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Backyard chickens: a daily and weekly care checklist
Barn & backyard · 2 min read
Chickens are easy keepers when the routine is steady. Here is what needs doing every day, every week, and every season.
The daily routine
Most chicken care happens in two short visits: morning and evening. Shared flocks run best when everyone knows who is doing which visit, because a missed evening lock-up is when predators strike.
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Morning: let the flock out, check that every bird is up and moving, and look for anything unusual.
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Refill feed and fresh water. Chickens drink a lot, especially in heat, and should never run dry.
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Collect eggs at least once a day, more in hot weather, so they stay clean and hens are less tempted to go broody.
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Evening: count the birds, make sure all are inside, and close and latch the coop securely.
Feed and water basics
Laying hens generally do best on a complete layer feed formulated for them, with a separate dish of crushed oyster shell so each hen can take the calcium she needs for strong shells. Chicks and young birds need a starter or grower feed instead. Scratch grains and kitchen scraps are treats, not meals, and too many can unbalance the diet.
Keep water clean and topped up. In summer, shade the waterer and add a second one. In freezing weather, check it more often or use a heated base.
Weekly jobs
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Scrub and refill waterers.
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Clean droppings from roosts and nest boxes and refresh bedding as needed.
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Check fencing and the coop for gaps, digging, or damage.
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Look over each bird: bright eyes, clean vent, normal comb color, no limping.
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Check feed storage for moisture or rodents.
Space and housing
A common guideline is at least about 4 square feet of coop space per bird and about 10 square feet of run space per bird, more if they're confined much of the time. Crowding leads to pecking, stress, and illness. Good ventilation without drafts keeps the coop dry, and roosts should be higher than the nest boxes.
Health and safety
Watch for a bird that stays hunched or fluffed up, stops eating, has diarrhea, labored breathing, or swelling around the eyes or face. Separate a sick bird from the flock and contact a veterinarian who treats poultry, or your local agricultural extension office for advice.
Wash your hands after handling birds, eggs, or equipment. Live poultry can carry Salmonella even when they look healthy, which matters especially for young children.
Sharing the flock's care
Chickens are a great family project, but the routine has to be reliable. Set up daily jots for morning release, feed and water, egg collection, and evening lock-up. Assign them, and let whoever does the job mark it done. If the evening lock-up hasn't been checked off, everyone can see it before dark.
Put this into practice with JotAboutMe
A shared board for every pet: repeating jots for meals and medications, reminders at the right time, and a record of who did what. Free for your household.