Housing, Hatching, and Husbandry

This unit develops practical husbandry skills for establishing and managing a small-scale laying flock. Students learn housing design and regulatory considerations, chick starting and hatching methods, basic health care and nutrition, and behavioral and production management to sustain egg production and community coexistence.

Learning Objectives

• Analyze local zoning, neighbor considerations, and housing options to design a coop blueprint and site plan that meets bird welfare and regulatory constraints
• Apply incubation and brooding methods (natural and artificial), including brooder construction and D‑Day planning, to produce a step-by-step start-up plan for raising chicks to pullet age
• Demonstrate basic flock health and biosecurity practices—wound treatment, parasite control, environmental condition management, supplemental feeding (including grit) and lighting—to maintain bird health and productivity
• Evaluate breed selection, laying management strategies, and humane end-of-life options to produce a comprehensive flock management plan that balances egg production goals, animal welfare, and community impacts