Farm

Domesticated animals depend on their owners for many basic needs: shelter, warmth, protection from predators, water, and of course, food. In order to stay healthy and productive, chickens require a diet that properly balances several essential nutrients.

This is partly because they have been selectively bred over the centuries for egg and meat production.¹ This diet requires a fairly involved process of blending various grains and other ingredients. While you could literally make your own chicken feed from “scratch" (pun intended), this can be challenging. Many chicken owners prefer to use a commercially produced feed designed to provide a healthy and well-rounded diet for their flock. This is known as a “complete" feed, and there are several different variations available.

We stress-bought eight tiny chicks before the COVID-19 egg shortage. We thought we'd have more time at home to raise them, and they would solve our egg shortage long term. We found online resources on how to raise backyard chickens that broke down the process step-by-step and helped us plan how much time and effort was needed to raise chickens quite easily.

How often do chickens lay eggs? You might have a mental image of a hen sitting on a bunch of eggs, but does she lay them all on the same day? And does a hen produce eggs consistently all year long?

We stared at shelves labeled with egg price tags but no eggs. Eggs are an essential food for many people, and now there weren't any available since the COVID-19 social-distancing advice began. The day before the shelter-in-place became a requirement, my husband and I ordered six chicks. My thinking? “If we're stuck at home for weeks or even months, we should work on growing a potential food source."

Perhaps you're about to start raising chickens, and you've decided to save some money by building your chicken coop. Maybe you've had chickens in the past, but now you're ready to build the coop you've always wanted. Either way, you have great options! Check out these ideas and consider a few points while planning the coop of your dreams.

So, you  and watch them grow, you might wonder just how long until they grow up and begin to lay eggs for themselves? Besides the enjoyment of keeping hens as pets, the goal of many small-scale chicken owners is to obtain fresh eggs throughout the year. Happily, you shouldn't have to wait too long.