Backyard Chickens

Learn to keep a small backyard flock the right way, starting with the numbers that matter: roughly 4 square feet of coop and 8 to 10 square feet of run per standard hen, 14 to 16 hours of light to keep hens laying, and a feed that is about 16 to 18 percent protein for layers. You will compare egg breeds like the Rhode Island Red and Australorp against dual-purpose and meat birds, harden a coop against raccoons and weasels with half-inch hardware cloth, brood chicks from 95 degrees Fahrenheit down by 5 degrees a week, and read droppings, combs, and behavior to catch illness early. By the end you can size, build, stock, feed, and protect a flock, and collect and store clean eggs with confidence, all within your local bylaws.