Backyard Chickens for Beginners: Breeds, Setup, and Daily Care

Keeping a small flock of chickens in your backyard sounds simple until the first hen falls ill or the coop you built turns out to be hard to clean. This course walks you through the early decisions that shape years of poultry keeping, from choosing breeds that match your climate and goals to building a setup you will not regret six months in. You will learn how chickens actually live, what they need from a coop and run, and how their behavior signals health or distress. By the end you will have a written plan for your own flock, including coop dimensions, feed budget, and a starter routine for the first ninety days. What you'll learn: - Choose chicken breeds based on egg production, climate tolerance, temperament, and space available - Design a coop and run that handles predators, ventilation, drainage, and easy cleaning - Establish daily, weekly, and monthly chores including feeding, watering, and bedding management - Identify common health issues such as mites, respiratory infections, and egg-binding early - Plan a feeding program that balances commercial feed, kitchen scraps, and forage safely - Comply with local backyard poultry rules and good-neighbor practices around noise and smell The course moves from the basics of chicken biology to coop design, then through daily care, health awareness, and the first molt and winter cycle. A capstone written exercise asks you to draft a complete setup plan for your own backyard, including budget and timeline. This course is for absolute beginners with no prior poultry experience, including suburban families, homestead newcomers, and gardeners who want fresh eggs. No prerequisites are needed beyond a small outdoor space and a willingness to care for living animals daily. Walk in curious and walk out with a written plan you can act on.