Backyard Chicken Keeping Guides

Fourteen long-form guides covering every major aspect of backyard flock management — with honest economics, specific numbers, and no marketing copy.

Beginner

12 min read

How to Pick Your First Three Hens Without Regret

Which chicken breeds should a complete beginner choose? Three specific picks, ranked by temperament, egg production, and ordinance risk — with the questions to ask before you order.

Economics

10 min read

The Honest Cost of Keeping Six Laying Hens

Real numbers: what six backyard hens cost per year in feed, bedding, vet, and equipment — and what you'll save on eggs. The math most guides skip.

Security

14 min read

Predator-Proofing: The Six Attacks and the Five Defences

How raccoons, foxes, hawks, minks, rats, and weasels attack a backyard coop — and the five hardware and design strategies that stop each one.

Legal

16 min read

Suburban Coop Ordinance by Major US Metro

Backyard chicken ordinances for 20 major US metros: flock caps, rooster rules, setback requirements, and permit fees. Last reviewed March 2026.

Seasonal Management

11 min read

Winterising a Coop Without Heat Lamps

How to keep backyard chickens through a hard winter without supplemental heat — insulation, ventilation design, and the frostbite prevention strategies that actually work.

Nutrition

9 min read

How to Actually Read a Feed Tag

What the guaranteed analysis on a chicken feed bag actually means, what to look for, and which numbers indicate you're buying overpriced rebranded commodity grain.

Behavior

8 min read

The Broody Hen Decision Tree

A broody hen sitting on a clutch: what to do next. How to break broodiness, set eggs under her, or let her run. A decision framework for backyard keepers.

Flock Management

9 min read

Integrating New Hens Without Bloodshed

How to add new chickens to an established flock without serious fighting. The see-but-don't-touch method, timing windows, and what to do when it goes wrong.

8 min read

The No-Rooster Decision and Its Consequences

What happens to a backyard flock without a rooster: egg production, social structure, predator warning, and the specific things you lose that you might not expect.

11 min read

When to Cull: The Realistic Conversation

When to cull a backyard chicken: chronic illness, injury, end-of-laying life, and the practical and humane methods. The conversation most beginner guides skip.

Coop Management

10 min read

The Deep Litter Method vs Clean-Out Economics

Deep litter versus full-clean-out: labor hours, bedding cost, disease risk, and which method makes sense for different flock sizes and climates.

Meat Birds

12 min read

Meat Bird Batch Economics: Twelve Weeks from Chick to Freezer

Real cost breakdown for raising 25 Cornish Cross meat birds: chick price, feed, processing fees, and whether home-raised chicken is cheaper than store-bought.

Coop Design

11 min read

Chicken Tractor vs Stationary Coop: Which One Should You Build?

Chicken tractors vs fixed coops: when each design wins, the real weight and mobility tradeoffs, and which option makes sense for suburban vs rural lots.

Breed Selection

9 min read

Bantam vs Standard: The Ten Considerations

Bantams vs full-size chickens for backyard keeping: 10 specific comparisons — egg size, feed cost, ordinance counting, predator risk, broodiness, and more.