How to start a backyard chicken flock?
Getting started with backyard chickens — choosing breeds, building or buying a coop, and establishing a healthy first flock on a small budget or with premium equipment.
- Use the deep litter method for zero-waste bedding management5
Instead of cleaning the coop weekly, layer carbon-rich bedding (wood shavings, straw, dry leaves) and let the chickens scratch and turn it. Beneficial microbes break down manure in place, generating gentle warmth in winter and producing finished compost in 6-12 months.
📌 diy📌 free📌 traditional2/28/2026, 2:20:13 PM
🛠️ Pine shavings or straw, pitchfork
- Adopt rescue hens from a battery farm rehoming program4
Battery cage hens are typically culled at 18 months when production dips below commercial targets. Rehoming programs rescue these hens and place them with backyard keepers. The hens still have 2-3 productive years and cost nothing to acquire.
📌 free2/28/2026, 2:20:09 PM
🛠️ Quarantine pen, oyster shell, nail clippers
- Build a DIY pallet coop for under $1004
Reclaimed pallets, hardware cloth, and basic tools produce a functional coop for 4-6 hens at a fraction of retail price. Most materials can be sourced free from warehouses and construction sites.
📌 diy📌 low cost2/28/2026, 2:20:06 PM
🛠️ 8-10 wooden pallets, hardware cloth (1/2-inch), 3-inch deck screws, drill/driver, staple gun, hinges, corrugated roofing, 2x4 lumber
- Start with ISA Brown or Golden Comet pullets from a hatchery5
For a first flock focused on egg production, hybrid layer breeds are the most reliable choice. ISA Browns and Golden Comets lay 300+ eggs per year, are calm-tempered, and tolerate confinement well — ideal for suburban backyards.
📌 best practice2/28/2026, 2:19:16 PM
🛠️ Brooder box or tote, heat lamp or brooder plate, chick waterer, chick feeder, pine shavings
- Buy a prefab coop with automated features4
Ready-made coops eliminate construction time and come with integrated features like nesting boxes, pull-out trays, and predator-resistant hardware. Higher-end models add solar-powered doors and automated waterers.
📌 commercial2/28/2026, 2:18:55 PM
🛠️ None