- Chickens are loud. I’m not talking about roosters crowing—hens are loud. I remember the first time I heard that “Buk-buk-buk-b’KAK!” It was a noise that would rival an airhorn for volume. I raced to the back yard, scanning for the predator that must be tearing my hens from wing to wing—but no…nothing amiss. Welcome to my chicken’s “morning song.”
Now if I lived on a farm or out in the country, I wouldn’t bat an eye at loud noises emanating from my coop. But since I have neighbors on all sides, it’s just plain embarrassing. The unwritten rule at my house is: whoever is closest to the coop has to go settle whichever hen is “sounding off.” Usually, this is accomplished by distraction (a few food scraps).
Maybe it was actually good I didn’t know chickens were so loud before I got them. It might have been a deal-breaker before I got to discover all the things I love about them.
- Put planning into the run. Before getting chickens, people tend to think quite a bit about the coop. Don’t get me wrong—I’m all about cute and unique coops. I think they can make a fun statement and are crowning jewels for a beautiful backyard. But—except for inclement weather—your chickens will spend all of their waking hours in the run, not the coop.
I initially made the mistake of building a half-size run on my first go, both in length and in height. I quickly realized I should make it several feet longer, but I didn’t see the need to make it tall enough for a human, since it was—after all—for chickens, and I wanted to save money on materials. But any time I needed to go into that run to fix something (re-stapling chicken wire, re-attaching a fallen chicken ladder, etc.), I had to crouch. It wasn’t long before I wished I hadn’t been quite so cheap and just made the darn thing comfortable for me as well. An added benefit of having a taller run is that you can include a perch several feet off the ground. Chickens are birds, after all, and they love to perch.
- Hens need constant access to calcium supplements. Remember that. They don’t just need food and water, despite what is on the packaging of your layer feed. It took me over five years to figure this out. I kept having problems with brittle eggshells and tried to remedy the situation by tossing crushed eggshells into the run, but it was never enough. Just splurge and buy ground-up oyster shells. Hens will eat the amount their bodies require, so you don’t have to worry if they are getting enough or too much. For more information, see “Are Oyster Shells Really Necessary?”
Note: oyster shells are not the same thing as grit that they also need. (Grit are little stones that they eat off the ground that help them grind up food in their gizzards.)
- Get the whole flock at once. Flocks are not easily added to. I’ve heard people say, “I’m going to start with three or four and see how it goes.” It doesn’t work that way. Forget about buying more chicks to add to an older flock. Even if it eventually works out, it is heart-wrenching to see chicks get chased and mercilessly pecked. In my opinion, if you are putting the effort and money to get three or four chickens, you might as well get five or six (or however many you really want). Chickens tend to die sudden and tragic deaths due to predators and dogs, so if you get a few extra, it may be just the right amount.
- If possible, keep your chickens in sight. Not for their benefit, but for yours. This is something that is not easily explained, but I love to see my chickens outside of my kitchen window. Being able to see them happily scratching around is just (dare I say it?) chicken soup for my soul! If you put your chickens in a place where you can’t easily see them, you are denying yourself one of the pleasures of having chickens. However, if you really can’t put them in a visible spot, fine. Still get chickens.
If you are wondering if chickens are right for you, check out “Should I Get Chickens?“