Raising chickens in your backyard has become a trend not just for aspiring farmers, but for anyone wanting to be even a little self-sufficient. There's also something meditative about watching hens ...

Quick Summary Collect eggs frequently (at least 3-4 times daily in freezing weather) Insulate nesting boxes & hang curtains over the boxes Encourage early laying with lighting programs.

In the meantime, they've moved their chickens to a new $250 prefabricated coop. "It's an A-frame shape and has little nesting boxes and is fine for three small hens, but it's not very big," Jane says.