Video: Expert Poultry
Advice from
"The Chicken Whisperer"

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Start Your Own Flock

By Karin Miller

Raising chickens is so inexpensive, easy, and enjoyable that almost anyone can do it, says Shari McCollough of Crawfordsville, Ind.

“It’s not something that sucks every dime out of your pocket. And you’re doing something that’s loads of fun,” she says.

McCollough breeds and shows award-winning birds that sell for as much as $75, but she started out with eight chicks bought from a friend at 25 cents each.

Raising chickens was something that she wanted her children to experience because she loved them while she was growing up. Now she loves the challenge of breeding chickens in hopes of getting show-quality birds.

For anyone thinking about raising chickens, her advice is simple: do some research to help decide what kind of birds you want, purchase the proper supplies, and, “go for it.”

“Do your homework. Don’t buy chickens and then have no place to keep them. That’s not fair to them,” McCollough says.

Make sure the housing is secure, not elaborate.

“You don’t have to buy a whole new shed or building to keep chickens. As long as it’s draft-free and they have a heat source and they’re able to get out of the weather, they’ll be fine,” says McCollough, who uses an old playhouse, a shed, and a barn for her brood.

Female chickens also need a safe place to lay their eggs.

“You can use a crate. You can use a box. Anything they can get in and get down inside and be comfortable,’’ she says.

Protect the coop from predators including raccoons, weasels, and coyotes with a fence and cover it with netting to keep hawks away.

You’ll also need feeders, waterers, and straw or wood shavings for bedding.

Chicken feed is relatively inexpensive: about $12 a 50-pound bag. With more than 100 chickens, she goes through about a bag each week.

After you get the supplies, decide what you want to raise, McCollough says. Some people like dual-purpose birds, such as Leghorns, for eggs and meat; others want only good egg-layers such as Orpingtons.

If children are going to handle the chickens, don’t get something flighty. If you’re looking for a show bird, check out the Silkies and Cochins that she raises.

There is plenty of information on the Internet that can help you decide on a breed, McCollough says.

However, attending a poultry show probably is your best bet so you can see the birds in person, McCollough advises.

“If you talk to the people who raise the breeds you’re interested in, they can point you in the right direction,” she says.

And you just might get some chickens for free. Breeders at the shows often give chickens to people — particularly children — who show a genuine interest in their birds, McCollough says.

Chicks or chickens?

One other key decision is whether to start with chicks or older birds.

It’s fun to have chicks, but that comes with its own set of challenges. They’re extraordinarily fragile and are prone to diseases. Indeed, she recommends medicated chick starter feed to protect their health.

With chicks, you’ll have to wait for eggs; It takes about six months for chicks to mature enough to start laying.

Additionally, if you order chicks from a hatchery, be prepared for most of them to be roosters.

Hatching your own eggs and breeding chickens for shows is fun but a lot more labor intensive, McCollough says.

“It’s something you really have to be passionate about, because you’ve got to hatch chicks, you’ve got to put your birds together, breed your birds, get those fertile eggs. It’s something you have to keep up on in order to be competitive,’’ she says.

Regular barnyard chickens need little care: simply give them fresh food and water each day, clean out the coop occasionally, and collect the eggs daily.

“Be realistic about what’s going to work for your family,” McCollough says. “From there, just go for it.”