Your Guide for Raising Chickens for the First Time

We help families and homesteaders raise happy hens without the stress. Follow this simple guide packed with tried-and-true tips we hear every week from experienced chicken keepers.

1) Start Smart: Check Local Rules

Before you buy a coop, look up your city or county rules (and HOA if you have one).
Find out:

• How many hens you can keep (many places don’t allow roosters).

• Setbacks: how far the coop must be from fences or homes.

• If you need a permit or yearly pet registration for hens.

FBS Tip: Many cities ask for a simple sketch showing where your coop will sit—grab a pencil and outline your yard, house, and coop spot. Add the distances.

2) Pick Your Birds (Easy Choices)

• Lots of eggs: ISA Brown, Leghorn, Golden Comet

• Cold-hardy: Orpington, Rainbow Bundle, Plymouth Rock, Wyandotte

• Kid-friendly: Orpington, Silkie, Barred Rock
  Want eggs sooner? Start with pullets (teen hens). Want to raise from tiny? Choose chicks.

Homesteader Secret: Mix a few calm breeds with one high-layer breed. You get steady eggs and gentle flock vibes.

Not sure which breed to get? Check out this chicken breed selector quiz to find the best hens for your family.

3) Match Your Yard (by acres)

• Tiny yard/patio—under ~0.05 acre (under ~2,200 sq ft): 2–3 hens
  Choose a compact coop with a small run or a mobile “tractor.”

• Small yard—~0.05 to 0.25 acre (~2,200–11,000 sq ft): 4–6 hens
  Fixed coop with wheels or a light tractor you can move.

• Medium yard—~0.25 to 0.5 acre (~11,000–22,000 sq ft): 6–10 hens
  Walk-in coop with a covered run—hello easy cleaning!

• Large yard—0.5 acre and up: 10+ hens (check limits)
  Walk-in coop + big covered run or portable electric netting for daytime.

4) Build for Your Climate

Hot & sunny: Lots of high vents, afternoon shade, light-colored roof/walls; an exhaust fan helps.
Cold & snowy: Draft-free but well-vented up high; strong roof; deeper litter.
Wet & humid: Raised floor, covered run, gravel under the run, gutters or drip edge.
Windy: Anchor the coop with ground augers; face doors away from the wind.

Homesteader Secret: Do the flashlight test at night. Sit in the coop with a flashlight. Light streaks = drafts to seal (but keep top vents open).

5) Keep Predators & Rodents Out (The Real Stuff)

• Use ¼-inch galvanized hardware cloth on every opening (vents, windows, under the run). Chicken wire keeps chickens in—it doesn’t keep predators out.

• Add a buried apron: lay hardware cloth 12 inches out around the run (or bury 8–12 inches). Stops diggers like rats and raccoons.

• Double-latch doors with a carabiner (raccoons are crafty).

• Store feed in metal cans with tight lids.

• Use a treadle feeder (a feeder with a pedal): the lid opens only when a chicken steps on it, so mice and wild birds can’t snack.

• Seal gaps: mice fit through ¼ inch; rats through ½ inch. Patch holes bigger than a dime.

FBS Tip: Train the treadle feeder by wedging the lid open for 2–3 days, then half-open for 2 days, then fully closed. Chickens learn fast!

6) Space & Setup (Happy Hens = Happy You)

• Inside coop: 3–4 sq ft per hen (more is better)

• Run: 8–10 sq ft per hen (more is better)

• Roosts: 8–10 inches per hen

• Nest boxes: 1 box per 3–4 hens

Homesteader Secret: Put a ping-pong ball or fake egg in each nest box. It teaches hens where to lay.

7) Food, Water, and Simple Care

• Feed by age: Starter (0–6 wks), Grower (6–16 wks), Layer (16+ wks).

• Keep clean water out all day. In winter, use outdoor-rated heated waterers (GFCI).

• Offer grit (for digestion) and oyster shell (for strong eggshells).

• Keep treats small—under 10% of the diet.

Tip: In summer, freeze a water bottle and drop it in the waterer on extra-hot days, wet the ground because the birds cool down through their legs, or give them a cool watermelon treat.

8) Clean Quickly (No Backaches)

• Choose walk-in height if you can.

• Clean-out door or tray saves time.

• Scoop messy spots daily; do a deep clean each month or season.

Homesteader Secret: Make a “chore loop”—feed, water, eggs, quick rake—in one circle so nothing gets missed.

9) Starting with Chicks (Fast Plan)

• Brooder (box or tub), heat plate (safer than a lamp), thermometer, starter feed, chick waterer, pine shavings.

• Heat: ~95°F week 1; lower 5°F each week until room temp.

• Pebbles in the water tray keep tiny chicks safe.

• At 6–8 weeks, fully feathered, move to the coop (when nights are warm enough).

Or skip the brooder and start with pullets—easy!

10) Health & Safety

A healthy hen is active, bright-eyed, eating, and laying. Watch for coughing, runny eyes, limping, bald spots, or a sudden drop in eggs.
Give a dust bath (dirt + a little sand/ash) to help with mites.
Quarantine new birds for 2 weeks before mixing.

Quick Starter Checklist

• ☐ Rules, permits, and (if needed) yearly registration
• ☐ Coop sized for your flock now + a little growth
• ☐ ¼" hardware cloth on all openings + buried apron
• ☐ Treadle or covered feeder; metal feed cans
• ☐ Right feed & clean water; grit & oyster shell
• ☐ Walk-in access or clean-out tray; simple chore loop
• ☐ Brooder ready (if chicks) or intro plan (if pullets)

Have questions about your yard or climate? Tell us your plan, and we’ll help you fit the right coop and setup so your birds stay safe, comfy, and laying. Fresh eggs, happy family—let’s build it together. 🥚🐔