Keeping City Chickens, Part 1
Should you try to raise chickens in the city or burbs? The short answer is…definitely. But in the 7+ months since my chicken raising adventures began, I have learned a few lessons (some of them came the hard way) that I hope you can use as you decide whether or not to raise animals.
1. Do you leave town a lot? Everyone travels from time to time, but if you are out of town on a regular basis, your neighbors might start to get tired of corralling the chickens, no matter how many fresh eggs you send their way.
If you plan to raise your flock from day old chicks, don’t make any plans to be away from home for at least the first few weeks after the chicks hatch. They will need your constant care and attention to grow big and healthy. Food, fresh water, a clean brooder box and a consistent supply of warmth are all things that you will need to check several times per day.
2. Do you have other pets who might regard chickens as lunch? I have heard horror stories of the beloved family dog who turns into a vicious chicken killer after meeting the new chickens. I was very worried about this prospect with my dog, and took extra care to introduce the chicks to him everyday, even going so far as to putting them on his back, etc. Now, he pretty much ignores the chickens, unless he is competing with them to get bread crumbs or some other tasty morsel (and yes, i think he knows that’s pathetic). Bottom line- don’t assume that your dog will be fine with your new feathered friends and leave them alone to get to know each other better.
3. Are your neighbors ok with your barnyard aspirations and is it legal to have chickens within the city limits of where you live? Some folks are wary of the idea of having chickens, but this is mostly due to a fear of being woken up at the crack of dawn by a rooster crow. Assure your neighbors that you will only be keeping hens (who only make fun squaks and clucks) and most of them will be fine with your new hobby. My neighbor was so excited that he told me I needed to get at least 15 chickens so I could keep the entire street in eggs.
As for legal regulations, more and more cities are allowing poultry within the city limits. Check to see what your local ordinances say about keeping poultry here. Click on your state and then your city to view the municipal codes.
4. Are you (or your kids) prepared to deal with loss? To quote my sympathetic friend after I lost my first batch of chickens to some intruder…”sometimes that’s what happens when you have pets who are dumb and vulnerable”. Chickens die. Sometimes they get sick and sometimes a predator gets to them despite your best efforts. My first 3 chickens were all killed one afternoon by some animal. We searched the yard and found a small gap in the fence behind the shed, and that was all it took. We have since battened down the hatches and I have recovered from the carnage, but be prepared all the same. Chickens are wonderful, fun and quirky creatures but they are also, well, dumb and vulnerable.
Here is a fun article from the New York Times about keeping city chickens.
Still interested in keeping chickens? Stay tuned for Part 2: Choosing the Right Breeds for Your Backyard.
