Raising Backyard Chickens

Have you ever had pet chickens? Neither did I until a few years ago. After a nasty bite from a vicious kindergarten class parakeet, it took me a while to venture into the avian world again. While I live a bit outside of town, I wanted to talk about raising chickens in town. It's relatively easy and completely manageable with a few considerations. I'll give a list of resources at the end of this article if you're ready to dive in.

The Basics: All chickens need food, water, and safe living space. Feed is cheap and is available at any farm store. If you start with chicks, you'll want to start the...