Today we’re talking about raising backyard chickens with children in Arizona, specifically the East Valley.
Getting backyard chickens has been on my bucket list for myself and my son for a while, and now that my childhood home in Mesa that’s been under renovations for nearly two years is nearly ready for move-in, these chickens are becoming a reality.
ICYMI: We’ve been gutting my 1960s ranch home in Mesa for the last two years to make into our forever home. (See more of the progress in our Instagram highlights, and this blog post)
I said ‘yes’ to taking seven chickens from a family who sold their house last year and have been RVing with their three kiddos, and until the house is ready, a fellow chicken lady has been fostering them for me, that’s how supportive and welcoming the local chicken community is for newbies like me.
Today I’m sharing a few new-to-backyard-chicken tips I’ve been learning along the way, including how to navigate ESA funds for coop expenses, locally made chicken coops, local resources for information/knowledge-sharing and how to incorporate caring for backyard chickens as part of a quest for 1000 hours outside, or homeschool curriculum.
XO,
Amy
ESA funding hack for starting your backyard chicken coop
Did you know Arizona ESA funding can go towards a coop?
Chick Inn Coops has had several customers who use the Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA) Program for their chicken coop purchase as many homeschooling families make agriculture and livestock production as part of their lesson plans.
Getting a chicken coop is always a very special purchase for the students as the parents will get the kids involved in picking the design and color scheme of their chicken coop, which really helps getting the kids get excited about learning the new subject
Where to buy a chicken coop
I’ve been looking at coops for a while, since my seven chickens are waiting for me, and honestly big box store coops and even used ones on Facebook Marketplace weren’t really what I was looking for. They seemed tiny, and the reviews on most of them were less than stellar.
My concerns are exactly one of the reasons Gilbert-based Chick Inn Coops started offering custom chicken coops in 2020; the owner realized that the coops available in stores are expensive and very poorly produced and are way too small and very difficult to maintain and clean.
Not only are their coops designed thoughtfully (and aesthetically pleasing), but they are delivered and assembled for busy families just excited to get their chickens settled.
I saw one coop Chick Inn Coops just delivered to a homeschool family that was wheelchair accessible for their son, love the customization from a local company to make accessibility adjustments to involve everyone in backyard chickens.
Where to learn about raising chickens locally
Join local Facebook groups for backyard chickens. I’ve joined a few, and they’re welcoming and supportive to share knowledge for those forging their backyard chicken journey.
Alex, owner of Chick Inn Coops, is also passionate about supporting his clients navigate learning about raising chickens. There’s a helpful portion of the website with tips, tricks and insights into the essential knowledge that’s helpful as you begin your chicken journey.
How to get kids involved in backyard chickens
I’m looking forward to getting my four-year-old involved in caring for our chickens once they’re home at the grove with us.
Kids can contribute so much to caring for chickens–get some inspiration from this chicken chore chart for kids. There are also many mini studies and full fledged studies for every age for homeschooling curriculums surrounding chickens, raising chickens, etc. that you can find with a quick online search, like this lifecycle of a chicken nature study mini plan. For older kids, egg incubating and even designing a new coop are fun lessons to keep kids learning surrounding their backyard chickens.
Especially if you plan to use ESA funds for the chicken coop, it’s a great reminder to empower your kids to take responsibility for raising them along side you!
If you have an HOA, chances are you still could have chickens
For the 12 years I lived in a northeast Mesa neighborhood with an HOA, I assumed I couldn’t have chickens, turns out I was wrong!!
If you’re curious, look into your HOA rules; for my large neighborhood, the only rule was that the coop couldn’t be visible from public viewing spaces (and no roosters).
Chances are, you may have some neighbors who already have fresh eggs being laid in their backyards already. According to an American Pet Product Association survey in 2021-22, the number of households with backyard chickens grew to 13% in 2020 from 8% in 2018.
To keep learning more about raising chickens locally, follow @chick_inn_coops on Instagram! 
