Did you know that you don’t have to live on a professional farm to have a chicken run? If you’re dreaming of having a primary or secondary chicken coop for egg production all you need is the right chicken coop plan to get going. Here’s how to keep chickens in your yard if you aren’t a seasoned farmer and don’t have a massive farm.
Practical considerations on How To Keep Chickens In Your Yard
Before you make any purchases, check your city, state, local, and homeowner’s association ordinances as many of these ban roosters. They can also have a limit on the number of chickens you can raise or simply forbid the practice altogether. Why spend your money on something you’ll give up? 
If you live in a suburban area, you’ll need to consider the possibility of your chicken escaping or causing a disturbance to neighbors. We recommend you have your chickens’ wings clipped and can control access to them – this is important when you have curious kids or destructive pets around.
Picking your Chicken Coop
Time to determine how much square footage you can spare, as this will decide the size of your coop, the number of birds you’ll have as well as what breed of birds you can look at. Adequate space is essential for happy and disease-free chickens and you should ensure that your chicken coop has at least 2 to 3 square feet per chicken with 8 to 10 square feet per chicken in an outside run. When it comes to free range space, aim for 250 to 300 square feet per chicken.
We’d recommend picking a premade coop instead of building one from scratch as this will save you time and money and you can get started right away.
Picking your Chicken Breed to Keep In Your Yard
It’s best to choose chickens that have docile, easy-going temperaments and that won’t startle easily from ambient traffic and weather noises. Breeds that fit this description include Buff Orpingtons, Wyandottes and Rhode Island Reds. These birds will happily and quietly enjoy their own company and are unlikely to cluck noisily unless something is amiss.
Now that you have the basics in place, all you need to do is get going. Raising chickens in your yard will keep you on your toes and you won’t regret this hobby with the right planning.
