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7 Basic Chicken Care Needs
Photo of Lil' Snowball II (Frizzle bantam) & Bonnie (Partridge bantam) at CHOE Sanctuary.
Your chickens have 7 basic needs to keep them happy, healthy and safe.
Complete and Balanced Feed
Chickens need a nutritionally balanced feed, or mash appropriate for their age. It is tempting to give your chickens lots of treats because they get so obviously excited when you do, however, treats should only be given in the afternoon (and not every day) after birds have had access to their feed all day or vitamin deficiencies which can cause illness could result.
Fresh clean drinking water
Your chickens need ready access to fresh clean drinking water every day. I water appears cloudy or greenish you should empty it, clean the container and refill with fresh water. If your birds seem a bit ruffled or under the weather you can add some vitamins and electrolytes to their water to perk them up.
Baby chicks have different nutritional needs than adult chickens (See Feeding Baby Chicks).
Nest box
Hens need a semi private box to lay their eggs in. Nest box bedding should be kept clean, dry and inspected daily for cleanliness or possible egg predators such as a rat snake or mice holes chewed into eggs, when you collect their eggs.
Bedding
Your chickens will need fresh bedding for nest boxes and for the coop floor. Bedding materials can be straw, hay, nesting pads for nest boxes and play sand, hay, sawdust or pine shavings for the coop floor. See links to bedding materials below.
Parasite Control
Chickens need to be wormed monthly and you should use some type of parasite control to prevent infestations. See links to parasite control below.
Dirt for dirt baths
Chickens need fresh tilled dirt to take a dirt bath in. If the ground is hard where they are located you should move them and til the ground so that it can renew itself before they return to that area. Chicken Tractors should be moved at least once a month.
Just as important is the fact, your birds need to be protected from predators.
Many chicken breeds are sweet birds and each have their own personality but all of your chickens will need your attention. Chickens are very smart and most of them, are like people in some ways as some can be very friendly and affectionate even snuggling up to you or climbing on your lap, while others are shy or standoffish, and still others prefer that you do not touch them. Most chickens respond to the amount of individual attention you give them as they grow to adult hood. If you get them as adults their personalities are already established. Some but not all roosters can get aggressive which is a natural instinct (particularly during puberty which most will grow out of). Some become aggressive if there are not enough hens (6-12 hens per rooster is suggested). Aggressive roosters tend to be more fertile than non aggressive ones so if you are breeding chickens you may want to select a rooster who is aggressive but it's a good idea to keep him in a coop so he is not attacking everyone. Never raise roosters to fight them in cock fights, this is a cruel, inhumane and illegal sport that needs to be stopped. Raising chickens can be done for many different reasons. Some people raise chickens as pets while others raise them for food, some raise them as yard decorations, and still some raise them for brutal religious rituals , fighting, and scientific experiments which is horrifying to those of us who love our chickens. Whatever the reason you decide to raise chickens, all of them need the same basic care. A good secure chicken coop and run, clean, dry bedding, a constant nutritional food supply, fresh clean water, protection from the elements, parasites, and predators. If you are just starting out raising chickens you should spend some time learning all you can about them.
See links to more detailed pages about chicken care below.
Note: I may receive a small commission from eligible purchases made on this website which helps me to pay for website costs and to earn a living.
- Safe moveable shelter and run to protect them from predators and the elements.
- Complete and balanced chicken feed.
- Fresh clean drinking water.
- Nest boxes if you have hens.
- Fresh dry clean bedding.
- Parasite control
- Fresh dirt to take dirt baths.
Complete and Balanced Feed
Chickens need a nutritionally balanced feed, or mash appropriate for their age. It is tempting to give your chickens lots of treats because they get so obviously excited when you do, however, treats should only be given in the afternoon (and not every day) after birds have had access to their feed all day or vitamin deficiencies which can cause illness could result.
Fresh clean drinking water
Your chickens need ready access to fresh clean drinking water every day. I water appears cloudy or greenish you should empty it, clean the container and refill with fresh water. If your birds seem a bit ruffled or under the weather you can add some vitamins and electrolytes to their water to perk them up.
Baby chicks have different nutritional needs than adult chickens (See Feeding Baby Chicks).
Nest box
Hens need a semi private box to lay their eggs in. Nest box bedding should be kept clean, dry and inspected daily for cleanliness or possible egg predators such as a rat snake or mice holes chewed into eggs, when you collect their eggs.
Bedding
Your chickens will need fresh bedding for nest boxes and for the coop floor. Bedding materials can be straw, hay, nesting pads for nest boxes and play sand, hay, sawdust or pine shavings for the coop floor. See links to bedding materials below.
Parasite Control
Chickens need to be wormed monthly and you should use some type of parasite control to prevent infestations. See links to parasite control below.
Dirt for dirt baths
Chickens need fresh tilled dirt to take a dirt bath in. If the ground is hard where they are located you should move them and til the ground so that it can renew itself before they return to that area. Chicken Tractors should be moved at least once a month.
Just as important is the fact, your birds need to be protected from predators.
Many chicken breeds are sweet birds and each have their own personality but all of your chickens will need your attention. Chickens are very smart and most of them, are like people in some ways as some can be very friendly and affectionate even snuggling up to you or climbing on your lap, while others are shy or standoffish, and still others prefer that you do not touch them. Most chickens respond to the amount of individual attention you give them as they grow to adult hood. If you get them as adults their personalities are already established. Some but not all roosters can get aggressive which is a natural instinct (particularly during puberty which most will grow out of). Some become aggressive if there are not enough hens (6-12 hens per rooster is suggested). Aggressive roosters tend to be more fertile than non aggressive ones so if you are breeding chickens you may want to select a rooster who is aggressive but it's a good idea to keep him in a coop so he is not attacking everyone. Never raise roosters to fight them in cock fights, this is a cruel, inhumane and illegal sport that needs to be stopped. Raising chickens can be done for many different reasons. Some people raise chickens as pets while others raise them for food, some raise them as yard decorations, and still some raise them for brutal religious rituals , fighting, and scientific experiments which is horrifying to those of us who love our chickens. Whatever the reason you decide to raise chickens, all of them need the same basic care. A good secure chicken coop and run, clean, dry bedding, a constant nutritional food supply, fresh clean water, protection from the elements, parasites, and predators. If you are just starting out raising chickens you should spend some time learning all you can about them.
See links to more detailed pages about chicken care below.
Note: I may receive a small commission from eligible purchases made on this website which helps me to pay for website costs and to earn a living.
Chicken Keeper's Guide for Beginners, Handbook, Record and Journal: Fun, friendly step by step manual and log book for backyard chicken keeping and coop maintenance.
Basic Things You Need to Know About Chickens |
