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The article FAQ Raising Chickens below gives those who are starting off keeping backyard chickens, or homestead chickens and are wanting to know the basics in raising chickens some comprehensive questions to answers you may have had.
By Adrian Higgins
Washington Post
Q. Do hens need a rooster to lay eggs?
A. No.
Q. How often do they lay?
A. A well-fed hen usually lays one egg per day.
Q. Do they lay year-round?
A. Typically, no. Egg production falls off as winter approaches and resumes in the spring.
Q. Are they noisy?
A. Only when alarmed or laying an egg.
Q. How long do chickens live?
A. About seven years.
Q. Do they lay eggs their whole life?
A. They are most productive when they are 2 and 3 years old, and then laying declines markedly.
Q. Where do you get chickens, and how much do they cost?
A. They are available from Amish and other rural farmers markets as well as from breeders advertising on the Web. Laying breeds such as Rhode Island Reds or Sex-links, as opposed to fancy breeds, typically cost between $5 and $15 each. Buy chicks that are old enough that their sex is apparent so that you don't unwittingly purchase a rooster.
Q. Are they good for the garden?
A. Yes and no. They will scratch garden beds, dislodge plants and eat seedlings. But they will devour bugs and slugs, and their manure and bedding make great ingredients for the compost pile.
Q. How do you protect them from predators?
A. Both the hen house and run should be fenced with chicken wire and covered with netting or wire to prevent hawk attacks. Raccoons and foxes will dig to get into coops, so you will need to bury the fence at least 12 inches.
Q. Do they smell?
A. If the coop and run are left uncleaned, yes. Occasional removal of droppings and placement of fresh bedding (pine shavings work well) will keep the hen house odor-free.Source: Mercury News
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