One can find many chicken types to choose from, whether you are trying to find a pet, eggs, or meat. From beautiful exotics to really good egg layers, with both bad and good dispositions, picking a chicken for your backyard flock can appear difficult.

Top Egg Laying Kinds

Although all chicken lay eggs, some will lay an egg a day, every day, from the time they are five months old to the age of 4 years while others will not. The trade-off with good egg layers is that they normally don't like to sit, so fertilizing and hatching are probably not possible without an incubator.

Some of the best layers for white eggs are:

Lakenvelder: Beautiful breed, anxious

Leghorn: Loud, tense, shy

Minorca: Moderate disposition, can be pleasant but tense

Redcap: Wild, poor disposition

Ancona: Tense, Crazy

Andulasian: Flighty, can be nervous

Catalina: timid, stressed

Hamburg: Nervous, timid

Holland: Good disposition, Friendly

Some of the best brown egg layers are:

Australorp: Good disposition, friendly

Java: Friendly, Exotic

Naked Neck Turkin: Good disposition

Plymouth Rock:  Good disposition, friendly, docile

Rhode Island: Aggressive

Delaware: Good disposition

Dominique: Good egg production and personality, will also brood.

Sussex: Good disposition, friendly

Wyandotte: A favorite egg layer because of their friendliness.

Finest Varieties for Meat

The principle attribute for meat hens is speed of growth - most are harvested in about 16 weeks. Temperament characteristics regularly take a back seat mainly because these chickens are not typically kept as long as egg layers. Some of the exceptional meat producing breeds are:

Cornish: With thin feathers they have to be protected against the cold. Not good egg layers

Cornish Cross: fast-growth hybrid susceptible to heart attacks and broken legs

Certain types are regarded as decent dual-purpose birds with a balance of egg laying and growth. Nearly all of these breeds will lay between four and file eggs per week.

Araucana

Australorp

Barnevelder

Delaware

Dominique

Dorking

Holland

Hungarian Yellow

Orpington

Plymouth Rock

Wyandotte

Brahma: Very nice to look at, though not a top layer this chicken lays a respectable amount of eggs and makes a great pet, too.

Buckeye: a heritage breed

Catalina: A dual purpose bird that is also a top layer.

Whatever your plan for your chickens, the wide selection of varieties seems endless and tough to select from.

Pet and Ornamental Breeds of Chickens

If you intend to interact with your hens routinely, then you'll need to take personality into account. The aggressive types can make obtaining eggs tricky. If children will be involved, breed temperament is all the more critical.

Very likely the most favored breed for pets are silkies. However, they are required to be kept warm and dry. Their feathers are similar to Persian cat fur, which is where they get their name. Upon getting wet, they are immediately drenched.

These are little, Bantam hens that have a very good temperament to match their appearance. They do not tolerate kids very well and might permit them to carry them around. This little docile chicken will both lay eggs and tend the nest. The eggs are a third of a standard chicken's egg, but are really good eating.

Additional ornamental pet kinds are:

Cochin: Both standard and Bantam Cochins are viewed as ornamental, but they are fair egg layers. They are relatively docile and attractive with full long feathering and a waterfall type tail. Their feathers make them seem to be two times as big as they are. The feathers go entirely down to their toes.

Finding the best suited breed to meet your needs might be a daunting job, but it is truly worth the effort.

Visit Breeds of Chickens for much more information on the subject.  See Chicken Coop Plans if you are interested in building your own chicken coop.

 

Whatever you desire to have a chicken for, be it for eggs, meat, or maybe a pet, you'll find a lot of types to pick from. Picking out a chicken for your backyard flock can appear difficult, with all of the offerings in beautiful exotics, superb egg layers, and dispositions that there are.

Top Egg Laying Kinds of Chicken

Although all chickens lay eggs, not all will lay every day from the day they are 4-5 months old to the age of four years. The trade-off with good egg layers is they typically do not like to sit, so fertilizing and hatching probably are not possible without an incubator.

The best layers for white eggs are:

Catalina: shy, nervous

Hamburg: Anxious, timid

Ancona: Stressed, Crazy

Andulasian: Flighty, can be tense

Minorca: Moderate disposition, can be sociable but tense

Redcap: Wild, poor disposition

Holland: Good disposition, Amiable

Lakenvelder: Beautiful breed, anxious

Leghorn: Noisy, tense, timid

Top rated layers for brown eggs:

Australorp: Good disposition, friendly

Java: Friendly, Exotic

Naked Neck Turkin: Good disposition

Plymouth Rock:  Good disposition, friendly, docile

Rhode Island: Aggressive

Delaware: Good disposition

Dominique: Good egg production and personality, will also brood.

Sussex: Good disposition, friendly

Wyandotte: A favorite egg layer because of their friendliness.

Best Varieties for Meat

The key characteristic for meat chickens is speed of growth - most are harvested in about sixteen weeks. For most, because they are not likely to be long-lived, the breed's temperament is not as important as with egg layers that you deal with on a daily basis for years. Some of the outstanding meat producing breeds are:

Cornish: With thin feathers they must be protected against the cold. Not good egg layers

Cornish Cross: fast-growth hybrid susceptible to heart attacks and broken legs

A number of kinds are regarded as fine dual-purpose birds with a balance of egg laying and growth. These breeds will generally lay 4 - 5 eggs each week.

Araucana

Australorp

Barnevelder

Brahma: Very nice to look at, though not a top layer this chicken lays a respectable mount of eggs and makes a great pet, too.

Buckeye: a heritage breed

Catalina: A dual purpose bird that is also a top layer.

Delaware

Dominique

Dorking

Holland

Hungarian Yellow

Orpington

Plymouth Rock

Wyandotte

Whatever your goal for your chickens, the choice of types seems unlimited and difficult to pick from.

Pet and Ornamental Breeds of Chickens

If you intend to have interaction with your hens regularly, then you will need to take temperament into consideration. The aggressive types can make gathering eggs harder. Breed temperament is all the more essential if youngsters will be involved.

Very likely the most popular breed for pets are silkies. They must, nevertheless, be kept warm and dry. They get their name from their cat fur-like feathers. If they get wet,  they become immediately soggy.

These are little, Bantam birds that have a fine temperament to match their appearance. They do not tolerate children very well and will likely allow them to carry them around. They will tend a nest of viable eggs conscientiously. The eggs are wonderful eating, but are a third the size of a usual chicken egg.

Other ornamental pet kinds are:

Cochin: Both standard and Bantam Cochins are thought to be decorative, but they are fair egg layers. They are very docile and beautiful with full long feathering and a waterfall type tail. Their feathers make them appear to be two times as big as they actually are. The feathers go all the way down to their toes.

Phoenix: Very long tail feathers that require special roosting conditions - very beautiful

Serama: A tiny perfect miniature chicken. Proud upright stance in a two - three pond package. Top notch disposition.

Showgirls: These chickens have fluffy feathers on their body and the peak of their head but a bare neck.

Sizzle or Frizzle: These hens have curly or wavy feathers and look like they have been through a windstorm.

Sultan: Has a "hat" of upright feathers - fluffy and elegant

Yokohama: yet another long tailed breed

It's important that you research the various breeds and take into account which will fit your needs best.

For quite a bit more information on this subject, readBreeds of Chickens.  If you're thinking about building a chicken coop, take a look at Chicken Coop Plans.

 

No matter what you want a chicken for, be it for a pet, eggs, or meat, there are actually countless varieties to choose from. Finding a chicken for your backyard flock can appear difficult, with all of the offerings in beautiful exotics, outstanding egg layers, and dispositions that there are.

Top Egg Laying Kinds of Chicken

Every chicken lays eggs, but not all will lay every day until they're 4 years old. Some of the best eggs layers do not like to sit, though, so if you want chicks, you have to have a way to incubate the eggs ? either mechanically or with another breed of hens.

Here are the finest layers for white eggs:

Ancona: Nervous, Wild

Andulasian: Flighty, can be tense

Catalina: shy, stressed

Hamburg: Anxious, shy

Holland: Good disposition, Amiable

Lakenvelder: Beautiful breed, anxious

Leghorn: Noisy, stressed, shy

Minorca: Moderate disposition, can be friendly but anxious

Redcap: Wild, poor disposition

Finest layers of brown eggs are:

Australorp: Good disposition, friendly

Java: Friendly, Exotic

Naked Neck Turkin: Good disposition

Plymouth Rock:  Good disposition, friendly, docile

Rhode Island: Aggressive

Delaware: Good disposition

Dominique: Good egg production and personality, will also brood.

Sussex: Good disposition, friendly

Wyandotte: A favorite egg layer because of their friendliness.

The Most Efficient Meat Varieties of Chickens

The most crucial purpose with meat production is chickens which put on a good bit of weight in the first sixteen weeks of life. Unlike egg layers, meat chickens are not kept for very long, so temperament features are not important. Really good meat producers are:

Cornish: Thin feathered, are required to be protected against cold; poor egg layers

Cornish Cross: Hybrid with very fast growth. Susceptible to heart attacks, broken legs, etc..

One can find quite a few hens that are very good dual purpose birds for both meat and eggs. Several of these are listed below and most commonly lay fewer eggs than the best rated egg layers. Most of these kinds will still lay about four to five eggs weekly.

Brahma ? Very nice to look at, though not a top layer this chicken lays a respectable amount of eggs and makes a great pet, too.

Buckeye: a heritage breed

Catalina: A dual purpose bird that is also a top layer.

Araucana

Australorp

Barnevelder

Delaware

Dominique

Dorking

Holland

Hungarian Yellow

Orpington

Plymouth Rock

Wyandotte

Whether your aim is egg laying or meat, the diversity of breed options can be challenging.

Decorative Breeds

If you plan to spend time with your hens, then disposition is important. Aggressive hens can make egg collecting challenging. It's particularly essential to understand the breed's disposition if children will be interacting with them.

Usually, Silkies are at the top of people's list of most suitable breeds as pets. They must be kept warm and dry. Their feathers are more like fur than feathers, really. These feathers quickly absorb any water they're exposed to.

These adorable, little, Bantams are pleasing to study and are good pets. They delight in being picked up and carried by both small children and older people. They will also lay eggs and, if feasible, will tend the nest thoroughly. The eggs are as good to eat as any chicken egg, are about 1/3 the size of one regular egg.

Additional ornamental kinds include:

Cochin: Both standard and Bantam Cochins are considered ornamental, but they are fair egg layers. They are relatively docile and eye-catching with full long feathering and a waterfall type tail. Their feathers make them seem to be twice as large as they are. The feathers go entirely down to their toes.

Being sure to investigate the kinds of chickens to be sure you settle on the right ones for your purpose will result in more successes and less work in any poultry undertaking.

Check out Chicken Breeds for quite a bit more information on the subject.  Read Chicken Coop Plans if you are looking into building your own chicken coop.

 

Whatever you desire to have a chicken for, be it for eggs, meat, or possibly a pet, you can find plenty of types to pick from. Deciding on a chicken for your backyard flock can appear difficult, with all the possible choices in beautiful exotics, spectacular egg layers, and dispositions that there are.

Top Egg Laying Breeds

Although all chickens lay eggs, not all will lay every day from the day they are 4-5 months old to the age of four years. The trade off with egg layers is they are generally not brooders, so to raise chicks, you need to have an incubator.

Top rated white egg layers are:

Ancona: Nervous, Wild

Andulasian: Flighty, can be tense

Catalina: shy, anxious

Hamburg: Nervous, shy

Holland: Good disposition, Pleasant

Lakenvelder: Beautiful breed, anxious

Leghorn: Noisy, anxious, shy

Minorca: Moderate disposition, can be sociable but nervous

Redcap: Wild, poor disposition

The top brown egg layers are:

Australorp: Good disposition, friendly

Java: Friendly, Exotic

Naked Neck Turkin: Good disposition

Plymouth Rock:  Good disposition, friendly, docile

Rhode Island: Aggressive

Delaware: Good disposition

Dominique: Good egg production and personality, will also brood.

Sussex: Good disposition, friendly

Wyandotte: A favorite egg layer because of their friendliness.

Ideal Meat Chickens

Meat chickens are wanted to be ready for slaughter at sixteen weeks, so growth is their major trait. Temperament qualities for the most part take a back seat since these chickens are not generally kept as long as egg layers. Very good meat producers are:

Cornish: Thin feathered, need to be protected against cold; poor egg layers

Cornish Cross: Hybrid with high-speed growth. Prone to heart attacks, broken legs, etc..

There are actually many hens that are good dual purpose birds for both meat and eggs. A few of these are mentioned below and mostly lay fewer eggs than the finest egg layers. Almost all of these kinds will lay between 4 and 5 eggs every week.

Araucana

Australorp

Barnevelder

Delaware

Dominique

Dorking

Holland

Hungarian Yellow

Orpington

Plymouth Rock

Wyandotte

Brahma: Very nice to look at, though not a top layer this chicken lays a respectable amount of eggs and makes a great pet, too.

Buckeye: a heritage breed

Catalina: A dual purpose bird that is also a top layer.

Whether your goal is egg laying or meat, the wide range of breed selections can be daunting.

Ornamental Breeds

If you expect to spend time with your hens, then personality is very important. Collecting eggs from aggressive hens is a difficult task. If kids will be involved, breed personality is substantially more vital.

Silkies are undoubtedly the most popular pet breed. They will have to be kept warm and dry. Their feathers are more like fur than feathers, really. On getting wet, they are instantly drenched.

Silkies don't just look nice, but they have a superb temperament for pets also. They have no issue with small kids or adults carrying them around. They will also lay eggs and, if practical, will tend the nest meticulously. The eggs are a third of a usual chicken's egg, but are exceptional eating.

Other ornamental chicken breeds are:

Serama: A tiny perfect miniature chicken. Proud upright stance in a 2 - three pond package. Fine disposition.

Showgirls: These hens have fluffy feathers on their body and the peak of their head but a bare neck.

Sizzle or Frizzle: These hens have curly or wavy feathers and appear as though they have been through a windstorm.

Sultan: Has a "hat" of upright feathers - fluffy and fancy

Yokohama: another long tailed breed

Phoenix: Very long tail feathers that require special roosting conditions - very beautiful

Cochin: Both standard and Bantam Cochins are considered ornamental, but they are reasonable egg layers. They are relatively docile and lovely with full long feathering and a waterfall type tail. Their feathers make them seem two times as large as they are. The feathers go completely down to their toes.

Picking the best suited breed to meet your requirements might be a daunting job, but it is truly worth the effort.

Visit Breeds of Chickens for much more information on the subject.  See Chicken Coop Plans if you are interested in building your own chicken coop.

 

Literally, you can find countless chicken types to select from for whatever you'd like one for: eggs, a pet, or meat. From beautiful exotics to tremendous egg layers, with both negative and positive dispositions, choosing a chicken for your backyard flock can seem difficult.

Top Egg Laying Varieties

Every chicken lays eggs, but not all will lay every day until they're four years old. The trade off with egg layers is they are often not brooders, so to raise chicks, you'll need an incubator.

The best layers for white eggs are:

Catalina: shy, nervous

Hamburg: Anxious, timid

Ancona: Stressed, Wild

Andulasian: Flighty, can be tense

Minorca: Moderate disposition, can be sociable but anxious

Redcap: Crazy, poor disposition

Holland: Good disposition, Well-behaved

Lakenvelder: Beautiful breed, anxious

Leghorn: Noisy, tense, shy

Top layers of brown eggs are:

Australorp: Good disposition, friendly

Java: Friendly, Exotic

Naked Neck Turkin: Good disposition

Plymouth Rock:  Good disposition, friendly, docile

Rhode Island: Aggressive

Delaware: Good disposition

Dominique: Good egg production and personality, will also brood.

Sussex: Good disposition, friendly

Wyandotte: A favorite egg layer because of their friendliness.

Recommended Types for Meat

The main trait for meat hens is speed of growth - most are harvested in about sixteen weeks. Disposition attributes mostly take a back seat seeing as these chickens are not typically kept as long as egg layers. A few of the excellent meat producing breeds are:

Cornish: Thin feathered, really should be protected from cold; poor egg layers

Cornish Cross: Hybrid with high-speed growth. Susceptible to heart attacks, broken legs, etc..

You'll find a number of hens that are fine dual purpose birds for both meat and eggs. Several of these are shown below and most commonly lay fewer eggs than the finest egg layers. Nearly all of these kinds will still lay about 4 to 5 eggs weekly.

Araucana

Australorp

Barnevelder

Delaware

Dominique

Dorking

Holland

Hungarian Yellow

Orpington

Plymouth Rock

Wyandotte

Brahma: Very nice to look at, though not a top layer this chicken lays a respectable amount of eggs and makes a great pet, too.

Buckeye: a heritage breed

Catalina: A dual purpose bird that is also a top layer.

No matter what your goal for your chickens, the diversity of types seems unlimited and very difficult to choose from.

Ornamental Breeds

If you plan to spend time with your chickens, then temperament is necessary. The aggressive breeds can make gathering eggs a challenge. It's particularly vital to fully understand the breed's temperament if young children will be interacting with them.

Oftentimes, Silkies are at the top of people's list of ideal breeds as pets. They must be kept warm and dry. They get their name from their cat fur-like feathers. These feathers instantly absorb any water they're exposed to.

These are little, Bantam hens that have a fantastic temperament to match their appearance. They appreciate being picked up and carried by both young children and adults. This tiny docile chicken will both lay eggs and tend the nest. The eggs are a third of a usual chicken's egg, but are exceptional eating.

Other decorative breeds include:

Phoenix: Very long tail feathers that require special roosting conditions - very beautiful

Yokohama: another long tailed breed

Sultan: Has a "hat" of upright feathers - fluffy and fancy

Sizzle or Frizzle: These chickens have curly or wavy feathers and look like they have been through a windstorm.

Showgirls: These hens have fluffy feathers on their body and the top of their head but a bare neck.

Serama: A very small fantastic miniature chicken. Proud upright stance in a two - three pond package. Top notch disposition.

Cochin: Both standard and Bantam Cochins are considered decorative, but they are fair egg layers. They are rather docile and lovely with full long feathering and a waterfall type tail. Their feathers make them seem to be two times as large as they actually are. The feathers go entirely down to their toes.

Identifying the most suitable breed to meet your needs may be a difficult task, but it's definitely worth the effort.

Read Common Breeds of Chickens for much more info on the topic.  View Chicken Coop Plans if you're interested in constructing your own chicken coop.

 

Check with your local authorities about the local laws and ordinances surrounding chicken keeping. Chicken keeping laws vary from place to place.

 

Some restrictions only allow a certain number of chickens and no roosters, make it mandatory that coops be a specific distance (50-100 feet is common) away from other structures, and more. Still other regulations state that you cannot keep poultry if you have less than an acre of property.

 

Here is a selection of hen keeping restrictions nationally:

 

Dallas doesn't allow roosters.

 

Coops in Austin must be 50' away from other buildings/properties.

 

Ft. Worth limits the number of chickens by property size and requires that coops be at least 50 feet away from buildings.

 

In Houston you must have a special permit that gives the number of chickens and their purpose, whether they are for personal use or commercial.

 

Los Angeles has few regulations regulating backyard chickens.

 

Oakland, CA prohibits roosters.

 

San Diego limits residents to twenty-five birds, requires that chicken feed containers be rat-proof, and that droppings be cleaned at least weekly.

 

Key West, FL requires daily coop cleaning and gives specific guidelines for waste disposal which prohibit its use as fertilizer.

 

Charlotte, NC has a $40 permit registration fee, limits the number of hens and size of the coop by property size, and requires that they be a specific number of feet from other buildings.

 

Concord, NC does not allow chickens at all.

 

In Columbus, Ohio you must have a minimum of five acres if you want to keep chickens. They must also be 100' away from roads or property lines.

 

Huntsville, AL requires that hens be at least 150' away from neighboring homes.

 

Homewood, AL requires that chickens be three hundred feet away from neighboring buildings and 100' away from any road.

 

Denver, CO requires that you place two signs in your yard for a month to see if neighbors object to your hen keeping plans, followed by a fifty dollar application fee, $100 permit fee, and annual fee of $70.  Flocks will be inspected for sanitary conditions.

 

Washington, DC requires you to get written permission from your neighbors and keep chickens at least fifty feet from other homes.

 

As you can see hen regulations vary widely. Some cities have no regulations regarding hens, but will cite you for disturbing the peace if your hens are too noisy for your neighbors.

 

You must always check your local chicken laws before beginning a flock in your area.

 

Read Chicken Laws for much more information on this subject. If your are considering building your own hen house coop, read How to Build a Chicken Coop.

 

You can find chicken coop plans both at online and at local building centers. Many online plans are a free download and most have a list of all the materials you'll need for completion. The best chicken coops are built by hand, with your specific needs in mind.

When you plan your chicken housing and runs, make sure to account for how many hens you'll have and the climate in your area. Each full sized chicken needs at least 4 sq ft of space. So for every three full-grown hens you plan to keep, you'll need twelve square feet of space.

Of course, the more space you give them, the happier the hens will usually be. Larger spaces means less squabbling, more exercise, and less illness.

There are also chicken coop kits available that have all of the construction materials included. Most backyard coop kits are sized for three hens and anything larger will probably be cost prohibitive.

If you just want a couple of hens, you can buy a ready-made coop and run online. These units usually sit right on the ground and are not secure against even medium sized predators. They are convenient, however, because they can be easily moved. As a secondary day pen, they can be perfect as a way to easily allow movement to fresh areas of the yard.

When building your own, be wary of construction materials that might be hazardous to birds or eggs. Pressure treated lumber often has arsenic in it, which will be ingested when the hens peck at the wood. Lead and aluminum based paints should also be avoided. Anything your chicken eats can end up in her eggs and thus on your plate.

Chicken wire is not very good for keeping out predators. Many predators can go right through chicken wire, including dogs, skunks, opossums, raccoons, and more.

When you are thinking about your chicken coop plans, chicken wire should only be used on the bottom of the cage to keep predators from digging under. It's a great deterrent for that because the animal doesn't have the leverage needed to tear through from underneath. He will get discouraged and give up.

Heavier gauge wire should be used on the sides and top of your pen to protect your chickens. Even if your coop provides a lock down at night, predators are still going to attempt to break in to get to the feed grain, water, or into the coop itself.

You may need something more substantial to keep raccoons out as they are quite intelligent. Veteran racoons will easily defeat a slide bolt or hasp to get at the hens. So keep in mind the predators in your area when building your chicken coop plans.

If you take everything into account and do it right, a diy chicken coop can be the beginning of an enjoyable hobby for you and your family.

 

Feeding chickens is more than just throwing grain, you must take into account the age of the hens and your goal for them. You will need to use different feed for hens which will be egg producers than you will for those meant for meat production.

How to Feed Chicks

Start out your chicks on 20-22% protein for egg producers and up that to 24% for meat chickens. Use chick starter until the age of 6-9 weeks (depending somewhat on the breed of chicken and how quickly it matures). After maturity, the feed should be switched to "broiler finish" grains until they are ready for slaughter (if meat hens) - otherwise, continue with the egg feed.

Often, antibiotics are added to the feed of meat hens to prevent Coccidiosis. This is often also given to other hens unless they are being billed as "free range" or "organic."

Often, those who raise their own meat chickens do so in order to avoid the large number of hormones given to commercially-raised hens.

Caring for Adult Chickens

Once chickens reach adulthood, they are often moved to a 14% protein feed. Calcium is extremely important for laying hens and in the extra-large breeds like Jersey Giants that need strong bones to hold their weight.

Chicken feed is sold as mash and scratch, pellets, and crumbles. The best way to get the most balanced diet for your chickens is to mix some scratch in with pellets or crumbles and then supplement with vegetables and calcium.

Adding clean, crushed egg shells into their feed can supplement the calcium for the hens. They will eat what they need if it is available.

Peelings and Vegetables

All leftover vegetables such as spinach, romain, carrot peels, apple peelings, and whole grains like oatmeal, barley, and small amounts of fruit will make for healthier chickens. These are supplements, however, not replacements for hen feed. Chickens need a nutritious environment and hen feed is a very important part of that.

So long as it's fresh and not a meat product, it can be thrown to the hens instead of the garbage.

Chicken Tractors

A chicken tractor has the advantage of allowing you to move your flock from place to place in your yard. This allows the hens exercise and gives them fresh available bugs, vegetation, and grit. For areas that are a little too small to allow the hens easy range, you can use a tractor to move them in rotation, keeping the ground fresh.

This will also help keep your yard from getting brown spots where the hens scratch to find morsels.

Hazards

Do not use fertilizers or pesticides where chickens might feed. They are not picky when pecking at granules on the ground and can poison themselves and your eggs.

Chickens can be poisoned by grass and plants where weed killers or sprays have been used. Whatever your chickens eat ends up in them and their eggs. In fact, pesticides and chemicals can show up in the hen's eggs long before the chicken itself shows signs of illness.

If done properly, your home-grown chickens and eggs will provide wonderful nutrition for your family. Well fed chickens provide excellent eggs and meat.

View Chicken Coop Designs for information about how to build your own chicken coop.

For an even easier project, take a look at Chicken Coop Kits.