Housing, Care, and Reproduction

This unit covers practical housing design, everyday care, and reproductive management for small-scale/backyard chickens. Students will plan compliant coops and brooders, learn incubation and early chick care methods, and apply health, nutrition, and neighbor-consideration practices to sustain egg production and flock welfare, building on introductory concepts and preparing for advanced production and processing topics.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze housing, site, and neighbor considerations to design a compliant coop and site plan that meets flock size, breed, environmental control, and local regulation requirements
• Apply health, nutrition, and biosecurity protocols to prevent and treat common injuries and parasites, demonstrating appropriate use of grit, supplements, and environmental controls
• Demonstrate brooding and incubation techniques by setting up a functional brooder, selecting and operating a hatching method, and managing chick care through the first two weeks
• Evaluate breed selection and flock-management strategies (including supplemental lighting, laying-year management, and processing options) to create a production plan that meets specified egg or meat goals