the Community Chickens Guide to Backyard Coops!
Free Ranging
Free ranging can be a controversial subject. Some feel that the risks are worth the benefits. Benefits being, chicks raised in a natural environment, healthier eggs and in some cases healthier chickens. Others believe that the risk of predators is too great and choose to keep their chickens in an enclosed run. If you’re interested in learning more about the pros and cons of free ranging then check out these posts.
Why We Decided to Stop the Free Reign of Free – Range Poultry
Free-range Chickens Produce the Best Eggs
Free Range Eggs–what does that mean?
Be sure to check back often for more posts on this subject!
Gardening with Chickens
Chickens can be useful in many ways other than providing eggs. Many people use chickens to help around the garden. Some people also plant special gardens just for chickens. Learn about the relationship with chickens and gardens in the following posts.
Permaculture and Chickens: Get More Function From Your Fowl
Chickens and Permaculture Garden Design
Construct a Chicken Moat for Effective Garden Pest Control
Lawn Care: Weed and Feed with Chickens
How to Start Sunflower Seeds in Eggshells
Planning a Chicken Garden~A Grower’s Guide
Going Green: Planting a Living Chicken Coop Roof
Gardening with Chickens – Part 1 – Why Chickens?
Be sure to check back often for more posts on this subject!
Chickens and Composting
One of the best ways chickens help in the garden is through the use of their droppings as compost. Learn how chicken manure can help you achieve a robust garden season.
DIY: Chicken Manure Tumbling Composter
Be sure to check back often for more posts on this subject!
Health
Learn about many health issues in the following posts. How to treat and prevent problems, how to use natural cures and how to diagnose a sick chicken.
5 Tips to Prevent an Obstructed Crop
Newcastle Disease Hits Hard in California and Utah
Raw Turkey The Culprit for the US’s Latest Salmonella Outbreak
Campylobacter- Have You Heard of It?
There’s Another Salmonella Outbreak Linked to Live Poultry
What to Do (And Not Do) for a Sick Chicken: Part 1
What to Do (And Not Do) for a Sick Chicken Part 2
What’s In My Chicken First Aid Kit?
Chick Illnesses Prevent and Treat
DIY Sour Crop Solutions: Our First Expereince
Poultry First Aid: A Novice Starter Kit
Keep Your Flock Safe: Avian Influenza
Tell it to the Vet: Thoughts on Medical Treatment for Chickens
For more posts on this subject be sure to check out the Community Chickens Guide to Health and Safety
Parasites
Chickens are subject to parasite infestations. Both external and internal parasites can effect your chicken’s health. Learn how to prevent and treat parasite infestations.
Natural Pest Solutions: Neem Oil
How to Protect Your Poultry from Pests
Got Fleas? 13 Chicken Flea Facts
Controlling Flies in the Chicken Coop
Dusting Chickens for Mites: Taking Care of Business
For more posts on this subject be sure to check out the Community Chickens Guide to Health and Safety
Injuries
Chickens can occasionally suffer injuries. Over zealous pecking order, frostbite and other accidents are unfortunately a part of chicken keeping. Be prepared to treat injuries with some of the helpful posts below.
Bare Back Hens? Make This Super Simple Saddle
5 Ways to Prepare for Chicken Illness, Injury, Death & End of Life Decisions
9 Point Comb to Toe Chicken Check Up & DIY Antiseptic Ointment
For more posts on this subject be sure to check out the Community Chickens Guide to Health and Safety
Molting
Molting is a natural process where a chicken replaces its old, damaged feathers from the season before. Though molting is a natural process it can be hard on a chicken’s system. Learn how to make the molt easier and over faster for your chickens in the following posts.
Fall is a Common Time for Molting Chickens
Easing Your Flock Through a Molt
Hens on Strike! What I Know About Molting
Be sure to check back often for more posts on this subject!
Behavior
Chickens are quirky little creatures. Learn about behavioral issues like pecking order, how to make your chickens tame, and what instincts do the domestic chicken still posses.
I Have a Confession: I turned My Chickens into Pirates
Reordering in the Pecking Order
Be sure to check back often for more posts on this subject!
Boredom
The following posts offer some great advice for helping your chickens to battle boredom. Especially if you chickens are cooped up for long periods like the winter.
A Recipe to Prevent Winter Boredom: Homemade Seed Block and Dust Bath Instructions
I’m Stuck in a Coop and I Can’t Get Out!
Battling “Coop Fever” in your Flock
Be sure to check back often for more posts on this subject!
Dust Baths
Although you can bathe a chicken in water, the natural instinct of a chicken is to take a dust bath. A dust bath is where a chicken rolls in soft dirt and fills its feathers with cool soil. Learn how dust bathing is effective, how to provide a dust bath for your chickens and how to make the dust bath more effective at removing external parasites. Also learn how to give your chicken a water bath to prepare them for shows.
Wood Ash: The Black Chicken Poop Caper
How to Create an All-Weather Dust Bath
Bath Time at the Lavender House
Be sure to check back often for more posts on this subject!
Problems
Laying
Learn all about the wonders of laying and how to identify problems, encourage hens to lay more often and much more!
Cool Egg Facts & Video of Hen Laying an Egg!
Reader’s Question: Thin Egg Shells
Abundance at the heart of the hen
Be sure to check back often for more posts on this subject!
Eggs
The top reason that people keep backyard chickens is for the eggs that they provide. Learn all about this interesting source of protein, how to use eggs shells, the nutrition of an egg and why are eggs sometimes abnormal.
Designer Eggs: Not a Couture Egg Suit
Marketing 101 For Your Egg Business
Starting My Egg Business…Twice
Too Many Eggs? Consider These Options
Keeping Fresh Eggs…Fresh – 5 Ways
Unexpected Eggshell Color Variance
Using Those Extra Eggs–Shell and All!
Reader’s Question: Why do I sometimes find a blood spot in a fresh egg?
Be sure to check back often for more posts on this subject!
Egg Recipes and Tips
Find delicious ways to prepare your fresh eggs, how to hard boil a fresh egg with ease of peeling, and how to store an abundance of eggs for future use.
Stracciatella- Italian Egg Soup
Five Amazing Deviled Egg Recipes
8 Egg Vanilla Bean Ice Cream with Strawberry Sauce
Egg Benedict with Delicate Smoked Salmon
11 Steps to the Perfect Hard Boiled Egg
Be sure to check back often for more posts on this subject!
Chicken Recipes
Find delicious recipes that make the most of your farm raised birds.
Farm Raised Turkey Breast Lunch Meat
Thick and Chunky Chicken Noodle Soup
Tough Meat, Tough Decisions: Intro to Homemade Chicken Sausage
Crispy Fried Chicken Livers with Caramelized Onions
Chicken and Vegetable Stir Fry
Be sure to check back often for more posts on this subject!
Broody Hens
These posts cover everything from how to encourage a hen to go broody and hatch out a clutch, how to care for a broody hen to make her time easier, how to spot a broody hen, and how to break a hen of her broody desires without hatching out a clutch.
Breaking the Broody – Attempt #1
Be sure to check back often for more posts on this subject!
Roosters
Roosters are often the more stunning of the pair. Learn all about raising these beautiful birds, how to deal with behavior problems and what needs are rooster specific.
Smitten With Our Amazing Rooster
Be sure to check back often for more posts on this subject!
Hatching
New life is an amazing thing to behold. Watching a chick hatch is one of the most fascinating life experiences you can witness. The chicken egg gives us a window into the embryonic world. Learn all about hatching your own eggs in the following posts.
Hatching Day! What Will Happen and When to Help a Chick
Reading the Germinal Disk and Breeding
Expand Your Flock with Mail Order Hatching Eggs
Hatch Your Flock with an Incubator
Incubation Series Part 4: The Long Wait, Candling, and Hatching Day
9 Tips for a Successful Hatch Day
Hatching Chicken Eggs and Caring for Chicks: Incubator, Brooder and Feed Basics
A Happy and Proud Hatching Day
Be sure to check back often for more posts on this subject!
Incubators
Learn about different incubators, how to set up an incubator and what to expect when hatching time comes. Also learn how to clean and properly store an incubator.
Incubation Station: A Reference Guide to Incubation Terms, Temperatures, Times and Humidity Levels
Incubation Series Part 1: Incubating Advantages
Incubation Series Part 2: Choosing Birds to Breed
Incubation Series Part 3: Choosing an Incubator, Setup and Collecting Eggs
Cleaning and Storing Incubators
Be sure to check back often for more posts on this subject!
Brooding and Chicks
Learn all about the safest ways to brood your new baby chicks. What equipment you will need, how to regulate temperatures that simulate a mother hen and what feed growing chicks need.
Caring For Your New Chicks, Part 1: Housing
Caring For Your New Chicks, Part 2: Chick Care Basics
Caring For Your New Chicks, Part 3: Sick Chicks
Trade in that Old Heat Lamp for a Sweeter Heater
How Does Your Favorite Mail Order Hatchery Stack Up?
Part 1, Setting Up a Quality Brooder, Let’s Pick a Brooder
Part 2, Setting Up a Quality Brooder, Let’s Pick a Heat Source
Part 3, Setting Up a Quality Brooder, Let’s Pick a Bedding
Part 4, Setting Up a Quality Brooder, Let’s Pick the Feeder and Drinkers
Sexing Chicks at the Feeds Store
5 Ways to Better the Brooding Experience
How to Prepare for Successful Chick Brooding – Part One
Be sure to check back often for more posts on this subject!
Introducing Teenagers
This section deals with how to introduce older chicks to an existing flock and how to lesson the impact of pecking order.
Introducing New Chicks to an Existing Flock
Moving Baby Chicks From the Brooder to Outside
5 Tips for Introducing Teenage Chicks
Introductions“What Would You Do?” Introducing New Chickens to the Coop
Be sure to check back often for more posts on this subject!
Meat Birds
Raising meat birds is a wonderful option for those that are looking for an alternative to factory raised meat. Learn about what meat birds require and how to process them.
A Guide to Raising Cornish Cross Chickens
Preparing For Our First Butcher Day: Part One
Preparing For Our First Butcher Day: Part Two
A Beginner’s Guide: Raising Chickens for Meat
Cleaning and Packaging Poultry Humanely
The Process After They’re Processed
Be sure to check back often for more posts on this subject!
Predators
Learn how to prevent predator attacks, how to spot a predator that might be interested in your chickens and even help coping, should your flock fall prey to an attack.
How Decaf Coffee Saved Mu Critters
Predators and Your Best Defense Against Them
Who is Invading Your Flock: A Quick Chicken Predator Identification Guide
A Palatable Conversation Between Owls
10 Tips for Predator-Proofing Chickens
Keep Predators Away From Your Flock
Surviving the emotional toll of a chicken attack
For more posts on this subject be sure to check out the Community Chickens Guide to Health and Safety
Chickens and Other Animals
Learn how chickens can coexist with other animals like your dog or cat.
Why a Kangal Dog Can be Better than a Rooster to Protect Your Flock
Introducing the Backyard Pup to City Chicks: Pt 1
Chickens and Their Barnyard Frenemies
Is YOUR Canine Chicken Friendly?
The neighborhood cat – Friend or foe of the backyard chicken?
For more posts on this subject be sure to check out the Community Chickens Guide to Health and Safety
Crafts and DIY
Re-purposed DIY: Heavy Duty Feed Sack Tote
Chicken Inspired Christmas Crafts
How To Build a Classy Chicken Coop Gingerbread House
Other Poultry
Posts including Ducks, Turkeys, Geese, Guineas, Quail and more!
An Adventure in Babysitting Turkeys
Is there a topic you’d like us to cover in a future post? Please share by leaving a comment below of by visiting the Community Chickens Facebook Page.
Last updated 5-7-2019
4 Comments
Wow, super post!
I have a question about one of my hens….lately she has gotten very noisy coming out of the hen house after laying. She is noisy for a long time. She also pulls grass and throws it at her back end. What is she trying to tell me???
Why do chickens eat their own eggs? What can I do to stop this behavior I’ve raised chickens for years and this is a first for me.
Great, comprehensive post here!