Chickens have their unique health concerns. One of the main areas of chicken health is spreading of the salmonella bacteria. This disease can cause vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal pain. For a large grower, a salmonella outbreak can be costly since the entire flock of contaminated chickens has to be destroyed, and the chickens' quarters have to be disinfected. A question could be: "How do I prevent the spread of salmonella?" The Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends hand washing with soap and water after handing the birds to prevent the spread of salmonella.
To the uninformed, a chicken is a chicken. However, the informed realize more than 60 breeds of chickens exist. Some breeds are strong egg producers whereas others are best for human consumption. Even within the egg-producing breeds, some chicken lay white eggs while others lay brown or even blue eggs. A good question a person just starting out might ask is: "What breed should I raise?" The answer is really dependent on the intended use. Chicken farmer John Henderson of Ithaca College offers a helpful chicken chart to help the beginner in breed selection.
The United States, particularly in northern areas, becomes very cold in the winter. A concern would be the welfare of the chickens during the cold winter months. As with any animal, the humane treatment would be to keep the housing warm. This includes having a backup source of power in case the electric fails. Some possible questions would be: "What is the best source of heat?" or "How should I design the hen house?" Author and chicken farmer/expert, Reeve O'Neill, writing for the "Mother Earth News," offers many helpful tips on how to keep chickens in winter.
Land and zoning is also a concern. You may be wondering how much land is needed to raise chickens. Mr. Henderson's breed chart specifies what breeds do best in confined areas and which do best in expansive regions. Another area of concern is the zoning for your land. A question you might ask is "Am I allowed to raise chickens?" The answer lies with your local zoning board or building department, which can counsel you on the zoning and about whether you can keep agricultural animals.