What To Know About Backyard Chickens

Have you thought about keeping chickens but don’t know where to start? What are the space requirements for keeping chickens? What do chickens eat, and what's require for their health and safety? How much does it cost and how much work is involved in raising hens? Come to this ONLINE class for answers from a professional small-flock specialist and breeder of award-winning poultry! Our 90-minute class is an introduction to help you decide if chicken-keeping is right for you. We'll discuss the basic needs and different types of chickens. (Some are much easier to care for than others.) You'll get an overview of the equipment and housing that backyard hens need to be happy and healthy. Raising hens is fun and easy -- plus you have a pet "with benefits" that delivers breakfast! ** If you want a more in-depth, hands-on class, register for our "Backyard Chicken Basics" workshop on Sat. March 15. During this in-person presentation at CGS, instructor Sharon will dive into the details of successful chicken care. Added bonus: She'll bring some of her baby chicks and full-grown hens to class so you can learn how to hold and handle them! ** INSTRUCTOR: Sharon Maish and her husband Greg own a 62-acre farm south of Columbus, Ohio. They raise much of their own food, keeping poultry, pigs, and beef cattle. Sharon breeds show-quality speckled Sussex chickens and Narragansett turkeys, and has raised 40+ breeds of chickens over the years. She was an ODA-registered feed manufacturer, and makes feed for all their livestock. Sharon and Greg use regenerative farm practices as well as maintain 30 acres of Ohio prairie and wetland on their property. (You can follow Sharon at www.facebook.com/MaishFarmPreserve.)