How to Keep Hens

Decide how much space you can spare for your hens. Consider what kind of coop, established or movable, you want to have. Also consider if a fence will be necessary. These considerations will dictate what size flock you may have. For a backyard flock in a small yard or in town, you probably do not want to have more than six hens. If you have more acreage and hope to sell eggs, you will want a bigger flock.

Build or purchase a coop for your hens. If you experience cold weather, the coop needs to be insulated. Cover the insulation to make sure the hens do not have access to it as they will pluck it out of the walls. Make sure the coop is predator proof. Raccoons, opossums, rats and other wild animals as well as cats and dogs will look for any opportunity to get a hen or her eggs. Movable coops are now a popular option for the purpose of spreading the hens' benefits out to your lawn.

Adjoin a fence to your coop if you do not want your hens to free range into your neighbor's yard or onto your patio. Hens kept in a coop with no access to sunshine are unhappy, not as healthy and lay a less desirable egg. Use chicken wire for your fencing as it is designed to keep out predators. Stake down or bury the bottom few inches of the chicken wire when you put it up to keep anything from wriggling under to get your hens. Either make the fence high enough that the hens cannot fly over it or use more chicken wire to create a cover for your fenced-in area.

Set up your coop with nesting boxes, perches, feeders and waterers. You can purchase or build the boxes and perches. A hen prefers to sleep on a perch, but she will use the box to lay her eggs. Old tree limbs work great as a perch for your hens. Feeders and waterers designed for a large number of hens can be purchased, but if your flock is only a handful of hens, dog dishes work just as well.

Throw down straw on the floor of your coop to give the hens something to kick around as well as something to absorb their waste. As the straw gets used, throw down more layers. The coop will need to be completely cleaned out when the straw becomes wet or soiled, but between these cleanings, new layers of fresh straw will do the trick to keep the hens happy and healthy. Straw filled with chicken manure is best added to compost. Hay is the optimum material to be used in the nesting boxes.

Decide if you want to start with chicks or full grown hens or somewhere in between. If you are anxious to get the egg production going, adopt some full grown or nearly full grown hens. If you would rather enjoy the adventure and get to know your flock better, start with chicks. Chicks will require a little extra care such as a source of warmth, medicated food and a more confined space until they grow into their coop. There are some differences in the personalities of different breeds and some beautiful chicken breeds to consider. The purebred and more exotic breeds may be entertaining as pets but usually have a lower egg production. Many chicks you get through a hatchery or feed store will be hybrids created for their egg production.

Choose a chicken feed depending on the age of your hens. If they are below 20 weeks of age, feed them a crumble-style starter feed, a pullet grower feed. You can choose either medicated or non-medicated to address the possible diseases your hens may be exposed to. TheFarm.org states, " If your chicks go outside you may want to give them a feed medicated with Amprolium, which controls the coccidiosis while allowing the birds to build up a resistance." After twenty weeks switch to a pellet or crumble style maintenance feed. Once they start laying make sure they get egg booster feed as well as scratch.

Start collecting eggs. When a hen reaches about six months of age, she will begin laying eggs. Her first year will be her smallest eggs, and the eggs will get larger as the hen gets older. "A laying hen will produce an egg every one to two days. Frequent gathering will assure freshness, keep eggs clean and minimize breakage," says TheFarm.org. Cook or refrigerate your eggs as soon as you collect them to maintain their freshness.