Urban Chickens

Many people throughout our nation are discovering the joy of raising chickens in their own backyards. There are many reasons for having a backyard chicken flock. First and foremost, chickens provide an excellent source of farm fresh eggs. For those not skittish, they can also provide an excellent source of fresh meat. They also provide a steady source of natural manure for the garden, control pest problems and aid in caring for the compost pile.

Having a backyard chicken flock is advantageous for those who prefer to know where their food comes from. A person raising their own chickens knows exactly what the chickens eat, and can insure that the eggs are as local as it gets. Not only are these eggs much fresher than the eggs in the supermarket, which can be up to a month old, they taste much better. Numerous studies have also shown that chickens allowed to free range and eat a diversity of things from the garden such as bugs, worms and weeds, produce much healthier eggs. The yolks of a free range chicken are orange in color, and are packed with more nutrients, more omega 3 oils and a lower level of harmful things such as cholesterol. It is not often that something healthier will actually taste better.

Chickens also are wonderful helpers for the garden. Along with the wonderful material they provide for the compost pile, they also help to turn the pile with their scratching for worms and scraps. Chicken manure scooped out of the coop can be added to the pile to speed up the composting process. Chicken manure must be composted, as it is very rich in nitrogen and is "too hot" for direct application. The addition of the manure to the compost pile will make the final product much more rich and beneficial.

Picking out your spring chickens

Mail order catalogs are a great place to find a large variety of chickens; however you must order 12 to 24 per shipment. This large number is required so the chicks can keep each other warm during transit. And yes, you will be mailed live chicks in a box!

The other option the urban chicken farmer can use is visiting the local feed store. While some stores may not have the extensive selection catalogs can have, you can find great chickens for eggs, meat or both, called dual purpose hens. You can also buy any quantity you wish. Purchase only sexed pullets, meaning that the sex of the chicks have been determined to be female. Even though chicks are sexed, there still is a slight chance of having a rooster. Roosters are noisy, and for this reason many cities do not allow them. If you get a rooster, you can eat it or find someone in the countryside that may be willing to take it off your hands.

If you want pure egg production, the most prolific layer is the white leghorn chicken. These lay white eggs. For brown eggs, a beautiful Rhode Island Red will provide a nice deep brown colored egg. Rhode Island Reds can also be used for meat. The Barred Rock chicken is a beautiful black and white striped hen, with an excellent personality. They are excellent layers of light brown eggs. If you want more interesting eggs, take home an Araucana. These chickens lay green to blue eggs.

A typical laying chicken produces an average of 300+ eggs a year. This means that most days, you will get one egg per chicken. Typically, if one has 12 chickens, they will get 10 to 12 eggs a day. The cost savings can add up, as a backyard chicken farmer never needs to buy eggs at the supermarket. Extra eggs can be sold to friends and colleagues, as free range eggs have a large demand in the marketplace.

When you get your chicks home, you will want a suitable home for them before you put them in a coop. A galvanized tub works well. You will need high walls, as when the chicks get older they will be able to jump out. Chicken wire placed over the top can prevent this.

Wood shavings can be used for litter. There are also products made specific for these purposes, such as Dry -Den or any material used for horse dens. A red heat lamp will also be required to keep the chickens warm. For the first week, the lamp will need to be placed a bit over a foot from the bottom. Chicks will need 90 degree temperature the first week, with the temperature reduced by 5 degrees each week.

Specially formulated chick starter is the sole source of food to be used on the baby chicks. Be sure to always have fresh water for the chicks to drink at all times. Waterers, chick starter and feeders can be purchased at the feed store along with the chicks.

After six weeks, your chickens will have feathers and be ready to be moved into their new coop. Unless the temperature approaches freezing, your chicks will no longer need a heat lamp. Chickens at 6 weeks also can be switched to layer feed. Scratch grains, oyster shell, grit and any table scraps will make your chickens happy. Oyster shells provide a necessary source of calcium so the hen can lay eggs with strong shells.

As they grow in popularity, more and more municipalities developing a more relaxed attitude in allowing chickens. Be sure to check with your local laws, as some cities have limits to how many chickens you can have what kind and or do not allow backyard chickens. For example, in Portland, Oregon, one may have only three chickens in the city limits, and roosters are not allowed.

Chickens make wonderful pets. My wife and I often let our chickens out of their outdoor enclosure to roam free in the back yard. We can sit and watch for hours as they peck and scratch around the yard. They eat weeds and also enjoy digging for worms in the compost pile. The chickens also take care of grubs in the lawn that would otherwise need to be killed with toxic chemicals. We also enjoy listening to their clucking and watching seeing their personalities develop.

In a few days, there will be an article on how to construct a chicken coop. Please stay tuned and check back often.