Reptile & Amphibian Forums

how do you keep the chickens warm in the wintertime? do they need to live in groups? how much do you feed the chickens per meal, and how many meals per day? how much space does one chicken need? i think i'm getting a hen, will it still lay eggs even if they're infertile? can you eat infertile eggs(my mom wants to know)? if i let the chicken out in the yard without a fence, will it run away? i will be watching it. if i don't clip a wing, will it be able to fly away? should i buy a chicken coop, or make one? my dad is very handy, but he's not so crazy about getting a chicken. my mom wanted one, though. we have an old barn in our yard, should i keep the chicken in there? the barn is very old and some of the walls are falling apart. many animals live in there, including a family of stray cats. will they bother the chicken? can you train them to go in one spot? should i dig a pit, or put a box in the coop? by the way, i live in a suburban area. our yard is very big, though, compared to our neighbors. ok, i think that's all.

oh yeah, how much is 170 euros in US dollars??

LOL okay, one question at a time.

Most chickens do fine in the wintertime so long as they have someplace away from the wind & weather. Your barn should do fine, so long as it is not too drafty. Or you or your dad could build a little wooden house for them, like a dog house. If it is very drafty, you could pile some bales of hay up so there's a spot away from wind.

You should get more than one chicken. Two would be fine, but one will get lonely. They are very social.

You should feed them as much as they will eat everyday. It isn't an exact amount and it will depend on the size of the chickens and whether they eat other stuff (like bugs and grass). I have 6 chickens and they go through about 6 cups of feed a day, plus whatever they eat in the yard.

It's kinda hard to say how much space they need. Some people keep their chickens with barely enough space to move around, but they are happier and healthier if they can run around and forage for food. So just give them as much space as you can.

You should be able to let your chickens run around without a fence, most stay close to home. BUT, I would keep them in a pen at first for a few weeks so they learn where home is. Also, they might be in danger of being eaten if they're not kept in a pen -- hawks, raccoons, opossums, even skunks might eat them. Cats might, too. If the stray cats in your barn get hungry enough, your chickens might be in trouble. They can run away in the daytime, but at night they can't see very well and it's easy for predators to catch them.

You and your dad could build a chicken coop, it's not that hard (I've done it and I'm not very handy at all). It's much cheaper than buying one. You can use wooden boards and chicken wire, and build a shelter one one end.

Hens do not need roosters around in order to lay eggs. They will lay infertile eggs, which you can eat. All the eggs at grocery stores are infertile, so that's normal.

Chickens cannot be trained to go in one spot, they go wherever they happen to be. One way to "clean up" after them is to make their pen light enough to move, that way when the ground gets dirty you can just move the whole thing. The chicken manure is good for the lawn. Otherwise, you'll just have to clean up after them sometimes.

I hope that answers all your questions, let me know if you have any more!! OH, and I have no idea how many dollars 170 euros is, sorry.

Here's a good chicken website that has some ideas on feeding them and housing them:
http://www.backyardchickens.com

Good luck, and have fun with them if you get any.... I really like them, they're neat to have around.

- Lara

thank you so much!!! i really appreciate it. anyway, so if i just keep her in a small pen for a while, then let her run around she'll be fine? i definately won't leave her out after dark(i happen to be afraid of the dark, not really for ghosts and stuff, but because i had a nightmare about this madman that killed people who are out after dark....i try to do everything in the daytime... and do you think a square of about 9 square ft would be enough for the chicken to sleep and lay eggs in? how big would pen be? and how could i make one that folds up? because i'm sure that after i stop using it(if i use your method) i might need it again sometime. oh yeah, um, is 9 sq. ft. enough for 2 hens? does the pen have to be connected to the coop? could i just take her out of the coop and put her in the pen? also, are you sure a hen would be ok in wintertime? i live in NJ, and it is really cold in the wintertime here. last winter was codlest i have ever seen. most days it was in the low 30's or high 20's. ok, that's all i can think of. thank you again.