Here’s a novel way to help the environment and lower your grocery bills at the same time: Keep some chickens in your backyard.
Actually, it’s not as wacky as you’d think. The “urban chicken” movement has transformed from trend into tradition over the past decade, taking hold in cutting-edge culinary places such as Brooklyn, Seattle, Portland and San Francisco. Many cities allow chickens, with certain restrictions; many more, such as Ann Arbor, Mich., and Fort Collins, Colo., have changed civic ordinances to permit residential chickens.
In Orange County, suburban chicken farming has become increasingly popular in many cities not traditionally associated with agriculture. One reason: It’s surprisingly easy to do.
“The equipment is cheap and you don’t need a lot of expertise,” said Margaret Millspaugh, owner of Wagon Train Feed & Tack in Orange. Her company is one of the largest local suppliers of chickens and related paraphernalia. This time of year, Wagon Train is also busy supplying some Orange County elementary schools with fertilized eggs, part of a popular educational program that lets kids raise their own chicks and watch the birds’ growth process, from hatchling to egg-laying stage.
Millspaugh ticked off the basic hardware you’ll need for shepherding three or four chicks from birth to maturity: a large plastic tub to keep them in, a bag of wood shavings, food and water containers, and a clamp-on lamp for a light and heat source. Keep the lamp on one side of the container, the food and water on the other, Millspaugh advises. You can raise chicks in your garage or even a corner of your kitchen.
After four to six weeks of rapid growth – “they eat pretty much 24/7 unless they’re sleepy,” Millspaugh said – your chickens, if they’re happy and well-cared for, are ready to graduate to a coop. They will begin laying eggs at 6 months or so.
Give them space and an occasional bath
Raising backyard chickens is just one aspect of the burgeoning urban farming movement. A new generation of savvy consumers want their food to be produced locally, sustainably and cleanly, with as little manipulation as possible.
The Worldwatch Institute reports that home-raised animals reduce the carbon emissions associated with food transport. It points out that sourcing from your neighborhood also reduces reliance on factory farms – vast, crowded facilities that can severely pollute local ecosystems. They’re a growing environmental headache. A 2008 federal government report estimated that industrial livestock production produces 500 million tons of waste annually in the U.S., which, in addition to fouling watersheds, emits large amounts of methane and other greenhouse gases.
Urban chicken fans say small-scale poultry farms are less likely to be sources of avian flu and other diseases than a factory farm. They’re inherently healthier places because of their size, diversity of livestock and roomier conditions for the birds.
Experts suggest some simple rules to keep your chickens in the pink, such as a substantial roof on the coop so they’re not infected by droppings from overheard birds.
“I recommend cleaning about once a week,” said Millspaugh. “I rake up the (waste) and use it as compost. I keep the perches and nest boxes clean. You can also wash your birds with a little Dawn and water. Towel-dry them and let them fluff up. The soap will kill whatever’s on them.”
Millspaugh lets her 26 at-home birds roam around the yard frequently, and each one enjoys at least 2 square feet of space in the henhouse.
“I keep them happy,” she said.
If your chickens are content, you can expect an egg or two per bird every day – somewhat fewer in the winter.
“The only way you can get them to lay every day in the wintertime is to put a light on at 6 a.m. and turn it off at 10 p.m. You’re extending their daylight,” Millspaugh said.
Not a short-term commitment
Before you bring chickens home, remember that it’s not a short-term commitment. The average bird lives 8 to 10 years; some might reach their 12th birthday before soaring on to poultry paradise. A chicken stops laying regularly after about five years. After that, they’re pets.
Also, check your town’s ordinances about keeping livestock. Rules vary widely, although most cities allow for up to four hens (no roosters, for obvious cock-a-doodle-doo reasons). There are usually regulations about a minimum buffer zone. Some cities require the coop to be at least 10 feet from the property line. Others require much more space between your chickens and your neighbors.
Millspaugh recommends buying an even number of birds.
“They like to pair up when they hang out. You want to make sure there isn’t an oddball. They’ll be mean to it.”
Millspaugh prefers the larger, hardier breeds for home chicken farms.
“I like a nice heavyweight like the Buff Orpington. They’re big, golden brown birds who like to be held and are good layers. Rhode Island Red and Plymouth Rock are also good. The Giant Cochin is wonderful. They look like a girl in a petticoat.”
Chicks aren’t expensive. Wagon Train sells them for $5.95 each, sexed and vaccinated. They’ll eat about 2 pounds of food per week when they’re mature. They also do well in Orange County’s benevolent climate.
The only serious threat to your backyard chicken farm is Southern California’s diverse array of predators. Hawks, skunks, raccoons and coyotes can make short work of even a big hen. “Don’t make a beautiful coop that isn’t secure,” Millspaugh advises. “And don’t use old-fashioned chicken wire. Use welded wire; it’s stronger.”
Katie Ingram, a representative for Orange County Animal Care, said it’s illegal to capture or harm raccoons and other predators. She suggested making the chicken coop secure and your yard unattractive to unwanted visitors: no fruit, animal food or water source on the ground. If a pest is persistent, Ingram said, it’s possible to find a trapper permitted through the California Department of Fish and Wildlife.
If you’re not handy with a saw and hammer, Wagon Train sells prefabricated chicken coops starting at $295. They also recommend two contractors who can build a custom job for $600 and up. “They can even build a chicken coop that looks like your house,” Millspaugh said.
That would look a little weird. But the chickens won’t care. And your friends and neighbors will stop snickering when you hand them a free carton of extra-fresh eggs every week.
Contact the writer: 714-796-7979 or phodgins@ocregister.com
