Are you interested in keeping backyard chickens? Here is some basic information to get you started.

• Some municipalities do not allow backyard chickens, or have strict ordinances to regulate them. Be sure to check what your city allows or requires before setting up a coop.
• Purchase chicks from sources that certify they are free from specific diseases.
• You may end up with a rooster among your chicks. Be prepared to part ways with the roosters—hens do not need a rooster present in order to lay eggs.
• Chickens are no respecters of property lines, and they can fly. To minimize the impact on neighbors, enclosures should properly restrain poultry and confine them to your property.
• Chickens have a relatively short life span. The productive life of a hen is about three to five years.
• Where there are chickens, there are rodents. Take this into consideration when planning your coop, and implement a rodent control program.
• Don’t keep chickens with ducks or turkeys. Mixing of species increases the potential for infection and spread of avian influenza (bird flu).

Find Out More

Explore the Garden Family Night: Backyard Chickens
USU Botanical Center, Kaysville
Register Here

Raising backyard chickens has become very popular in Davis County. This event will teach families how to properly choose the right breed of backyard chicken, identify common diseases, nutrition, egg/layer management, and answer questions. Participants will learn about the 4-H youth poultry program opportunities in Davis County as well.

Fact Sheet: Basics for Raising Backyard Chickens

Fact Sheet: Considerations in Raising Small Backyard Flocks of Poultry in Population-dense Communities