Thinking of starting your first flock?

Thinking of starting your first flock? Fresh eggs are just one of the best things about having your own flock of chickens right in your own backyard. But before you take the poultry plunge, there are some things to consider. Here are the most common questions people consider before bringing home a backyard flock of chickens. 

Common questions about keeping chickens 

Questions are great when considering keeping a new pet. Doing your due diligence and researching how to best go about obtaining chickens, their housing, and their care is part of responsible pet ownership. Here are some of the most frequently asked chicken questions, and their answers. 

Do you need to register your chickens? 

Depending on where you live, you may need to register your chickens. There may also be chicken keeping laws that apply to your city or local homeowners association (HOA). Always check with your city office or HOA before making plans to keep chickens.  

How many chickens make a perfect flock? 

The most straightforward answer to this question is: it depends. Chickens are flock animals and have to be kept as a minimum of 2-3 at a time. Then your space, any laws or restrictions, and your egg consumption comes into play. 

As a general rule, you will need to aim to provide at least 4sqft of space per chicken in their outdoor area. This can be done in a chicken run or with chicken fencing. The amount of space needed inside of their chicken coop varies depending on the size of your chickens, but an average amount of coop space is 2sqft per chicken.

A mature laying hen will produce an egg every day and a half, so a flock of 3-6 chickens will likely provide a steady supply of eggs for a small family. If your family consumes a lot of eggs, or if you plan to gift eggs to friends and family, you’ll want to expand your flock accordingly. 

Do my chickens need to be vaccinated? 

There are no required vaccinations for chickens in the US, and there are few approved vaccines for poultry. Some hatcheries vaccinate newly-hatched chicks with the following vaccinations: 

• Marek’s Disease – affects the nervous system of chickens, and is usually fatal. Not all infected birds will show symptoms, but the virus that causes Marek’s can live in the ground for several years, making it very difficult to eradicate. The vaccine doesn’t prevent illness in chickens, but lessens the severity of symptoms. This disease is not contagious to humans. 
• Coccidiosis – this common protozoa is a type of parasite that infects several different animals, but coccidia that infects chickens is specific to the avian species. Coccidiosis causes diarrhea and lethargy, and is fatal for most chicks. A vaccine shortly after hatching or feeding medicated chick feed until chicks are 16-20 weeks old will help prevent this illness.  

Not all hatcheries vaccinate their chicks, and many do so per the buyer’s request. Always check with your veterinarian to see what vaccinations (if any) are recommended for your area. 

Another chicken illness that has garnered a lot of attention lately is avian influenza. While this virus can infect backyard flocks, it’s rare outside of commercial poultry operations. There are no approved vaccines in the US for avian influenza in chickens, so monitoring your state and county news for updates on this disease is the best way to protect your flock. Use chicken run covers to prevent droppings from wild birds entering the run, and keep bird feeders put up or far away from your flock. Avian influenza typically follows a pattern of spiking before going dormant for several years. 

Do chickens smell? 

Chickens themselves are very clean animals, taking pride in preening their feathers and keeping their plumage healthy with regular dust baths. But their droppings do have an odor, so cleaning your chicken coop regularly is a necessity. Having an easy to clean chicken coop makes all the difference in turning this chicken-keeping chore into an anticipated activity. You can expect to clean your chicken coop once a week, with once a month deep-cleanings. Your flock’s run needs to be cleaned out seasonally, and spot cleaned throughout the week to remove droppings and old food. Keep your chickens’ run covered with a substrate like pea gravel, pine pellet bedding, sand, or hemp for quick cleaning and refreshing.  

Omlet and your flock 

See why countless families all over the world have decided to keep chickens – and why thousands of chicken keepers trust Omlet’s chicken coops, chicken runs, and chicken-keeping accessories to help their flocks stay healthy and happy. Starting your own flock is an exciting endeavor, resulting in priceless memories and many benefits. Take the poultry plunge with Omlet and discover chicken-keeping the way it was meant to be. 

This entry was posted in Chickens