Keeping Chickens In A Small Back Yard - Is It Possible?

Keeping chickens is gaining popularity all the time. It's really not surprising as in return for the low cost of keeping chickens you benefit from having friendly pets, less insects and bugs in your garden, free fertiliser, fresh, tasty free range eggs and for some, a tasty healthy meal! However many people who live in towns and cities worry that they may not have enough room in their small backyards to raise chickens. So let's look at some of the questions you need to ask yourself before you buy.

Local laws and legislation
The very first question you must determine is whether there are any local laws that prohibit you from keeping chickens or roosters, restrict the amount of chickens you can keep or restrict the location of your coop. Contact your local authority or animal control office to get clear clarification. If you ignore the law it could end up costing you vast sums of money never mind the time, effort and money spent on your chickens.
The size of my backyard

The good news is that keeping chickens in a relatively small space is very much possible. The size of your coop will naturally depend on the amount of chickens you intend to keep and the size of your chickens. Bear in mind chickens are sociable animals and so it's always better to have 2 chickens rather than just one. A good rule of thumb to follow for a coop is, at the very minimum, allow 1 chicken 1 square foot of space. For larger chickens this would increase to 2 square foot. In regards to their run / exercise area, allow a minimum of a 4 square foot for average sized chickens and for larger chickens allow 10 square foot. That's only 2ft by 5 foot which is really not a large amount of space but yet it is enough for your new chickens! You could of course also let your chickens run free all over your garden but bear in mind they love to scratch about and will eat grass, plants, vegetables and seeds! However on the plus side they will eat weeds, bugs, slugs and insects!

If you have a small backyard you might be restricted on where you can physically place the coop. So bear in mind the following points:

- The coop should have easy access to allow you to gather eggs every day and to clean it every week.
- When keeping chickens you will need to fence in an area around your coop as your chickens will be at risk from predators such as cats, dogs, foxes, hawks and racoons. Also sometimes you just need to put the chickens in, for example when you are mowing the lawn or planting seeds. You can let them in and out of this area as you please depending on the predator behaviour in your area and whether you want them roaming throughout your back yard! Surround the area with wire mesh and if possible when putting it up dig down about a foot. This should hinder predators from digging under the fence. Alternatively you could surround them with an electric fence.
- If you have a dog or cat they might not be too welcoming of the fact you are keeping chickens and might need some adjusting to their new garden mates! You will know the temperament of your own pet so please be aware and observe for a while until you are confident your chickens are not at risk. Chicken get stressed easily and this can cause bad health and even death so try to ensure they are happy and as stress free as possible!

Chickens make fantastic pets especially if you have small children. They of course give something fantastic back to you; over 250 eggs per year! They are low maintenance and easy to look after and the beauty is you don't need a large plot of land. A small backyard with some thoughtful planning will suffice!

If you would like further information, tips, plans for building a coop then visit Chicken DIY Guides where you find a wealth of valuable information on keeping chickens that every would be chicken owner needs to know!