Since I’ve had my ladies for a good three weeks now, it’s time to update! They are looking so grownup these days (I guess it’s not just me!), and are more hen-like rather than pullet-like now. Since there was a lot of interest, I have a quick how-to for keeping chickens.
How to Own Chickens
Get a coop. If you’re handy and have tools, build one. If not, buy one off Craigslist (or get one from a feed store or co-op). Mine cost $150, friendly delivery included. I may replace it with something fancier at a later date, but it is fully functional and the perfect size for four chickens.
Get your chickens. Craigslist again! What can’t you find on that site? (And again, feed stores and co-ops would probably help you out here, too). My 6-week-old purebred barred rock pullets were a whopping $6 each.
Buy some food. Fifty pounds of chicken feed costs $15. This isn’t an expensive pet.
Buy a waterer. While you can stick their food in any old dish you have laying around, I found the waterer was a necessity, as they tended to make a mess of bowls of water, spill it everywhere, and run out of water while I was at work. Sticking the waterer on a feed pan ensures that it stays above tail-level. $30 set-up at most.
Fence ‘em in. You can let chickens free-range–they automatically come back to the coop at night–but there are a lot of neighborhood cats/dogs around here (plus I’m not technically allowed to have chickens where I live). This pen took maybe an hour to put up. Metal fence posts, roll of chicken wire, zip ties and you’re done. $75.
Find some shade. Again, not necessary everywhere, but they are in the middle of my lawn and it gets hot here during the day. These little pines are perfect for them to hide in/find shade under/chase bugs around. $20.
So there you go! If you’re only looking at it as a business prospect, you may not make your money back in eggs, but if you’re looking for an adorable incredibly low-maintenance pet (that is infinitely entertaining to watch run around after bugs/attack bread out of your hand) that will also give you a healthy egg or two, well, you can’t go wrong!
Love the chicken run reference in the title. Such a cute cartoon from our childhood! Have I mentioned how freaking awesome it is that you’re doing this yourself??? I love my farm fresh eggs, and I can only imagine how cool it would be to go through the whole producing process yourself.
I know this is incredibly nosy, but hey, we’re blog friends
Will you be eating the eggs yourself or staying vegan? I don’t really remember reading too much about your dietary decisions on here, so if it’s something more personal than you want to discuss, no big. I’m just curious 
Hmm, bizarre. Not sure why that linked back to the blog before I changed it over like a bazillion months ago.
Oh, the mysteries of the Internet. And not too personal of a question–I will be eating the eggs, so when my ladies start laying, I am going to have to redefine my diet. I will be staying vegan in every other aspect, but I guess I will require a new (rather confusing) label. I have a more in-depth post planned (somewhere in my head) about this, as I realize I never really comment on my veganism or get personal about my diet other than to state the vegan food I eat. So if this was lacking in details, I promise there’s an in-depth post coming up with way more details than you’ll ever want to read about ;D
I think my HOA would be pissed if I got chickens… but I do love buying the farm fresh eggs at the farmer’s market. They taste SO much better and you know it’s humane.
First, I have to say that I love your new blonde hair!! (just read your post about it)
Second, chickens! When will there be eggs? Do they have names?
They start laying at 4-6 months old, and they are a little over 2 months right now…I am so not patient enough for this!
And yup, they’re named Eych, Five, En and One. And no, I can’t tell them apart except for the runty One.
Excellent! They are so cute. Ralph’s brother had chickens once. Don’t know what kind they were. Their bodies were colored like yours but the had sort of rust colored plumes on their heads and part of their tails. They were beautiful to watch! Can’t wait for eggies!!
I wondered about the egg thing, you egg-eating vegan, you. My grandpa had five (six?) chickens for awhile. He built them a super snazzy coop and everything. They tried selling the eggs, but ended up having way too much, and they eat eggs like it’s going out of style. Alas, he sold them on Craigslist and the coop is now a storage shed.
I want chickens so bad – nice to hear it isn’t thhaaaat much on an investment. So cool! I would totally have some chickens, but we alternate between 2 residents … house in the mountains, apt in the city, so not really gonna work right now. Maybe someday!
I don’t know how your alternating works–but they can definitely be left alone for long weekends without a problem. It has been so easy to have them so far, so I hope you can get the right set-up for it!
I am so doing this. Not sure when, but sending the kiddos out to get fresh eggs seems like a dream. The only problem is I live in an association so I need to see if I am able. I love the term ‘get it together’, it makes me smile cause I need to do a whole lotta that.
You should find out if you can or not! The neighbor kids are absolutely fascinated by my chickens–I have a chainlink fence around my entire yard, and they’re always pressed up against it, peering at the chickens.
Great post! I was kinda wondering about the details… I didn’t know chickens were that easy. If I have my own property, I WILL be purchasing them, especially because they are SO cute.
You should! They are absolutely adorable–and I am so easily entertained by them, I could watch them run around for hours, doing their chicken-thing.
Ok now you are making me wish I hard a yard. And in Illinois, I’d def. have to live in the ‘burbs or small town if I could even have the smallest chance of making this happen. HOA are so strict around here!
sweet little girls! I didn’t know they were… illeeeegal??
I wish I could have chickens… having just brought eggs back into my diet, I would LOVE fresh from my own chicks!
I cannot wait for you to get your first eggs
Haha this post is awesome! Although I don’t see myself becoming a pet-owner anytime soon, it’s always great to pick up a few tips
! Hope you’ve been indulging in farm-fresh eggs…I bet omelets never taste so good!
This is so incredible, you make it seem so easy haha
I’m super excited for you to get your first eggs from these chickens 
This is probably a dumb question, but I don’t know much about chickens, so I was wondering, will they continue laying eggs even if there are no male chickens around? I kind of always thought that hens needed a male *influence* to lay eggs. Please correct me.
Not a dumb question, but nope, males absolutely do not influence their laying (errm, sort of like how us human ladies get periods no matter if we’re having sex or not–it’s just a regular cycle). Of course you only get chicks if you have a rooster around, and roosters are more aggressive and will protect chickens from some predators, so there are a few benefits to having them, just not ones related to egg production.
It really isn’t that hard as long as you do your research!