Maggie Gingrich - Raising Chickens: Backyard Chickens for Beginners: Choosing the Best Breed, Feeding and Care, and Raising Chickens for Eggs

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Introduction

F irst, I want to thank you and congratulate you for downloading, Raising Chickens: Backyard Chickens for Beginners: Choosing the Best Breed, Feeding and Care, and Raising Chickens for Eggs.

This book contains all of the basic strategies and proven practices for anyone ready to start their own backyard chicken flock! My hope is that this book gives you the confidence you need to begin raising chickens and ultimately enjoy fresh eggs and the satisfaction that comes with living a self-sustaining lifestyle. If you will apply the concepts and practices within this book, I can promise that you will truly enjoy raising your chickens. Heres to fresh eggs and living the chicken life!

Deciding to Raise Chickens

D o you ever think that you would like to raise chickens but you just dont know where to start? Perhaps you want to eat healthier and would love fresh eggs and meat but you dont know anything about raising chickens. Maybe youve even considered some of these questions: Do I need a rooster for eggs? What will I do with the extra eggs? What if I live in the city? Can I justify the added expense of raising chickens? Luckily for you, the versatility of raising chickens makes all of these scenarios possible for anyone! In short, chickens are hardy, and with a little feed, shelter, and care, you can go from not knowing anything about raising chickens to being an expert in all things chicken in a very short amount of time. And by the way, you actually dont need a rooster for egg production, which means a small backyard coop can go completely unnoticed by your neighbors. Finally, dont worry about producing too many eggs. You can always sell your extra eggs (and even meat) to cover the costs of feeding and caring for you chickens. Believe it or not, fresh (organic) eggs are very desirable to those individuals seeking to lead a healthy lifestyle. Maybe youll even make a profit!

Like with any well thought out project, a little research goes a long way. It is amazing how emotionally invested you may become with your chickens, so before you invest time, sweat, and especially your hard earned dollars into keeping a few chickens, be sure to review this entire book so that you are equipped with the knowledge you need to successfully raise your chickens (Foley, 2015). Once youre equipped with this information, youll have to decide whether youre going to start with chicks or adults. For purposes of this book, well start with chicks. If you should decide to start with adults, you may want to skip to the Starting with Adult Birds chapter .

Choosing the Best Chicken Breeds

T here are an estimated 19 billion chickens in the world according to statistics from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, (Food and Agriculuture Organization of the United States Statistics Division, 2013), so choosing your chicken breed(s) may seem like a daunting task. But, to make it easier on you, lets talk about some of the most popular breeds (in the U.S.) and some of the tips to help narrow down the choices. First, start with where you live and ask yourself how you plan to house your birds. Certain breeds are more equipped to handle colder climates versus hotter climates, and vice versa. Some birds handle confinement well while other breeds prefer room to roam. Temperament is also a valid consideration, where some breeds are calm and others are flighty.

The next question to ask yourself: Do you want chickens for meat, eggs, both, or just because theyre pretty to look at? Lucky for you, there are breeds that fall into each category! Some of the top meat breeds include the Cornish Cross, Jersey Giant, Bresse, Freedom Rangers and Orpington. (Morning Chores, n.d.) The Orpington is also one of the top egg-laying breeds. Additionally, some of the most popular egg-laying breeds include the Rhode Island Red, Leghorn, Black Star, and Ameraucana. (Backyard Chicken Farmer, n.d.) Breeds that are good for both meat and eggs, such as the Orpington, are known as dual purpose. Dual purpose chcikens include the Brown Leghorn, Egyptian Fayoumi, Turken, Buckeye, and Chantecler. (Morning Chores, n.d.) For those who care more about how the chicken looks than what theyre used for, there are several ornamental chicken breeds that look pretty, while at the same time,produce some eggs and/or meat. The ornamental birds include the Cochin; known for its extremely fluffy looking appearance, the Polish; known for its top hat, and the Phoenix chicken; known for its long tail which can reach between two to five feet in length! (Stromberg's Chicks & Game Birds Unlimited, n.d.)