Bible/Advice/Resources

By Summer Lane

Photo: Deposit

When it comes to being countercultural, what could be more anti-establishment than making your own food at home? Amid rumblings of chemicals in processed foods, artificial food dyes in practically everything, and a track record of supply chain problems in the U.S., having an at-home garden and a source of protein sounds better than ever!

While the U.S. economy is certainly much improved from the Covid pandemic days and even just the last couple of years, there’s something to be said for having some food on your property that you alone control. Even in the Garden of Eden, Adam was commanded by God to “work it and keep it,” stressing the importance and holiness of that kind of task (Gen. 2:15).

Proverbs 24:27 also emphasizes the importance of prioritizing agricultural labor: “Put your outdoor work in order and get your fields ready; after that, build your house.”

There is a good and right order in the kind of work that gets our hands dirty and sees the fruits of labor blossom and yield bounty like no other.

On that note, one of the easiest ways to start being more self-sufficient (other than a backyard garden) is to have a small chicken coop. We’ve talked about homesteading and backyard gardening here before, but it’s time to dive right into just how easy and fun it is to keep chickens…it really is a breeze!

Step one: pick your breed

Chickens lay eggs, regardless of the breed – but some breeds lay better and more than others. For example, a White Leghorn is one of the best high-volume layers you can get, and they are remarkably heat-tolerant. Barred Rock is also very hearty in different climates, and they yield a large quantity of lovely brown eggs all year. Looking for a particular egg color? Consider a Maran (dark brown eggs) or a Cream Legbar (a creamy greenish-blue). It depends on what YOU want and how many eggs your family eats! Do your research and determine how many chickens you’ll need for your family. Most chicken peeps (including myself) settle on a ratio of at least two hens per family member. Also, don’t have more than one roo if you can avoid it!

Step two: get a coop 

Your chickens need a safe place to sleep at night. It should protect them from predators like owls and foxes, but they should have enough space to comfortably move around, scratch in the dirt, and easily nest when they begin to lay eggs. Most people choose to go for a flock size of 10-12, but depending on your space, you may only need 2-4. A good rule of thumb is roughly four square feet of space in your coop for each hen. And try to make sure your birds have enough space to be outside and scratch. Chickens that get outside time are happier, and they lay better!

Step three: brood them

If you’re starting with chicks, don’t be afraid. Chicks are VERY easy to brood. In our household, we’ll often pick chicks up at the feed store on a whim and bring them home (because they’re so cute, and we just love eggs!). I always start with a plastic bin. Throw some puppy potty training pads in the bottom (a trick shared with me from my lovely mother-in-law), and sprinkle absorbent pine shavings on top. Make sure you provide easy-to-reach water and chick feed in the brooder. You can opt for either a brooder plate for warmth or a brooder light. Plates are much easier to maintain, but they’re hard to clean. Lights need to be adjusted quite often as the chicks get older and need less heat. It’s also more of a fire hazard.

Change the bedding as soon as you notice it’s soiling up, and ensure your chicks always have clean water and food access. Check their chicken rears for “pasty-butt” for the first week or so that they’re home with you – this is when their droppings sometimes stick to their back end and cause a blockage. You don’t want that!

Step four: move them into the coop

I always recommend moving chicks into their coop when they are big enough to make a short flight out of their brooder. Some may disagree with this, and that’s fine…but once chicks start fluttering around the living room, it’s time for them to move outside (in my house, at least!). They need to maintain warmth for about the first six weeks of their life – that is, until their adult feathers come in. You can reduce the temperature in the coop by roughly 5 degrees (or so) every week until you move them into a coop. If it’s very cold where you live, your heat lamp may need to stay on for them a little longer.

That’s it! Make sure they have food and water in their coop, and enough nesting boxes for them to share. Then, one day, you’ll spot a magical egg in one of the boxes, and it will be the BEST day ever! Typically, pullets begin laying between 16 to 24 weeks old (that’s the standard rule).

Extra tips

A few extra housekeeping tips for keeping chickens (they practically keep themselves – they’re very low maintenance!): first, I recommend adding electrolytes and vitamins to at least one of their water sources. It makes for healthier egg quality. Make sure they’re getting enough calcium in their diet, too, or they will begin to eat their own eggs. You can crush the shells of their eggs up and mix it into their food for that, or simply mix oyster shells into their layer feed (if it’s not already included in it). Another piece of advice: if you keep your coop clean, your hens will lay more consistently. Hens will turn up their nose, er, beak, at a disheveled nesting box and your egg production may drop. I learned this the hard way.

Lastly, don’t skip out on giving your girls scratch grains to keep them busy. I also like to supplement their diets with fruits and vegetables. They love these treats and it keeps them from getting bored!

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Summer Lane is the #1 bestselling author of 30 books, including the hit Collapse Series and Resurrection Series. She is an experienced journalist and editor who is covering the White House and Trump administration. She owns Write Revolution News.

Summer is also a mom and wife who enjoys rural country living, herding cats, and gardening. She is passionate about writing on women’s issues, parenting, and politics from a theologically-grounded perspective that points readers to the good news of the gospel.

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