Chicken Basics
If you're ready to take the plunge and bring home your chicks,
or if you're still not sure if chickens are right for you,
this course will help you get started with confidence.
Learn the basics of chicken care and setup to make
the best choice for your homestead.
Are you ready to get started with chickens?
You've thought about getting chickens, but ...
you're just not sure if they will take too much time or be too expensive or be too challenging to care for.
Where is the best place to buy chicks?
How many chickens do I need to produce all of our eggs?
Confused about what type of coop you need?
Afraid predators will kill your chickens?
Do chickens need vaccines?
What do chickens do in winter?
Not sure what to feed your chicks?
How long do chickens lay eggs?
The good news is that with the right information, chickens are easy to care for. If you can take care of a pet cat, you can take care of chickens.
There's a reason people call chickens the gateway livestock!
But a lot of people make it harder than it should be. You can avoid expensive mistakes like ... over-building your coop and winding up with sick chickens or wasting money on supplements that chickens don't need.
What will you learn in this course?
Pros and cons of breeds
Where to buy chicks
Getting started with day-old chicks
Building or buying a coop
Fencing and chicken runs
Keeping chickens safe
Chicken health
How to handle eggs
Raising chickens for meat
Selling eggs and meat
Enter your bullet points here..
Your Instructor
Deborah Niemann
In 2002, Deborah and her family moved to 32 acres on a creek in the middle of nowhere to grow their own food organically. With the help of goats, sheep, pigs, and poultry, they produce 100% of their meat, eggs, and dairy products, as well as a large percentage of their vegetables, fruit, and herbs. They sold chickens and turkeys for more than 10 years, and are currently a licensed egg producer in Illinois and sell eggs and goat milk soap to a grocery store.
Deborah is the author of six books, including Homegrown and Handmade, Ecothrifty, and Raising Goats Naturally, as well as her latest book, Goats Giving Birth. She also teaches sustainable agriculture courses online for the University of Massachusetts - Amherst. She has been teaching Raising Dairy Goats Sustainably since 2013 and Pastured Poultry since 2015.
In 2022, Deborah got certified as a FAMACHA instructor so that she and her students could feel confident that she was providing the most up-to-date information on parasite research and management.
Frequently Asked Questions
All prices in USD