Feeding the chicken is not the worry. What would bother the newbie more is that a chicken when they have had good foraging around the fence will not eat the chicken feed. When they refused to, nothing will make them. But that is okay, it passes. Often, the foods that they forage are even more nutritious than those that are regularly fed to them. Except for scheduled management and maintenance, the supply of water and feed must not be interrupted. Even when the chicken can do with yesterday's water, the water supply nonetheless should be as clean and uncontaminated as possible. Maintain ample spaces for hens. A layer would need 4 to 5 square feet in moving space. It has always been noted in many sources that chicken waste is one of the best fertilizers around for its high amount of nutrients and nitrogen, which can help your garden produce vegetables at a faster rate. And the fact that they're organic makes your crops free from harmful chemicals. It's also a plus that your chickens feed on bugs and insects that incessantly wreak havoc on your crops. There is not much study to support this but the fact is man will only be preyed upon when a predator is starving and there is nothing else available, when a predator is sick and is unable to hunt or is very old that their movement and ability has been limited, when the animal is threatened with its back to the wall and escape routes are closed and sometimes when a man is mistaken for another identity. Whether the dirt run is free range, confined, or fenced will vary on the type of predators that are in the area. The Design - Typically, a chicken will need about four square feet of space and three hens could share a nest. Each hen will also need a perch about 9" long. The design should also include a hatchway, storage area, ventilation, lighting and a feeder system. They love to have enough space to walk around with, so make sure there's enough of it. Perches also need to be set up since it is hardwired into a chicken's instincts to roost and sleep on an elevated surface. Also make it a point to scatter some dirt into the ground since they love to dig and scratch with their feet.