Backyard chickens require protection, specific conditions

Mar. 22—Backyard chickens have become popular since the COVID-19 pandemic, and in 2022, estimates indicate 12 million people have joined the craze.

An article titled "Thanks to the Pandemic, People are Flocking to a New Trend: Backyard Chicken-Raising" in Baltimore Magazine by Christianna McCausland, September 2022, states that unlike most farm animals, chickens don't need a lot of land.

"Once you get their basic food and shelter needs in place, they are pretty low-maintenance," states the article. "For your effort, you get eggs that are far superior to even the best organic ones on offer at the grocery."

Kaiden and Michelle Lehman attended a class on raising backyard chickens at the Hulbert Public Library, March 21. The class was presented by the Oklahoma State University Extension Office, and taught by Agriculture Educator Sherry Clark.

"I just see the eggs Michelle's getting at the store. The shells are thin and they don't taste good," Kaiden said. "And when she picks them up out of the carton, they break."

Ingrid Chavez has a few chickens she got for Christmas, and she attended the class to make sure she manages her small flock correctly.

"We have seven left out of 10 chicks from the ones my kids gave us," Chavez said. "They are [the] Sapphire [breed], with gray feathers."

Chavez allows her chickens to roam free to keep down the ticks and other insects in the yard, and at night, they are put up in a coop.

"We want eggs, and want [the hens] to have a good life," Chavez said. "We definitely love eggs."

Jan Stauss said she has raised chickens before, for eggs and meat.

"I could help dress them, but I could not kill them, and they had to kill them on the other side of the house so I wouldn't see it or hear it," Stauss said.

Clark is a poultry producer with a degree in Agriculture Education from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville.

"I know a lot about [raising poultry] on a [large-scale] and [backyard] is the same thing, but on a smaller scale," Clark said.

Predators are a major consideration in preparing housing chickens, as well as lighting and space allowed per bird to keep the flock healthy and producing eggs, Clark said.

At least 6 inches per small-breed chicken should be figured for perching, which must be inside a properly fortified coop. Clark showed an example of a covered coop with an enclosed space behind it.

"You really don't want those birds out at night, because chicken hawks, coyotes and dogs are going to get in with them," Clark said. "We teach that you have a perimeter surrounded by another perimeter."

At night while perching, the fowl should be kept away from feed, water and nesting boxes, Clark said.

Chickens respond to light, and when just hatched, birds in her big houses need to be under 23 hours of light for the first three weeks to survive.

Lighting for laying hens should be a warm white light, like an orange-red. The chicks need a cool white light like a blue-green.

"At 20 weeks, the birds should be switched to the orange-red color lighting," Clark said.

When daylight falls to 15 hours per day, begin artificial light, Clark said. Extend the light 30 minutes per day until reaching 17 hours.

Other fowl should not be mixed in with the chickens, due to disease that can be transmitted to the flock, like avian influenza.

Dogs and cats should be kept from the flock, as well as skunks, raccoons, wild turkeys, owls, waterfowl, song birds and rodents, Clark said.

"The waterfowl — geese and ducks — is where the Avian will come from, probably the song birds as well," Clark said. "Rodents spread disease and are not a good thing to have around your birds."

Proper ventilation and strong fencing to keep predators out are also recommended. One tip for a twice-yearly cleaning of the coop is not to use bleach, as it is deactivated by organic matter, but clean with hot water and soap, and Mr. Clean Floor Cleaner or similar product.

"Statistics About the Average Chicken Lifespan," GITNUX Marketdata Report 2024, states the average lifespan of a backyard chicken is five to 10 years. The average lifespan of a breed specifically developed for egg-laying is between five and seven years.

"With proper care, heritage breed chickens can live eight to 15 years," states the report. "The world record for the oldest chicken was a Red Pyle hen who lived to be 16 years and 9 months old. Rare chicken breeds like Orpingtons can live up to 15 years."

Learn more

For resources on raising backyard chickens, visit extension.okstate.edu/programs/backyard-poultry.