How to Raise Hens in the City

Raising chickens in your garden can be both fun, since they're like pets, and practical -- getting delicious eggs in return. In the countryside, keeping chickens in easier as there is more garden space. Yet it's also possible to keep chickens in the city. But to keep them happy and laying eggs, their enclosure must be more creatively designed. Apart from the issue of space, keeping urban chickens requires the same equipment and feed as farming country chickens.

Things You'll Need

  • Chickens
  • Chicken wire
  • Coop
  • Chicken litter
  • Straw
  • Chicken feed
  • Parasol
  • Electric heater
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Check with local authorities about keeping chickens in your city. It is usually permitted, but numbers are restricted as is the keeping of a rooster. But a rooster is not important when keeping hens for eggs.

    • 2

      Measure how much space is available for chickens. If the chickens have a free range enclosure, then 4 square feet per bird is adequate. If it is just a coop, then 10 square feet per bird is needed. The more space they have, the happier they will be.

    • 3

      Install a chicken coop. This is where they sleep at night and is basically a small shed with nesting boxes. You can buy these in kit form or build them from scratch. Fill the boxes with straw and chicken litter laid on the ground. Deduct the coop space from the measurement made in the last step.

    • 4

      Keep more than one chicken. They are sociable animals and will not be happy if kept by themselves.

    • 5

      Replace chicken litter and straw at least once a week, to prevent strong smells. If in a heavily built up area, twice a week is advisable to keep the neighbors from complaining. The chicken manure and the litter can be composted for the plants.

    • 6

      Install a chicken wire wall and roof arrangement around the enclosure. This will stop the chickens from escaping and keep urban predators like cats from getting in. Attach the chicken wire to evenly spaced wooden stakes with loop nails, and repeat for the roof. A garden gate style door is also needed.

    • 7

      Keep an eye on the chickens for illnesses and disease. An inability to walk, bald patches and irregular feet and wings may mean the chicken is ill and needs to be put down. There is also a risk chicken illnesses could be passed to humans.

    • 8

      Feed the chicken's every day on standard chicken feed, and make sure there is fresh water.

    • 9

      Keep the hens in an area where there is soil. The grass will be dug up quickly. But during the autumn, the ground will turn dusty and the hens will give themselves a dust bath.

    • 10

      Install a parasol or umbrella in the chicken run during the summer, to protect the hens from direct sunlight. If there is a tree in the garden, this is just as good.

    • 11

      Place an electric heater near the chicken coop during the winter months, when the temperature drops below freezing. Hens handle the cold quite well, but can catch frostbite. Insulation in the chicken coop, such as extra straw on the floor, will also keep the area warmer. It tends to stay warmer in the city during the winter than in the countryside. Do not use a gas heater, as this can start fires in the straw.

    • 12

      Beware of the neighbors. Chickens can make a lot of noise and some neighbors may complain. There is little you can do about the noise, but neighbors often can be won over with some fresh eggs.