So popular has the fancy become, chickens are popping up on TV shows like Tori and Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood on the Oxygen network and Kate Plus 8 on TLC. These shows may or may not have tapped into a “fad” for ratings, but chicken keeping does have die hard fans in Hollywood. Big stars like Julia Roberts, Chuck Norris, Barbara Streisand and Chevy Chase all have backyard flocks.
The biggest and most important is the big Z. No, not Jay Z. The BIG Z – Zoning. Are you zoned for chickens? Not all places allow livestock. Yes, Poultry, including chickens, ducks and geese, are livestock. The very first place you must start on your quest for feathery, fluffy egg laying goodness is your local branch of government. I can’t tell you the many heart wrenching stories I have been told of folks who acquired chickens, got attached only to be ordered by their local town to remove the animals immediately. It’s a tale all too often told. It is very important to make sure you are allowed, legally to house poultry. Some cities will allow only limited numbers of birds or, they allow hens and not roosters. The key here: KNOW YOUR CODE! Get a copy and keep it in your house. Even if you are zoned to have poultry, not all neighbors will be open and supportive.
Ok, so you’re clear with the city and ordinance is in hand? Great! So lets move on to step two. HEY! I know you’re not hanging out at the feed store eye balling chicks. Oh no my friend, not yet! Before you purchase that little fuzzy ball of cuteness and five of her little friends, we must discuss space. Specifically, how much do you have? If you live in town, your ordinance may have restriction on how close to residential dwellings you can build your coop and run. You may think you have a huge back yard, but after measuring out the distance, it may be much smaller than first thought. Secondly, full grown birds will need much more space than those little chicks you keep eyeing. And, depending on if you want bantam sized or large fowl size also will change the amount of space you will need.
There are plenty of opinions on how much space a chicken requires. Some people will say 2 square feet per bird is enough while others will say it must be at least 5 square feet per bird. That measurement is an inside the coop measurement and then is duplicated outside the coop in the run.
We know you can keep them. We know you have the room to house them. So, what kind should you get? There are literally 100s of breeds of chickens available. So before you impulse buy those feed store chicks, let’s discuss why you want to keep chickens. What are your needs and expectations for the birds? Do you want just eggs? What about meat? Both? Maybe just some feathery lawn art? No matter what your purpose or desire, there is a breed to fit the need.
Let’s start with egg layers. Some chickens lay brown eggs. Some lay white eggs. Some even lay pink, blue or green eggs. Some are good layers. Take for example the Jersey Giant, a good solid above average brown egg layer. Another good layer is the Delaware. However, it’s not necessary to have a pure bred bird for good consistent laying. There are a myriad of hybrid birds that are amazing egg layers. Some of these cross breeds are very prolific and will lay year round when other birds quit.If your looking for a white egg layer, the Leghorn is the “go to bird” for above average laying. Leghorns are a popular breed for commercial laying houses due to their laying abilities. As for colored eggs, the most popular and easily found is the Easter Egger. So named for the colorful Easter egg colored eggs they lay. Shades ranging from pink to blue to green and without the fuss of vinegar and dye tablets! Not to mention, the birds are as colorful as their eggs!
If you are wanting meat more than eggs, the most common breed is a Cornish or a Cornish X. These birds are commonly used in commercial poultry houses. They grow quickly and are ready to be butchered in relatively short time frame. They are butchered in 6 to 8 weeks of growth verses an average of 20 weeks for a dual purpose bird. That kind of quick growth means lots of food and lots of waste. Meaties, though short lived are more time and resource intensive than layers or a dual purpose bird.
Dual purpose birds are generally good layers as well as a bird that provides a decent amount of meat when butchered. Breeds like Orpingtons, Brahmas, New Hampshires, Rhode Island Reds and Plymouth Rocks are all examples of good dual purpose birds.
Don’t care about getting eggs regularly or the size of your roast? Maybe you just want a funky, little flock that’s pretty looking. Well, you won’t be disappointed. From feathered legs and five toes to poofy top knots and crazy feather patterns, there are chickens for any fancy. And fancy they are!
Ordinance? Check! Space? Check! Breed? Check! Now for the most important check of all – the money check!
Start up costs is, by far, the biggest cost to keeping chickens. Do you buy a pre-made coop or tractor? Do you build on from the ground up? Do you recycle an old building? Any of these are good options with tons of possibilities. The key is to do research and shop around. There is a coop for every budget! Remember, if you are only housing a couple of birds, a chicken tractor may be a more economical way to go. If you have an old out building and some power tools (or friends with power tools) recycling a building may be the best option. It doesn’t matter what it looks like, what matters is how safe and roomy it is for the amount of birds you are housing.
Safety from predators should always be a top priority. People aren’t the only animals that eat chickens. Dogs, cats, raccoons, snakes, other birds are just a few of the predators who are a danger to chickens. It’s hard out there for a chick!
Weather is another big issue to consider. Where you live, your year round weather conditions should be considered when you are purchasing or constructing a coop. Birds can suffer frost bite and heat stroke like any other animal. Shade, good ventilation and insulation are all points to consider for the health and happiness of your flock.
Coops need to have roosts for the chickens to sleep at night. Chickens like to be up above ground. However, not all roosts are created equal. The roost needs to be sturdy enough to support the weight of the bird as well as height appropriate for the breed you chose. Heavier birds can injure themselves jumping down from too high a roost.
Coops need laying boxes.These too need to be appropriate sized for the breed you are housing.A full grown Jersey Giant needs more space than a bantam Polish.Another must, a pop door that shuts. Many a bird has been lost due to midnight snack raids through an open pop door! Pop doors are the small entrances that the chickens use to go in and out of their coop. Pop doors need to be large enough for a bird to comfortably walk through. At night, this door needs to be able to be closed to keep out predators. If a chicken can fit through the door, so can a raccoon or weasel. At night chickens are most vulnerable to predators because they don’t see well and panic easily. They may not have the ability to get back out the pop door to escape an attack. A whole flock can be wiped out in one night!
Something else to consider, practicality of use by YOU! Yes you. Coops need to be adequate for the number and breed of bird, but they also need to be user friendly. You are the one who will need to have access to feeders and waterers daily. You need to be able to collect eggs easily. And, you will need to be able to clean the coop. Nothing worse than building the coop, spending all winter using “deep litter” only to have spring roll around and realize you can’t fit the wheel barrow through the door of the coop to clean it out! Yes, it happens, even to those of us with years of experience. Keep in mind the easy of use for yourself as you look at coop options.
Lastly, the biggest decision before you take the plunge, chick or adult? Chicks are super cute but like with any baby animal, they require more attention and special heating and feeding that grown birds do not. If you start with chicks, you get the advantage of watching them grow and learning their personalities. Biggest disadvantage – it can take 5 to 7 months to get that first egg. Chicks are also less expensive to buy than grown birds. If you buy a pullet at the beginning of her laying – also known as Point of Lay pullet or POL – you are going to pay, depending on breed, anywhere from $6 to upwards of $40 per bird.
Are you still drooling over those little babies? Don’t jump off the deep end just yet. You will need to have on hand feed appropriate for the age of your birds, containers for feed and water, bedding for the coop and nest boxes, a heat lamp for chicks and grit for larger birds. And a good resource for answering questions. Storey’s Guide to Raising Chickens and Keeping Poultry by Victoria Roberts are good resources. There are also online communities like www.backyardchickens.com that lend support and advice from a large community of chicken keepers and enthusiasts. Got it? Great! Now go pick out your fuzzy butts and enjoy!
Pictures in order of appearance:
Chicken Broiler House - http://www.all-creatures.org/anex/chicken.html
Silkie dyed pink w/ animal safe natural dye - wannabchick
Crochet Welcome Chicken - http://www.craftown.com/crochet/pat55.htm
Small mixed flock of pullets - scbatz
Sex link hen - scbatz
Barred Plymouth Rock Rooster - scbatz
Frizzle Serama Rooster - Lady Hawk Smith
Snow Coop - Buff Hooligans
Tolbunt Polish Rooster - scbatz
Bin O' chicks - scbatz
