Chicken Basics

  Enroll in Course

Are you ready to get started with chickens?


You've thought about getting chickens, but ...

you're just not sure if they will take too much time or be too expensive or be too challenging to care for.

  • Where is the best place to buy chicks?
  • How many chickens do I need to produce all of our eggs?
  • Confused about what type of coop you need?
  • Afraid predators will kill your chickens?
  • Do chickens need vaccines?
  • What do chickens do in winter?
  • Not sure what to feed your chicks?
  • Worried that keeping chickens will cost a small fortune?
  • How long do chickens lay eggs?

The good news is that with the right information, chickens are easy to care for. If you can take care of a pet cat, you can take care of chickens.

There's a reason people call chickens the gateway livestock!

But a lot of people make it harder than it should be. You can avoid expensive mistakes like ... over-building your coop and winding up with sick chickens or wasting money on supplements that chickens don't need.

What will you learn in this course?

  • Pros and cons of breeds
  • Where to buy chicks
  • Getting started with day-old chicks
  • Building or buying a coop
  • Fencing and chicken runs
  • Keeping chickens safe
  • Chicken health
  • How to handle eggs
  • Raising chickens for meat
  • Selling eggs and meat


Course Curriculum


  First month
Available in days
days after you enroll

Your Instructor


Deborah Niemann
Deborah Niemann

In 2002, Deborah and her family moved to 32 acres on a creek in the middle of nowhere to grow their own food organically. With the help of goats, sheep, pigs, and poultry, they produce 100% of their meat, eggs, and dairy products, as well as a large percentage of their vegetables, fruit, and herbs. They sold chickens and turkeys for more than 10 years, and are currently a licensed egg producer in Illinois and sell eggs to a grocery store and through a CSA.

Deborah is the author of six books, including Homegrown and Handmade, Ecothrifty, and Raising Goats Naturally, as well as her latest book, Goats Giving Birth. She also teaches sustainable agriculture courses online for the University of Massachusetts - Amherst. She has been teaching Raising Dairy Goats Sustainably since 2013 and Pastured Poultry since 2015.

In 2022, Deborah got certified as a FAMACHA instructor so that she and her students could feel confident that she was providing the most up-to-date information on parasite research and management.


Frequently Asked Questions


When does the course start and finish?
The course starts now and never ends! It is a completely self-paced online course - you decide when you start and when you finish. This course is currently in beta, which means I am still creating it. There will be at least one live lecture on Zoom, and it will all be recorded, and recordings will be uploaded to the course site.
How long do I have access to the course?
How does lifetime access sound? After enrolling, you have unlimited access to this course for as long as you like - across any and all devices you own.
What if I am unhappy with the course?
We would never want you to be unhappy! If you are unsatisfied with your purchase, contact us in the first 30 days and we will give you a full refund.

Get started now!