Resources for Backyard Chicken Keepers

Your chickens are valuable contributors to your family’s nutrition and wellbeing. These resources can help you and your chickens live happy, healthy lives.

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Raising Chicks

The sex of only a few chicken breeds can easily be determined visually upon hatching. Accurate sexing of young chicks is difficult until you have experience. Because roosters are not necessary for egg production and are often banned within municipal limits, choosing female chicks can be advantageous, despite the increased upfront cost. Learn more at go.navc.com/41FKL46. 

Sanitation

The first responsibility to your pet chickens is providing a safe, warm, dry, and clean space for them. Learn more at go.navc.com/3XCEcOs.

There are myriad individual factors that can contribute to a healthy environment for your chickens.

• Coop shoes: To avoid the spread of bacteria, parasites, or diseases, a dedicated pair of coop shoes should be kept for everyone who interacts with your chickens. This will make it easier to keep your home and coop clean. Learn more at go.navc.com/41UqqcE.
• Nest boxes: Change the bedding in the nesting boxes at least weekly to keep eggs clean and discourage parasites.
• Enclosure: Clean and disinfect the entire enclosure at least twice a year. Learn more at go.navc.com/4ihwbqv.
• Egg care: Eggs have a protective coating of enzymes that keep out bacteria. If the coating (the bloom) is intact, eggs can remain at room temperature for several weeks. It is not necessary to wash eggs, and unwashed eggs do not need to be refrigerated. Learn more at go.navc.com/3DxZd6f.
• Hand washing: Proper hand washing is the most important step in preventing the spread of disease. Although chickens can quickly become beloved family pets, they do harbor Salmonella. In healthy people, Salmonella may be only a nuisance, but it can be deadly to immunocompromised people.
• Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI): Every year during the wild bird seasonal migrations, HPAI migrates too. Even if you’re not living in one of the established flyways, you should be aware of HPAI levels in your community. It is very contagious. Learn more at go.navc.com/41DFnOR.

Predator Proofing

Adding a floor of hardware cloth to your chickens’ enclosure and ensuring that the roof is secure will prevent most animals from accessing the chickens or their eggs.

Molting

Every fall, chickens will lose feathers. At this time, egg production will slow or cease as the chickens use their available protein to grow new feathers. Supplement the chicken feed with extra protein during a molt. Learn more at go.navc.com/4ihxBBl.