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Free Roam or a Chicken Coop?

Making the decision to free-roam your chickens has benefits for you and your flock, but there are also risks to consider.

Two Hens

Wondering how big a chore it would be to have a few chickens? Maybe you already have a backyard flock and find them a bit overwhelming to care for. Truth is, I think we’re all a little guilty of fussing over our birds more than we need to. We worry about predators and try to keep them safe by locking them up in a coop, then, watch them unhappily pace their walls of confinement.
Chickens that are allowed to free roam will be busy looking for bugs and scratching around in the dirt. They will require much less upkeep, lower your feed bill, and have a much cleaner coop. In my opinion, coops are for laying eggs and a nighttime safe haven. I lock up my flock at night and do the best I can to protect them from predators. At dawn, I let them out and hope for the best. That may be a little risky, but let’s face it, so is driving in your car.
If you don’t have the free roaming option, then a coop is going to require some work on your part. Even just a couple hens are dirty, and after just a few days the coop will need to be cleaned. Coops can be hot in the summer and freezing cold in winter. Cleaning the coop, feeding, watering, and picking eggs probably aren’t going to make your list of favorite things to do in inclement weather.
Chickens are actually pretty smart, they managed to find food, shelter, and are capable of hiding from danger. They huddle together to stay warm in the winter and are smart enough to dig holes in the dirt to stay cool during the summer months.
I provide a safe place for my flock at night and enjoy watching my chickens enjoy their freedom during the day.

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Creative Chicken Set-up Ideas

Choosing a Chicken Coop

It’s fun setting up a chicken coop, here are over 500 ideas to make your coop more functional and easier to maintain. Be creative, you’ll be spending lots of time with your chickens, make it a place you want to be too.

Visit Chicken Coop & Set up Ideas
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About Heritage Chickens

This Article Has Been Revised: Visit HERE for Updated Version

Definition: Standard breeds of chickens as defined by the American Poultry Association that are naturally mating, long-lived, and slow growing.
The Livestock Conservancy now lists over three-dozen breeds of chickens in danger of extinction. Extinction of a breed would mean the irrevocable loss of the genetic resources and options it embodies.
Where to Find Heritage Chickens
Note: The Livestock Conservancy encourages contacting the hatchery directly to determine the breeds of birds available and to determine whether these are in fact Heritage Chickens.
The Livestock Conservancy also maintains a list of Heritage Chicken breeders in its Breeders Directory.
This is a compilation of images taken of a variety of heritage breeds that were photographed by Conservancy staff at several poultry shows.

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