Everything you need to raise a happy backyard flock
Keeping chickens is one of the most rewarding things you can do in a backyard. Whether you are picking up your first chicks this spring or you have collected eggs for years, we are here with warm, plain-language guidance on coops, feed, health, and the daily joy of a flock that comes running to meet you.
Friendly, practical guidance. For illness, always call a poultry vet or your local extension office.
Top picks for a backyard flock
HUANTUTOPET Large Wooden Chicken Coop, 6 Nesting Boxes
A 57-inch wooden henhouse with six nest boxes and a pull-out metal tray that makes cleaning quick, a friendly first home for two or three standard hens.
ZenxyHoC DIY No-Waste Feeder, 6 Ports
A budget port-feeder kit with a hole saw and rain cover to turn any bucket into a no-waste feeder, the simple way to keep feed clean and dry on day one.
Lilyang Float-Control Hanging Waterer
A hanging or standing float-control waterer with a clean, no-mess design, so a small flock always has fresh water without daily fuss.
RentACoop 12x12 Adjustable Heating Plate
An adjustable brooder heat plate for up to 20 chicks with a foldable anti-roost cone, a much lower fire-risk way to keep baby chicks warm than a heat lamp.
Dominion Hemp Dominion Hemp Coop Bedding, 30 lb
A highly absorbent, low-dust USA-made hemp bedding for the coop floor, nest boxes, and brooder, soft underfoot and easy to compost when you muck out.
RUN-CHICKEN Door T50 Automatic Opener
A battery-powered, weatherproof aluminum coop door with a reliable track that opens at dawn and closes at dusk on its own, so the flock is locked up even when you are away.
Land Guard 19 Gauge Hardware Cloth, 1/2 in, 48 in x 100 ft
Half inch welded, hot-dipped galvanized wire mesh, the material that actually keeps a raccoon, rat, or weasel from reaching through a run wall. Chicken wire alone does not.
My Favorite Chicken Essential Poultry First Aid Kit
A ready-made kit of wound care and restraint supplies for minor injuries: wound wash, antiseptic spray, gauze, vet wrap, and a bird-safe carrier. Not a treatment or medication kit; a vet still decides diagnosis and dosing.
New: The Chicken Keeper's Planner
12 printable worksheets: flock health log, egg production log, coop & run setup checklist, chick brooder planner, cost & egg payback tracker, and more
The questions new chicken keepers ask us most
These four topics come up again and again, and getting them right makes flock keeping so much smoother. Each one has a friendly, detailed guide to walk you through it.
Starting From Scratch
Chicks, pullets, or point-of-lay hens? Get the simple first steps, a supply checklist, and how to bring birds home the right way.
A Safe, Roomy Coop
Plan for about 4 square feet per bird inside plus 8 to 10 in the run, with good ventilation and predator-proofing.
Why Aren't They Laying?
Hens start around 18 to 22 weeks and slow down in molt and short winter days. Here is what is normal and what is not.
Keeping Predators Out
Raccoons, hawks, and foxes are the biggest threat to a backyard flock. Lock the run down before you ever lose a bird.
Popular breed and gear guides
What this site is
- Warm, plain-language guides to everyday chicken keeping
- Product picks based on research, specs, and verified keeper reviews
- Honest cost estimates so you can plan your flock
- Practical, encouraging, never preachy
What this site is not
- A replacement for a poultry vet or your local extension office
- A diagnostic tool for sick birds
- Fear-based or alarmist content
- A source of treatment plans or medication dosing
Start here
The foundations of a healthy, productive backyard flock, explained simply.
How to Start Raising Backyard Chickens
From checking local laws to choosing chicks or pullets, setting up a coop, and bringing your first flock home with confidence.
How to Choose and Set Up a Chicken Coop
Coop size, ventilation, nesting boxes, roosting bars, and run space, plus how to keep predators out for good.
When Do Chickens Start Laying Eggs?
Point of lay, how many eggs to expect, egg colors by breed, and the simple reasons a healthy hen stops laying.
What to Feed Chickens at Every Age
Starter, grower, and layer feed, plus grit, oyster shell, treats, and what chickens should never eat.
Best Chicken Breeds for Your Backyard
Friendly, cold-hardy, and heavy-laying breeds, from Buff Orpingtons to Australorps and Easter Eggers.
Keeping a Healthy Flock
Common diseases, parasites, biosecurity, a chicken first-aid kit, and the early signs of a sick bird.
The Chicken Keeper's Planner
12 printable worksheets to track your flock's health, eggs, feed, coop and predator-proofing setup, chick brooder temperatures, and budget, so nothing about your flock lives only in your head.
Flock Health Log
Egg Production Log
Coop & Run Checklist
Chick Brooder Planner
Cost & Egg Payback Tracker
Predator & Security Checklist
Browse by topic
Everything from setting up your first coop to winter flock care.
Backyard Flock Essentials Keepers Love on Amazon
- Layer Feed: Complete 16% protein feed with calcium for hens in lay
- Automatic Coop Doors: Close the flock in at dusk and out at dawn, even when you are away
- No-Waste Feeders: Keep feed clean, dry, and out of reach of rodents
- Heated Waterers: Keep water from freezing through cold winter mornings
- Brooder Heat Plates: A safer, lower-fire-risk way to keep baby chicks warm
How many eggs will your flock lay?
Tell us how many hens you keep and their breed's laying rate, and our free calculator estimates your eggs per week and year, daily feed, coop size, and water needs. Then see what a backyard flock really costs to start and keep.
