Time to prep for chickens

My husband and I are planning to get some chickens very soon. But before we can do that, we need to buy or build a coop for them. We have decided that we want to do both egg layers and meat birds. It will be awesome to have fresh eggs and home-grown chickens that aren't pumped full of hormones.

We now need to determine if we want to start our egg layers as chicks or buy egg layers that are close, if not already laying. There is a big price difference in them. Is it better and cheaper to buy the chicks and pay to feed them and keep them warm, knowing that not all of them will survive, or is it better and more cost effective to buy them when they're older and already laying? Any input anyone has would be helpful! I've read that starting off the easy way is best, by buying birds that are already laying. Also, make sure you don't start off with too many birds, where you are overwhelmed with eggs. Knowing about how many eggs a day each bird will lay is helpful. If you start off with birds that are already laying, be sure you know the reputation of the chicken raiser to be sure it is a healthy hen.

Many farm and feed stores will be getting chicks in soon if they don't have them already. Now is the time to pre-order or buy some chicks. You can even order chicks online and have them mailed to you. They won't be delivered directly to your house, you will typically be required to make a trip to the post office to pick them up.

When buying or building a coop, make sure it has plenty of room for the number of chickens you want. You also want a few nesting boxes where the hens can go to lay their eggs. Having an access door above the nesting box is ideal to retrieve the eggs without crawling through the coop. Egg layers and meat birds can be combined in the same coop. Just make sure there is enough roosting room for all of the birds at night. Having a chicken run with your coop is also a good idea so your chickens can still wander around.

Stay tuned for more information on our adventure of raising chickens!