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FREE Guide for Selecting the Best Backyard Chicken Breed

April 28, 2016January 19, 2016 by James McGregor

FREE Copy of our Guide to Selecting the Best Backyard Chicken Breed E-Book – Get your copy here

There are many different breeds of chickens to choose from so we have put together a members only summary guide for selecting the best backyard chicken breed to help you narrow down the options.

There are a range of things that you need to consider when deciding on the best types of chickens for your purpose and area in which you live.

Our free e-book provides an easy to use guide for selecting the best breed based on the climate in which you live, whether you are raising backyard chickens for eggs or meat production, their temperament, foraging capability, predator awareness, and broodiness.

Not interested in getting the e-book then perhaps your will be interested in our posts on selecting the best backyard chicken breed or our top 5 best egg laying chickens.

Chicken Coop Cleaning Checklist

January 19, 2016 by James McGregor

Maintaining the hygiene of your flock is an important aspect of being a responsible backyard chicken keeper.

Click here to get your FREE copy of our "Chicken Coop Cleaning Checklist"

A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine tracked 316 cases of salmonella poisoning from handling live chickens from 2004 to 2001. Most of the in Backyard chicken zone - chicken coop 2 fection were traced to an unidentified mail-order hatchery.

According to Dr. Casey Barton Behravesh, a veterinary epidemiologist for the CDC, “A perfectly healthy chicken can shed salmonella bacteria.”

“People know to wash their hands after they handle raw chicken from the grocery store, but forget that live chickens can carry salmonella germs too.” Dr Behravesh said.

Despite the concerns you can avoid the risks of salmonella and other health risks by doing a few simple things such as washing your hands with soap and water after handling your backyard chickens, washing the birds’ bowls outside and not allowing children to bring chickens into the house.

We have put together a easy to following “Backyard Chicken Hygiene Guide” which comes with a bonus chicken coop cleaning checklist. This is available to members only so sign up here.

Could backyard chicken droppings stunt children’s growth?

January 19, 2016December 19, 2015 by James McGregor

In a study rec backyard chicken zone - infant crawling with chickens ently published (6 November 2015) in Maternal and Child Nutrition , Mduduzi Mbuya and Jean Humphrey of Johns Hopkins University identified a potential link between chicken droppings and the stunting of infant growth.

According to the study, in 2011, one in every four (26%) children under 5 years of age worldwide was stunted. The researchers suspect that in places like Zimbabwe where chickens roam freely and the ground is therefore covered in droppings, that infants ingest unfriendly microbes (by eating dirt which we have all seen young children do) contained in the chicken droppings that lead to stunted growth.

The study refers to other research that “found that two pertinent things happen when unfriendly microbes of the sort found in chicken droppings get into the intestine. One is a loss of villi, the finger-like projections from the gut wall that absorb nutrients. The other is a loosening of the joints between the cells that line the gut. This creates holes through which microbes of all sorts can pass into the bloodstream, where they stimulate the immune system. That diverts nutrients needed elsewhere. It also causes the production of chemicals called cytokines which, among other things, switch off the production of growth hormone.”

To support the potential link between chicken droppings and stunted growth in children research from the International Food Policy Research Institute, in Washington, DC by Derek Headey and Kalle Hirvonen found that in Ethiopia that households which kept poultry indoors had a significantly higher rate of child stunting than those that kept the birds outside.

Click here to get your FREE copy of our "Backyard Chicken Hygiene Guide"

Whilst the link between chicken droppings and stunted growth in children is yet to be proven the take away for backyard chicken and backyard poultry farmers is to keep on top of your flock hygiene including cleaning of the coops, chicken runs, and the household in general. Try to keep shoes for the yard outside and supervise your children.

General flock hygiene should be part of your normal routine and if you keep your grounds and household clean then you probably don’t need to worry about the potential impacts of children ingesting chicken droppings. Check out our chicken raising tips post on maintaining good hygiene around your flock.

Chicken raising tips – Backyard chicken hygiene

January 19, 2016December 19, 2015 by James McGregor

Maintaining the hygiene of your flock is an important aspect of being a responsible backyard chicken keeper.

A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine tracked 316 cases of salmonella poisoning from handling live chickens from 2004 to 2001. Most of the infection were traced to an unidentified mail-order hatchery.

According to Dr. Casey Barton Behravesh, a veterinary epidemiologist for the CDC, “A perfectly healthy chicken can shed salmonella bacteria.”

“People know to wash their hands after they handle raw chicken from the grocery store, but forget that live chickens can carry salmonella germs too.” Dr Behravesh said.

The following is some tips and guide to help maintain good flock hygiene for both your chickens and your family.

Click here to get your FREE copy of our "Backyard Chicken Hygiene Guide"

Clean your chicken coop and chicken runs every 1-2 weeks

Start by removing the chickens from the coop and lock them out. Make sure you wear some gloves because it can get messy.

Remove the roosts and place them in the sun.

With a dust pan remove the soiled pine shavings or whatever you choose to line your coop with and put them in the compost bin.

Wipe down the surfaces of the coop with a water and white vinegar mixture. There is always some caked on poop that needs a bit of scrubbing.

Next you will want to disinfect the coop using a broad spectrum virucidal all purpose disinfecting formula and cleaner.

Poultry Disinfectant – click for details

After the coop is disinfected give everything a spray with Mann Pro’s Poultry Protector to prevent mites and lice.

Finally replace the flooring with fresh pine shavings and sprinkle around a nesting box blend. Nesting Box Blends is a strong and aromatic blend of natural flowers, herbs and leaves with strong antibacterial, parasitic and insecticide properties.

Have a dedicated pair of rubber boots and disinfect them regularly

Caretakers or others who need to come in contact with your flock should change their footwear and wear a pair of rubber boots you keep outside the run dedicated for ‘visitors’.

Set up a footbath for disinfecting boots.

Fill the boot bath with a mix of 3/4 Cup bleach per gallon of water. Also keep a stiff brush nearby. Ask friends who come to visit to first scrub their boots to remove caked on dirt and manure and then to stand in the foot bath and scrape the bottom of their boots on the mat before approaching your chicken area. It’s also good practice to use it yourself any time you enter or exit the run. (Rinse and refill as needed as the bath gets dirty.)

Wash your hands after handling your chickens

Wash your hands with soap and water after handling your backyard chickens.

Alternatively keep waterless hand sanitizer in or near your run – and use it often. Also keep one in your car and use it after visiting the feed store.

Wash your home grown food

Wash eggs before you put them in the refrigerator. And don’t let the chickens run freely in the vegetable garden during the growing season.

Make sure you wash vegetables that you have grown in your garden if they are in the vicinity of the chickens also.

Biosecurity

Biosecurity of your flock is important. This article from fresheggsdaily.com says it better than we could so we recommend reading this.

Keep chickens outside

Finally, keep your chickens outside. Children tend to want to bring them inside particularly when it is cold. Tell the kids the chickens do keep warm outside in the chicken coop in the winter!

Good hygiene comes down to common sense and it is an important part of keeping happy backyard chickens and a happy healthy family.

Chicken Trivia – Types of Chickens

January 6, 2016December 4, 2015 by James McGregor

Recently I was discussing different types of chickens with another backyard chicken keeper and we had a small wager on who could correctly name the breeds of chickens shown in photos. It was a lot of fun and I didn’t get as many right as I thought I would.

This was the inspiration for this post because I wanted to give our readers the same chance to test their skills by trying to correctly identify the types of chickens shown in photos I will post here.

I will post the answer in a few days in another post – see the answers here.

Time to test your skills by leaving a comment below with your answer. (Note I am going to hold all comments from publishing for 24 hours so it doesn’t spoil it for everyone and then we can see who got it right).

Test your friends knowledge by sharing this post also.

This weeks Chicken Trivia Breed

Click here to get your members only "Guide to Selecting the Best Backyard Chicken Breed"

Previous Weeks Chicken Trivia Breeds

Can you guess the breed of this chicken?

If you want to be notified by email when we post the answer simply subscribe by providing your email above and as a bonus you will get a copy of our e-book on selecting the best backyard chicken breeds.

Also check out our other posts about types of chickens and breeds of chickens by searching through the menus above.

Top 9 Chicken Coops You Can Purchase Online

February 4, 2016November 5, 2015 by James McGregor

Your chicken coop is likely going to be your biggest initial investment when starting out and you need to choose carefully so you don’t end up with an expensive pile of firewood and a flock of homeless backyard chickens.

To help you out we have put together a list of the top 9 chicken coops that you can purchase online. Our list covers a range of chicken coops from premium chicken coops for those who want to make a statement through to more economic chicken coops where functionality is the most important requirement. We have also included some plastic chicken coops that are relatively new to the market but provide some useful features in relation to cleaning and red mite control.

Premium Chicken Coops – less than $2000

Colonial Gable Chicken House with Ramp and Nesting Box by Little Cottage Company

Standing 114 inches high, 87 inches wide, and 97 inches deep, this chicken coop is suitable for 8-12 hens and is the equivalent of a chicken mansion. It comes complete with a working window one chicken door, nesting bins, a 72 inch roosting bar, and all the necessary fasteners and hardware to assemble the kit. It is solidly built with timber framing and can be assembled in one day. You will need to supply the roof shingles (or metal roofing if you prefer), drip edge, and also paint the chicken coop as this allows you to match your color scheme and roof finish to your existing people coop.

Click here to get the latest pricing and detailed specifications.

Gambrel Barn Chicken House with Nesting Box and Ramp by Little Cottage Company

This chicken coop will make you want to swap places with your chickens and move into the hen house! Standing 94 inches high, 63 inches wide, and 73 inches deep, this chicken coop is suitable for 6-8 hens. It comes complete with a working window (tempered glass and screens), one chicken door, four nesting bins, a 48 inch roosting bar, and all the necessary fasteners and hardware to assemble the kit. It is solidly built with timber framing and can be assembled in one day. You will need to supply the roof shingles (or metal roofing if you prefer), drip edge, and also paint the chicken coop as this allows you to match your color scheme and roof finish to your existing people coop.

Click here to get the latest pricing and detailed specifications.

Quality Chicken Coops – less than $1000

CC Only 141″ Chicken Coop with Chicken Run

This chicken coop is made from solid wood construction using quality semi-hardwood dried fir timber. Standing 52 inches tall, 141 inches in length (with the chicken run) and 53 inches wide it is suitable for 6-8 hens. Complete with a shingle roof, pull out tray for easy cleaning, ramp, door, and two nesting boxes. It is well ventilated with two screened windows and a 34 inch roosting bar. The chicken coop on wheels so that is can be easily relocated around your yard and represents a good balance between price and quality.

Click here to get the latest pricing and detailed specifications.

CC Only 124″ Chicken Coop with Chicken Run

This chicken coop is made from solid wood construction using quality semi-hardwood dried fir timber. Standing 50 inches tall, 124 inches in length (with the chicken run) and 39 inches wide it is suitable for 6-8 hens. Complete with a shingle roof, pull out tray for easy cleaning, ramp, sliding door, and two nesting boxes. It is well ventilated with three screened windows and a good sized 45 inch roosting bar. You will need to water seal the timber after assembly to extend the life of the chicken coop.

Click here to get the latest pricing and detailed specifications.

Budget Chicken Coops – Less than $500

Extreme Cape Cod Chicken Coop with Nesting Box and Roosting Bar by Precision Pet Products

This little chicken coop is one of the most popular best sellers online. It is perfectly suited to a little flock of up to two backyard chickens that have access to a fenced yard to forage during the day. The design offers some protection against predators although we recommend to enhance the security with some stronger locks and fasteners. The small run is not suitable for keeping chickens for extended periods but it is a pretty little overnight hen house for a couple of pet chickens. Overall this is a practical, economical, and cute little chicken coop for a very small backyard flock.

Click here to buy Precision Pet Coop Extreme Cape Cage

Pawhut 91″ Deluxe Large Wooden Bunny Rabbit Hutch / Chicken Coop w/ Large Outdoor Run

Whilst it is touted as a “deluxe” rabbit hutch it also doubles as a practical chicken coop (although you will need to make some modifications). It is relatively stylish looking and has a well designed central living space and a good sized chicken run for 3-4 hens. It stands 40 inches high, 90 inches long, and 27 inches deep but is missing built in nesting boxes and roosting perches: you will need to add these yourself. The ventilation is very open and so will need to also provide some weather protection to the windows. But despite being a luxury rabbit hutch it provides a good basis for a pretty good chicken coop making it a good value proposition well worth considering.

Click here to buy Pawhut 91″ Deluxe Large Wooden Bunny Rabbit Hutch / Chicken Coop w/ Large Outdoor Run

Plastic Fantastic

Plastic chicken coops have begun to emerge in the market over the past few years. Whilst the wood vs plastic debate continues with chicken keepers around the world they each have their pros and cons. Where plastic chicken coops come into their own is cleaning and maintenance. The cleaning of plastic chicken coops is much easier than wooden housing as you can simply hose them out and they are dry in less than an hour and maintenance is practically zero. Plastic chicken coops are also resistant to red mite by reducing the number of place red mite can live inside the coop. Ultimately it comes down to your needs and personal preferences.

Here are our pick of what is available on the market.

Formex Snap Lock Large Chicken Coop Backyard Hen House 4-6 Large 6-12 Bantams

As the name suggests, this chicken coop simply snaps together and requires no tools for assembly. It has a removable litter tray, large adjustable ventilation, easy access for egg collection, insulating double wall construction, predator resistant, and red mite resistant. It features 4 nesting spots with removable dividers and a generous amount of roosting space with three 36” roosts.

At 64” tall, 39” wide, and 42” deep it is recommended for use with 4-6 Large Chickens or 6-12 Bantams on average. Can vary with the size of your yard or an external run space.

Click here to buy Formex Snap Lock Large Chicken Coop Backyard Hen House 4-6 Large 6-12 Bantams

Winscombe Chicken Coop

This is our other suggested plastic chicken coop. It is precision designed and manufactured from 100pct recycled plastic for minimum carbon footprint featuring ample space, plenty of ventilation, molded nest areas, elevated roosting areas, and a convenient large egg collection door on the back.. Cleaning is extremely easy with removable roof panels and dropping tray allowing you to simply pressure wash the entire coop, wipe it dry and put it back together. An optional sturdy 3.5 by 6 foot welded mesh steel run is also available from the manufacturer.

It is also red mite resistant due to its plastic construction and design to minimize crevices where mites breed and make cleaning as easy as possible.

Click here to buy Winscombe Chicken Coop

One final note. Whilst raising chickens for eggs is a sustainable way to produce your own food – why stop there. At backyard chicken zone we believe that going green does not mean sacrificing your lifestyle and that green tech and eco friendly products can give you the lifestyle you desire whilst moving towards a more sustainable future. Our partners at GoGetEco.com have the latest in cool eco friendly gadgets, future gadgets, future tech, the latest in green technology, eco friendly products and cool green tech inventions. Why not check them out.

How to clip your backyard chickens wing

February 2, 2016November 3, 2015 by James McGregor

This instructional video from our Urban Farmer YouTube channel will show you how to clip your chickens wing safely and easily.

Click here to get your members only "Guide to Selecting the Best Backyard Chicken Breed"

Best Backyard Chicken Books

November 21, 2015October 18, 2015 by James McGregor

When you are first starting out raising backyard chickens it can be quite overwhelming with the huge amount of information available through forums on the internet. This information is often fragmented and you get a wide range of contradictory information.

So if you want to save yourself a lot of time and effort we recommend you get yourself some good comprehensive books on raising backyard chickens written by experts. These books will provide the foundation of your knowledge to get your backyard chickens off to the to best start, help in selecting the best breed of chicken, explain hatching eggs and raising chicks, raising your backyard chickens, housing and feeding your backyard chickens, and reveal the top tips and secrets for getting the most out of your backyard chicken experience.

At Backyard Chicken Zone we aim to cut through the clutter of information out there and we have put together a suggested reading list of the absolute best books about starting out raising backyard chickens.

Fresh Eggs Daily: Raising Happy, Healthy Chickens…Naturally Hardcover – by Lisa Steele

More than ever, Americans care about the quality and safety of the food they eat. They’re bringing back an American tradition: raising their own backyard chickens for eggs and companionship. And they care about the quality of life of their chickens. Fresh Eggs Daily is an authoritative, accessible guide to coops, nesting boxes, runs, feed, and natural health care with time-tested remedies. The author promotes the benefits of keeping chickens happy and well-occupied, and in optimal health, free of chemicals and antibiotics. She emphasizes the therapeutic value of herbs and natural supplements to maintaining a healthy environment for your chickens. Includes many “recipes” and 8 easy DIY projects for the coop and run. Full color photos throughout.

Get your copy of this book here – Fresh Eggs Daily: Raising Happy, Healthy Chickens…Naturally

Raising Chickens for Dummies 2nd Edition – by Kimberley Willis and Robert T Ludlow

Your hands-on guide to modern chicken-raising methods Thinking about raising chickens? You’ve come to the right place! This new edition of Raising Chickens For Dummies provides the most up-to-date, thorough information on the many aspects of keeping chickens in your backyard. Inside, you’ll find hands-on, easy-to-follow instructions on choosing and purchasing chickens, constructing housing for your birds, feeding your chickens for optimal health, combating laying issues, controlling pests and predators, optimizing egg production, and much more. Raising chickens on a small scale is a popular and growing pastime. If you’re interested in keeping chickens as pets or as a source for eggs, Raising Chickens For Dummies gives you plain-English explanations of everything you need to know to about caring for chickens. Inside, you’ll learn about basic chicken biology, breeds, and behavior, which chicken breed is best for you, how many you need, ways to spot healthy chickens, how to build a chicken coop, best practices for mating your chickens, how to incubate eggs, how to hatch and nurture chicks, manage laying hens, collect and store eggs, and butcher meat birds. * Offers practical advice on choosing and purchasing chickens * Helps you construct the right housing for your chickens * Provides tips on feeding and caring for your chickens * Includes top tips for raising healthy chickens Whether you’re a first-time poulterer or you’ve been raising chickens for years, this comprehensive guideprovides practical how-to advice for keeping chickens in virtually any backyard.

Get your copy of this book here – Raising Chickens For Dummies 2nd edition by Willis, Kimberly, Ludlow, Robert T. (2015) Paperback

A Chicken in Every Yard: The Urban Farm Store’s Guide to Chicken Keeping 1st Edition – by Robert and Hannah Litt

Robert and Hannah Litt have dispensed advice to hundreds of urban and suburban chicken-keepers from behind their perch at Portland’s Urban Farm Store, and now they’re ready to help you go local and sustainable with your own backyard birds. In this handy guide to breeds, feed, coops, and care, the Litts take you under their experienced wings and share the secrets to:

Picking the breeds that are right for you • Building a sturdy coop in one weekend for $100 • Raising happy and hearty chicks • Feeding your flock for optimal health and egg nutrition • Preventing and treating common chicken diseases • Planning ahead for family, neighborhood, and legal considerations • Whipping up tasty egg recipes from flan to frittata

With everything that first-timers will need to get started—along with expert tips for more seasoned keepers—this colorful, nuts-and-bolts manual proves that keeping chickens is all it’s cracked up to be.

Get you copy of this book here – A Chicken in Every Yard: The Urban Farm Store’s Guide to Chicken Keeping