If the thought of having your own personal fresh supply of free-range eggs at home appeals to you, then you might want to consider building a backyard chicken coop and keeping chickens. Many urban centers are changing their regulations to allow people to keep chickens in the city. Roosters are not included in this allowance, for obvious reasons. However, you do not need a rooster to have hens lay eggs for you each and every day.

When you think about store bought eggs, you have no idea what those chickens have been fed. If you have your own chickens, they can be grain fed and free range in your yard. Store bought eggs come from chickens that are caged up all day, they don't even get out to stretch their legs! Happy chickens are healthy chickens and healthy chickens produce healthy eggs.

If you are looking for a very low maintenance livestock, then chickens are for you. Chickens are simple creatures of habit. They like to get out in the yard each morning and by the time the sun sets, they will all roost in the coop, ready for bed. A good chicken coop will include doors that close and latch to keep your chickens safe from predators. Chickens like to scratch at the ground to forage for insects and in doing this, they will naturally aerate your lawn. Their droppings provide nitrogen rich fertilizer that will make your garden healthy and fabulous.

You can purchase a pellet type feed from your local livestock supply store and/or grain to feed your chickens. The bag should contain instructions about how much you need to feed them each day. You should also ensure that fresh water is available throughout the day for your chickens.

The basics to remember are these: (1) provide shelter that will protect your flock against the elements and temperature changes with a secured fenced in run; (2) keep dry bedding in the nest boxes about 4 -5 inches deep (3) provide adequate lighting for your hens to lay eggs - they need about 16 hours of light each day; (4) feed your hens at a regular time each day (5) provide ground up shells for the hens - this will ensure strong egg shells; (6) gather the eggs each day and store them in a cool place - throw out any cracked eggs (7) regularly inspect your chickens for mites and/or disease.

DIY chicken coop plans are widely available online today. The advantage of these types of plans are many. You can instantly download the plans, you can shop around for and purchase your own materials at a fraction of the cost of a store bought kit. You can revisit the site to watch videos and many offer free bonuses about what to feed your chickens and how to care for them.