Backyard Chicken Basics

Everything you need to bring home your first backyard flock with confidence — coop, feed, daily care, and your first eggs — scaled for a suburban yard.

👩‍🏫 Willow Creek Farmstead★ 4.85.7k enrolled5 lessons · 1h 55m$24

What you’ll learn

✓ Choose breeds suited to heat and temperament
✓ Build or buy a predator-proof coop
✓ Feed for healthy birds and strong shells
✓ Handle the daily 5-minute routine
✓ Collect, clean, and store eggs safely

Lesson 1 · 10m

Is a backyard flock right for you?

Chickens are low-effort but not no-effort. Plan on 5–10 minutes a day plus a deeper clean weekly, and check your city's ordinances on flock size and roosters before you buy a single chick.

Three to five hens is the suburban sweet spot: enough eggs for a family, small enough to stay friendly and quiet.