Is it easy to keep chickens?

Is it easy to keep chickens? The short answer is yes, especially when you have the right setup and a little bit of know-how. Whether you’re dreaming of a pair of hens for your yard or a bustling flock that forages your property, keeping chickens can be as simple as you make it. And the best part? It’s enjoyable no matter the size of your flock. With a little preparation, the right accommodations, and a routine you’ll soon know by heart, you can enjoy all the benefits of owning chickens without it feeling like a chore. 

Chicken keeping basics 

At its core, chicken keeping comes down to providing your flock with these three essentials: a safe, clean home, fresh food and water, and space to roam. Hens are surprisingly low-maintenance once you have these covered, and they’ll be happy to reward your efforts with fresh eggs as well as companionship. 

Chickens are very social and thrive in flocks, and you should aim to keep at least 2-3 hens at minimum to keep each other company. They’ll spend their days foraging, dust-bathing, and chatting amongst themselves. And while you’re a welcome addition to these social activities, your main role will be to make sure they have what they need to stay healthy and happy. 

Finding your flock size 

Before you welcome your chickens home, consider the space you have available and how many hens you’d like to keep. You’ll also need to check with your home owners association (HOA) or city office to make sure you’re allowed to keep chickens where you live. Chicken keeping laws can vary by area, but most will restrict how many chickens you can keep at a time, prohibit roosters, and dictate where your coop is placed on your property. 

One of the joys of chicken keeping is that there’s a perfect flock size for every family — and there’s an Eglu Chicken Coop to match. All of our coops are made of heavy duty, easy to clean plastic, and utilize the power of twin-wall insulation to keep your chickens comfortable all year round. 

• 2-3 hens: A great starter flock for beginners or those with a smaller space. With an Eglu Go or Eglu Go Up, your flock will have a smaller footprint in your yard. 
• 4-6 hens: Ideal for families or those seeking a steady egg supply. The Eglu Cube offers plenty of space and enhanced predator-resistant features packed into its ingenious design. 
• 7-10 hens: For those ready to fully embrace the modern homestead life, the Eglu Pro gives larger flocks room to roost and boasts 3 nesting boxes to keep up with higher egg production. 

However big your flock may be, you can be sure that you have a lot more to look forward to than just the prospect of fresh eggs. Each hen has their own unique personality, from the bold adventurer to the gentle lap-chicken, and you’ll soon find yourself loving and appreciating them far beyond their ability to provide breakfast. 

Chicken keeping chores 

Keeping chickens doesn’t have to be time consuming when you have a good routine. There are tasks you’ll need to tackle on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis, but once you find your rhythm (and have an easy-clean coop), the time will fly. 

Daily 

• Refill their feeders and waterers 
• Collect eggs 
• Do a visual health-check of your flock 
• Close the coop at night 

Pro tip: add a Smart Autodoor to your coop or run to automatically lock your flock in at night and let them out in the morning for an even more simplified schedule. Our Smart Autodoor can open and close with the sun or the clock, and can be controlled via the Omlet app from anywhere in the world so you can stay connected to your flock no matter where you are. 

Weekly 

• Change their bedding in the roosting area and nesting box 
• Spot-clean the coop as needed 
• Wipe out feeders and waterers 
• Tidy up the run 

Monthly 

• Deep clean the coop with a pressure washer or water hose and scrub brush 
• Replace all bedding 
• Inspect the run and coop and adjust run covers or attachment points if needed (especially after severe weather) 
• Rotate or freshen up enrichment items like chicken perches, dust baths, and peck toys 

Omlet chicken coops make these tasks quick and easy thanks to the spray-clean design, pull-out bedding trays, and modular run designs. 

Chicken math: what’s the problem? 

If you’ve done any amount of research on chickens, you’ve likely come across the term “chicken math.” This is the “mysterious”, and usually inevitable, process by which you start with three hens and end up with six, then eight, and so on. 

The good news is that Omlet has the solution to chicken math. Expanding your flock doesn’t have to be a complex algebraic equation. Our modular designs make it easy to grow your setup along with your flock. Here are some of the ways we’ve solved the problem of chicken math: 

• Easily extendable attached chicken runs through expansion kits for each type of coop 
• Walk In Chicken Runs that can be expanded indefinitely 
• Chicken fencing to provide free-ranging space while keeping your flock close to home 

So, when chicken math strikes, you’ll be ready to say “yes” to new hens without worrying about where you’ll put them. 

The benefits of keeping chickens 

While fresh eggs are certainly a highlight, chicken keeping offers much more than this superfood. Chicken keepers of all ages and stages can attest to the many perks of keeping chickens. From the mental health benefits of keeping chickens to natural pest control, flocks bring a lot to your backyard. 

A calming routine 

Caring for your chickens creates a routine for you and your family, and gets you outside. Their gentle, calming presence is soothing, and the entire process of caring for your flock is grounding and peaceful. 

Natural pest control 

Hens will happily chase down and gobble up garden pests. From grasshoppers and slugs to spiders and scorpions, your chickens are one of nature’s best bug eradicators. And, many plants are palatable to chickens, so they’ll take care of wayward weeds. 

Sustainable living 

Turn your kitchen scraps into chicken treats, and provide your family with fresh eggs on a daily basis. Save chicken-safe leftovers and fruit and vegetable trimmings for your flock, and offer them in a Caddi Chicken Treat Holder to minimise waste. 

Entertainment 

Watching your flock scratch, preen, and dust-bathe is endlessly amusing. You’ll also be able to observe the behaviour of chickens and have a front-row seat to their individual antics. Be on the lookout for flock-raiser favourites like hens sprinting after and circling flying prey, the luxurious flop and stretch in the sun, and the dainty beak-rub through the grass — the equivalent of dabbing their mouth with a napkin after a snack or drink. 

Connection with nature 

Raising chickens and living simply is one of the easiest ways to connect with nature. You’ll find that your flock has a way of making you slow down and appreciate the seasons, and even individual days and hours. Stop and smell the roses, but also stop and stare at the chickens. 

Omlet and your flock 

So is it easy to keep chickens? We’ve spent decades of research and design to make it as simple and rewarding as possible. Chicken keepers all over the world trust Omlet with the safety and comfort of their flock and to lighten their chore load. From chicken coops that are engineered to last a lifetime to customisable chicken runs and automatic chicken coop doors, we’ve created everything you need for a lifetime of luxury — for you and your flock. 

This entry was posted in Chickens