Something has happened and you have determined that having a small backyard chicken flock may be a good idea for your family. Our quick article will walk you through everything you need to do to start a backyard chicken flock FAST and secure new chicks or laying hens quickly:
This article has Amazon affiliate and other non-affiliate links to chicken keeping products & feeds I use.
How to Start a Backyard Chicken Flock Fast
Everything eats chicken. The very first step to getting backyard chickens is that you must house them securely so predators like raccoons, opossums, and skunks do not kill them the first night they are in the coop. Do NOT buy chicken wire. You will need to purchase 1/2 inch hardware cloth in 19 gauge strength to use to build your chicken coop.
> > > Click Here to Jump Directly to the Free Chicken Coop Building Plans < < <
Step 1: Build a Chicken Coop
The fastest way to build your coop is to purchase very high quality building plans with a very clear shopping list, cut list, and clear assembly directions with images. You can buy coops from farm supply stores like Tractor Supply but they are not long-term weather resistant and only last a couple years. (If there is a chicken buying panic underway, the coops have likely sold out, just like they did during Covid lockdowns in March 2020.)
Measure the space you have available and begin to look at chicken coop building plans. We have some FREE PLANS with links to others that are all under $20. It is my advice that you opt to build a coop that sits below your backyard fence line and cannot be seen from the street. If you need to hide backyard chickens, a shorter coop is best.
Step 2: Purchase The Needed Supplies
Raising chicks requires around $250 in supplies, which include a chick brooder (buy or build), warming plate, waterer and feeder. You can find more detailed directions and quick links in our article on how to raise baby chicken chicks. Chicks must have 20% protein chick starter crumble. (Amazon, Chewy, Tractor Supply)
If you are planning to purchase coop-ready started pullets (4+ weeks old) or point-of-lay hens, you will not need the chick supplies. You’ll only need a hanging waterer, a hanging feeder or feed pan and chicken feed. (Organic, non-GMO, Chewy and Tractor Supply options.) Laying hens and hens about to come into lay need a minimum of 16% protein with 17-18% being a bit better.
Step 3: Buy Young Pullets or Chicks
If there is any kind of panic underway, it is going to be difficult to find chickens of every age except for very old ones who only lay 1-3 eggs per week. You must be careful of scams. Only purchase from a breeder who has an existing and active Facebook page with posts and pictures over 1 year old plus a website she owns. This is the safest option. If the breeder only has a Facebook page, try to verify that she has been selling chicks for at least the last two years.
Ordering Chicks from a Hatchery
If you want guaranteed female chicks and are willing to order the 15 chick minimum, a hatchery is your best option. I have ordered from Hoover’s and Murray McMurray without any issues. If you want a mix of different feather colors, consider some of the Egg Production assortments or Layer Assortments. If you want colored egg layers, consider Americanas which are also called Easter Eggers and lay blue or green eggs. If you order all female chicks but don’t need all 15, you will find them very easy to sell. Just be aware that you will need to clearly photograph the portion of your receipt that shows you paid the higher price for all-female chicks to show to those you sell the extra chicks to.
The Chicken & Chick Buying Terminology You Need:
Female chicks and young juveniles are called “pullets”. This word means they are female but not yet laying eggs. A point-of-lay pullet means she is nearing 20 weeks old and should begin laying eggs in the next 2 to 8 weeks. (It will vary by the individual hen.) A point-of-lay hen is the same thing; it is a young female who should soon be coming into lay.
Male chicks and young juveniles are called “cockerels”. This word means they are males who will grow up to be roosters.
Straight Run means a mix of male and female chicks. You are getting whatever mix of chicks hatched in the incubator. There will be at least 50% males among the chicks.
Sexed chicks mean some method was used to tell the males from the females. Wing sexing is up to 75-80% accurate and one of the only methods local breeders may have to try to get you females. It is not foolproof but can increase your chances of getting mostly female chicks. Sex-link chicks are bred so that the males and females hatch in different colors. Accuracy is believed to be 99-100%. Auto-sexing chicks are purebreds where the male and female chicks can be told apart at hatch. If well bred, they should be 95-99% accurate.
Step 4: Get the Hens Home & Settled
Take a dog kennel or large box that is 18+ inches tall to go pick up young adult birds from a breeder. Your chickens are at the most risk of being killed within the first 3 days. Young hens being transported to a new coop will already be in a wild state of panic. They can flap just high enough to clear a 6 foot fence and be killed by your neighbor’s dog. Place the new pullets in the coop and lock them in for at least 3 days, using a carabiner or padlock if you need to stop raccoons and kids from opening the coop doors. You can introduce your children to them and feed treats through the hardware cloth wire. Do not let the chickens out for 3 days. After sleeping in your coop for 3 nights, she will accept it as her new home.
When Can I Free Range My Chickens?
Once the hens have been in the coop for at least 3 days, they know it is a safe place. If you want to let your chickens out, do so an hour before sunset with only one person in the yard to calmly observe. The hens will quickly eat tender green grass tips first then begin hunting bugs. They will dig through all loose soil and destroy vegetable gardens quickly, so these must be fenced with 3 foot high chicken wire (invented to keep chickens out of gardens) so the hens don’t eat the plants. At dusk, the hens will return to the coop on their own to roost for the night. You must remember to close and lock the door behind them once they are all inside just before nightfall.
When Will I Get Eggs?
Already-laying hens may need 24-48 hours to settle down before laying a regular egg. If she lays “water balloon” eggs with no shell, she is still frightened. She cannot be chased or she will continue to lay water balloon eggs as her body rids itself of the developing egg to deal with the stressful crisis she’s experiencing.
Point-of-Lay pullets will also need time to calm down, begin eating, and then their bodies will continue to mature towards ovulation. You’ll see these girls begin squatting in the nest box around 7 days before she lays her first egg.
Still Need More Help?
I would love to share more of our chicken articles written to guide new keepers!
Why Chickens are so EASY to Keep
Free Chicken Coop Building Plans + Free Run Building Plans
How to BETTER Hide Backyard Chickens
You Might Also Enjoy Reading:
Chicken Keeping During (Another) Lockdown
Avoiding Scams when Buying Chicks
How to Feed Chickens When Commercial Chicken Feed is GONE
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