A Family’s Guide to Raising Backyard Chickens

There’s something pretty special about walking into your backyard in the morning, lifting a nesting box lid, and finding a warm egg waiting there. You can’t get fresher than that for breakfast!

Of course, families in rural and country towns of Australia have been doing this for generations. But recently, the idea of raising backyard chickens in inner-west Sydney suburbs like Balmain, Annandale, and Newtown has started to gain traction.

Indeed, backyard chickens can now be found in many residential streets across the Harbour City. If this is something you are interested in doing, here is our guide to what’s involved.

Why Are More Families Keeping Backyard Chickens in Sydney?

A recent study found that approximately 11% of households in Australia kept backyard chickens. It hasn’t been recorded how many of them live in the inner-west of Sydney. However, it is a fair bet that any given local will know at least one person who does.

There are a few simple reasons why backyard chickens are becoming increasingly popular among Sydney families. One of the main ones is that fresh eggs at home, straight from the coop, are hard to beat. Moreover, kids love collecting them, and they taste amazing when you poach, scramble, boil or fry them. It also feels good knowing exactly where your food comes from.

Another good reason to keep chickens is that they fit beautifully into sustainable living practices. That is because they eat kitchen scraps, help reduce waste, and produce fertiliser for the garden. Also, they’re surprisingly manageable. In fact, with the right setup, backyard chicken coops require hardly any maintenance.

Are You Allowed to Keep Chickens in the Inner West?

This is usually the first concern people have when weighing whether or not to keep chickens. Well, the good news is that if you live in Sydney, you are generally permitted to do so.

That said, the rules may differ slightly depending on where you live. For this reason, you should seek clarification from your local council. If you live in the Inner West, you can do that here.

As a general rule of thumb, you won’t be able to keep more than 10 chooks in your backyard, and you won’t be able to keep roosters. Additionally, coops must be positioned a certain distance from neighbouring properties and kept clean and hygienic.

What Do You Need To Raise Backyard Chickens?

You might think you will need a big backyard to start keeping urban chickens. However, that is not necessarily the case. Instead, a standard suburban yard can work well, but only when the space is properly set up.

The most important investment you’ll need to make is a secure coop. Typically, a chicken coop for small backyard spaces should provide:

A covered sleeping area
Nesting boxes
Ventilation
Strong protection from predators like feral cats, dogs, snakes, and the European Red Fox

Chickens also need a run where they can move around safely, as this gives them space to scratch, dust bathe and explore during the day. Shade is also important, especially during the scorching hot Sydney summers.

On top of this, chooks will need access to clean water at all times, quality feed, bedding such as straw or wood shavings, and you to commit to a simple cleaning routine.

What Are The Best Chicken Breeds To Get?

It might surprise you to discover there are over 400 chicken breeds worldwide, and some 50 in Australia. For this reason, it is worth taking the time to pick the right breed, as this can make your experience much easier – especially if you have children.

One of the best chicken breeds for families is the ISA Brown. They are popular in many households because they’re friendly and consistently lay eggs. Another favourite is Australorps, which are valued for their gentle temperament and hardiness. Similarly, Sussex hens are also known for being relaxed and easy to handle. These breeds are often described as low-maintenance backyard pets because they tend to settle into family life quite quickly. They also generally adapt well to suburban environments.

Whichever one you choose, it is important to buy healthy birds from a reputable breeder.

How Hard Is It to Look After Backyard Chickens?

Many Sydney families are put off raising backyard chickens because they perceive it as a lot of work. However, as previously touched upon, their daily care is quite straightforward.

Essentially, on a daily basis, you will need to check that their food and water are topped up. You’ll also need to collect eggs and do a quick visual health check to make sure the coup is in good order. Additionally, you should thoroughly clean the coop at least once a week. Thankfully, this usually only takes about half an hour.

How Many Eggs Will My Chickens Lay?

Sometimes, families are not quite prepared for the amount of eggs their chickens might lay. So, before you go ahead and raise them, it is worth taking a moment to understand your potential yield.

Typically, backyard chickens lay between 200 and 300 eggs per year. In fact, some high-producing breeds, like Australop, often lay 5-7 eggs per week during their peak, usually within their first 1–2 years.

This rate can last until they are between 3 and 6 years old, after which production begins to decrease as they age.

Is Raising Backyard Chickens Right for Your Family?

Raising backyard chickens can be a great way to save money on eggs, reduce household waste, and provide excellent pest control. (They voraciously eat pests like grasshoppers, ticks, beetles, grubs, spiders, and slugs, while also eating weed seeds and larvae.)

However, whether they are right for your family home is something only you can answer. To do so, you’ll need to take into account several factors, including:

Do you have enough backyard space?
Can you commit to checking for eggs every day?
Are you comfortable with regularly cleaning the coup?
Have you reviewed the NSW council rules and regulations around keeping chickens?

If you answer these questions honestly, you’ll soon get a sense of whether raising chooks in your Inner-west Sydney backyard is the right thing for your family to do.