What kind of care do chickens need?
Chickens are becoming ever more popular — not only as a source of home-grown eggs, but also as house pets. All chickens belong to the species Gallus gallus. There are hundreds of chicken breeds, but only 65 breeds are recognized by the American Poultry Association.
Chickens are fun, playful, friendly small pets, and they can be enjoyable outdoors or indoors. Like all small pets, chickens require a proper diet, protection from predators, and room to move around. Since chickens prefer a roost or perch when resting or sleeping, it is recommended to give them a perch that is firm, stable, and elevated off the ground.
What should I feed my chickens?
Several commercial chicken diets are available at pet stores, online stores, or feed and seed stores.
- Baby chicks should eat a “start and grow” ration for the first 20 weeks of life.
- Adult chickens should eat a maintenance food.
- Laying chickens need extra protein and calcium, so they should eat a layer diet, which is typically 16% protein and 3.5%–5% calcium.
- All chickens require fresh water at all times, as well as clean food and water bowls.
Many chickens love fresh produce such as corn, tomatoes, or leafy greens. Leafy greens such as lettuce, spinach, kale, and escarole make a nice supplement to a pelleted ration and can be offered regularly. Total vegetable intake should not exceed 5% of the daily diet.
Limit fruit, chicken scratch, and dried mealworms to small amounts, as they are not nutritionally balanced foods. Do not feed your chickens highly salted foods, chocolate, avocado, alcohol, or caffeine, as these foods can make your bird ill.
Store your chicken feed in a cool, dry location, and should be in its original bag — not scooped from a food bin. Make sure the container is protected from insects and rodents.
How should I care for my outdoor chickens?
Outdoor chickens will need a coop to stay in. Building a chicken coop requires planning, space, and proper materials. There are several online sources for chicken coop layouts and building plans, including www.thehappychickencoop.com and www.mypetchicken.com. Use non-toxic and sturdy materials to combat the weather in your location. It is critical that your coop provides protection from predators (e.g., dogs, cats, raccoons, hawks, coyotes, and foxes).
Place food and water off the ground to prevent insects and rodents from contaminating them. Provide clean, fresh water daily and wash out food and water bowls daily. If you live in a cold climate, your chickens’ water may freeze in the winter, so check it daily to be sure the water is drinkable.
Chickens and roosters like to graze and forage for food on the ground, so be sure to keep them away from chemicals, fertilizers, and small, shiny metal objects.
If you plan to have a rooster with your flock, be sure to check into local rules around owning a rooster. If roosters are allowed, you typically only need 1 rooster for every 8–10 hens. Roosters are fun to watch but can be very noisy. More than one rooster on the property will usually cause territorial skirmishes.
Do my chickens need vaccinations?
The following vaccination protocols are recommended for “backyard” or non-commercial chickens:
- Marek’s disease: Vaccination is recommended for all chickens at one day of age or in ovo (in egg).
- Fowl pox: Vaccination is recommended if there is a historical problem with the flock. You can vaccinate in the face of an outbreak. Fowl pox is a reportable disease in many states. Wing web vaccination is recommended at 12–16 weeks (before egg production begins, since the vaccine causes a decrease in egg production and hatchability).
Other diseases and vaccines include:
- Newcastle disease (not virulent ND): Vaccination is commonly used in commercial poultry, but generally not used in backyard poultry.
- Infectious laryngotracheitis (ILT): LLT is a live vaccine, so it is generally not recommended for backyard poultry, since it can spread virus to non-vaccinated chickens and infect them.
- Lymphoid leukosis: Vaccination is not available. The virus is transmitted vertically (from hen to eggs), so to stop its spread, you must eradicate positive cases.
- Mycoplasma: There is no vaccine available.
- Infectious coryza: Vaccination is not recommended for backyard poultry. This live vaccine can spread to non-vaccinated chickens. In the U.S., you need permission from the State veterinarian to vaccinate commercial birds.
How can I keep my chickens healthy?
- Get your chickens vaccinated against Marek’s Disease Virus on day 1.
- Get a yearly fecal analysis for your chickens (recommended) to check for intestinal parasites.
- Check the bottoms of your chicken’s feet weekly to monthly to look for pressure sores or swellings.
- Pick up each bird weekly to check their feathers for mites or feather lice and their skin for cuts and scratches (recommended).
- Confine indoor chickens to areas with non-staining, easy-to-clean flooring, as chickens have a bowel movement every 20–40 minutes.
- It is highly recommended that you provide your chickens with nesting areas or soft perches for sleeping.
- If possible, give your chickens some time outdoors, in a protected space, each day. Time outdoors provides exercise and exposure to UV light and is good for their overall wellbeing. One to two hours outdoors each day is optimal.
- As with any pet, take special care of your chickens in temperatures over 90ºF (32ºC) and under 32ºF (0ºC).
By providing proper nutrition, safe housing, routine health checks, and appropriate preventive care, you can help ensure your chickens live long, healthy, and comfortable lives.
