There's something special about collecting warm eggs from your own backyard, and 11 million American households now know that feeling—a 28% jump since 2023. With fresh eggs, chickens provide natural pest control, nutrient-rich fertilizer, and valuable life lessons, urban and suburban chicken coops have grown increasingly common.
Photo: Laura Alessia/PEXELS
Before starting your personal backyard hen coop, find out if your town or neighborhood allows them. Many states and communities have zoning statutes and licensing requirements.
StatePoint Media - Alright, so you're thinking about raising chickens and getting your own fresh eggs? That's a super cool idea, and honestly, there are a bunch of perks!
About 20 years ago, chickens—long a staple of farms and homesteads—began showing up in urban and suburban yards. They enabled city dwellers to source homegrown food, provided a touch of nature amid the urban jungle, and have continued to rise in popularity ever since. According to the American Pet Products Association’s 2025 State of the Industry report, 11 million U.S. households own backyard chickens, a 28% increase from 2023.
Photo: Johanne Pold Jacobsen/Unsplash
There is something deeply satisfying about walking into your backyard in the early morning and collecting eggs that are still warm from the nest. Fresh eggs from your own flock are hard to compare with cartons shipped across states and stored under fluorescent lights.
Backyard eggs are typically more nutrient-dense, often containing higher levels of vitamins A, D and E, along with increased Omega-3 fatty acids when hens are fed a balanced diet. Just as important, you know exactly what your chickens are eating, which gives you direct control over the quality of the food on your table.
Chickens also pull their weight in the garden. Anyone who has watched a hen work a patch of grass understands how efficient they can be. Grasshoppers, snails, ticks and other pests rarely stand a chance. By allowing chickens to forage in a controlled space, homeowners can reduce insect populations naturally and limit reliance on chemical pesticides. It is pest control that runs on instinct rather than extension cords or spray tanks.
Photo: Cottonbro Studio/PEXELS
Their value does not stop there. Chicken manure, when properly composted, becomes a powerful fertilizer rich in nitrogen and other nutrients that plants crave. As chickens scratch and forage, they help aerate soil and disrupt weed growth, improving overall garden health. They also excel at turning kitchen scraps into usable nutrients, shrinking the amount of food waste headed for the trash and closing the loop between table and soil.
Beyond the practical benefits, chickens bring personality to a backyard. They are curious, social and often surprisingly entertaining. Watching their routines can become part of the rhythm of the day. More significantly, raising hens creates a tangible connection to food production. Children learn responsibility through daily care, and adults gain a renewed appreciation for the work behind a simple breakfast. In an age when food systems feel distant, a small flock can restore that connection in a very real way.
Caroline Komar-Steiner, a Team Lead at the
Tractor Supply store in Antioch, Illinois, is a passionate chicken expert who regularly guides individuals into the world of chicken ownership. She and her husband have been raising poultry since 2018, and she describes it as one of the most rewarding things she has ever done. “Raising those chicks and getting your first eggs is an ‘eggsperience’ unlike any other,” she said.
To ensure new chick owners can enjoy that experience, Komar-Steiner hosts regular Chickens 101 sessions at the store. The first thing she always tells people is to
find out if their town or neighborhood allows chickens. Some have restrictions, so it’s best to find that out on the front end. Then she asks them why they want chickens. Is it for their eggs? For meat? Will they be purely ornamental? “That steers me toward what they’re looking for,” Komar-Steiner said.
To help you get started, Komar-Steiner is sharing these basics for preparing for and caring for chickens:
1. Assess your space: Chicks need a temperature-controlled space until they are fully feathered, usually about six weeks. Komar-Steiner recommends finding a warm, draft-free area. She sets her brooder up in her basement. The chicks grow quickly, so it’s important to determine where you’ll put your coop and have it ready to go. The chickens will also need a heat source in winter to stay warm and prevent their water from freezing.
2. Get supplies, then chicks: It’s a good idea to buy all your equipment and supplies before bringing chickens home. You’ll need a brooder, shavings, heat lamps or brooder plates, a perch so they can learn how to roost, a feeder and a waterer. Komar-Steiner recommends adding an electrolyte to the chicks’ water to give them an extra edge. You’ll also need chick grit, feed and a thermometer.
3. Remember, they are living things: People often get excited about the idea of a steady supply of eggs, but like all living things, chickens require care. Before leaving home for an extended time, make sure someone is available to check on their food and water, especially in winter and summer. And like other animals, chickens are at risk of getting sick. Tractor Supply carries a wide variety of products to support chicken health.
Even after having chickens for a time, customers still frequently have questions, especially when it comes to adding to their flock, which leads Komar-Steiner to a critical point. “It is imperative that you do not put baby chicks in with adult birds,” she said.
Chickens view new animals as either food or intruders. Komar-Steiner’s recommendation is to wait until they are large enough to hold their own, usually around three months. Additionally, introducing new adult birds requires an integration process.
With 30 chickens and five turkeys of her own, Caroline is an excellent resource for poultry advice, especially during
Tractor Supply’s annual Chick Days event. Customers can purchase baby birds in store and enjoy new products, new breeds and special offers until September 13. They have products and insight to help keep chickens happy and healthy year round.
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