Raising Backyard Chickens: The Complete Beginner’s Guide (Egg to Adult)
Is Raising Chickens Right for You?
Before You Buy Chickens
- Time commitment
- Costs
- Local ordinances
- Predator expectations
- Winter care
Choosing Chickens
- Best Chicken Breeds for Beginners
- Cold Hardy Chicken Breeds
- Heat Tolerant Chicken Breeds
- Heritage vs Hybrid Chickens
- Egg Colors by Breed
- How Many Chickens Should I Start With?
Choosing a Breeder
Supplies Checklist
Downloadable checklist along with our list of favorite chicken supplies.
Choosing How to Start
- Hatching eggs
- Buying chicks
- Buying started pullets
Incubating Eggs
- How to Prepare Hatching Eggs Before Incubation
- Chicken Egg Incubation Timeline (Day 1–21)
- Why Didn’t My Chicken Eggs Hatch?
- Shipped Hatching Eggs: What Hatch Rate Should You Expect?
- How to Candle Chicken Eggs
Brooding Chicks
- How to Set Up a Chick Brooder
- Heat Plate vs Heat Lamp
- Pasty Butt in Chicks
- What Can Baby Chicks Eat?
- When Can Chicks Go Outside?
Moving Chicks to the Coop
- When Can Chicks Move to the Coop?
- How to Coop Train Chickens
- How to Prepare Your First Chicken Coop
Feeding Chickens Through Every Life Stage
- Can Chickens Eat…
- What Do Chickens Eat?
- Chicken Feed Explained?
- Chick Starter vs Grower vs Layer Feed
Coop Requirements
Coop Management
- Chicken Coop Ventilation
- Chicken Bedding Options
- Deep Litter Method
- Predator Proofing
- Winter Chicken Care
- Summer Chicken Care
Introducing New Chickens
- How to Introduce New Chickens to an Existing Flock
- Chicken Pecking Order Explained
- How Long Should New Chickens Be Quarantined?
- Signs Chicken Bullying Is Becoming Dangerous
Eggs
- Why Aren’t My Chickens Laying?
- Soft Shell Eggs
- Egg Color Genetics
- Double Yolk Eggs
- Dirty Eggs
- Washing Eggs
- How Long Eggs Last
Common Beginner Mistakes
Chicken Health
- Common Chicken Diseases
- Chicken First Aid Kit
- Internal Parasites
- External Parasites
- Bumblefoot
- Egg Binding
- Respiratory Diseases
- Marek’s Disease
- Coccidiosis
Behavior
- Why Are My Chickens Pecking Each Other?
- Why Is My Rooster Attacking Me?
- Why Is My Chicken Screaming?
- Dust Bathing Explained
- Why Chickens Stop Going Into the Coop
NPIP (National Poultry Improvement Plan)
Best Resource Groups
Backyard Chickens Online Forum
FAQs
- How many chickens should I start with?
- Do chickens need a rooster?
- Can chickens live without electricity?
- Do chickens smell?
- How much space do chickens need?
- How long do chickens live?