Читать книгу The Suburban Chicken - Kristina Mercedes Urquhart - Страница 4
Оглавление2: Keeping Chickens in the ‘Burbs
In my grandmother’s youth, a small family flock in the suburban yard was commonplace. Chickens clucked contentedly in the background as American families went about their daily lives. It wasn’t a hobby so much as a way of life. In tandem with a garden, putting food on the table directly from the land was how it was done. After World War II, a massive shift in the way Americans eat began to take place. With the advent of highway systems and the growth of cities, food was more easily transported, and grocers could stock their shelves with exotic foods grown some distance away. Eventually, food was mass-produced on large farms, frozen, prepackaged, and trucked to local grocery stores rather inexpensively. Acquiring food in this way soon became incredibly convenient for the typical American family. Trade artisans, such as bakers and butchers, began to disappear, as it became easier to stock a kitchen or pantry with everything from under one retailer’s roof. And so, the American supermarket was born.
Almost simultaneously, many suburban and rural communities created regulations against the keeping of domestic chickens. Some cities outlawed the keeping of chickens within their limits altogether (although others, such as New York City, never changed regulations and still allow backyard flocks to this day). With the resurgence of self-sufficient philosophies and values and the reclassification of chickens as pets rather than livestock, many cities are now overturning their ordinances and allowing backyard chickens once again.
Are Chickens Right for You?
Almost anyone can raise chickens, but is keeping chickens right for you? Whether your city or town has recently overturned ordinances or never shed its rural roots to begin with, this chapter covers all of the concerns, costs, and considerations you need to think about before embarking on backyard chicken ownership.
Building an attractive chicken coop may not matter to the chickens, but it will go a long way in promoting good relations with your neighbors.
Your City’s Rules and Regulations
Like anything worth doing, there may be a few hoops to jump through before you can start your flock. First, it’s important to determine whether your city or town is one that allows backyard chickens.
Start by contacting your city’s health and zoning boards to see if chickens are legal within the city’s limits. If you’re lucky, your town may have municipal codes posted online for the public to read. (Be forewarned: Municipal codes are dry reading and can be a tad bit overwhelming.) Look under headings labeled “Animals” and “Zoning”—these two sections will likely provide some answers. If your online browser offers a search function, try searching for words like “fowl,” “poultry,” “livestock,” and, of course, “chickens.” Using these keywords to find the appropriate paragraphs could significantly speed up your search time.
When in doubt, county clerks or code compliance officers are great resources to help you sift through the heady terminology. However, if you speak with someone who assumes chickens aren’t allowed in your city, ask to see the codes that state the rules to be sure. For some municipalities, there may be no mention of poultry under the “Animals” section, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t allowed. Sometimes, the rules for how many of each animal species is legal per zone may be under “Zoning,” so try searching there before you give up. If your city does allow chickens, bear in mind there may be a limit to the number of birds you may keep, and there may be additional fees for any birds or other pets over that limit. Some cities may also require a permit and charge a small yearly fee.
Finally, if you live in a neighborhood with a homeowner’s association, you’ll also want to check with the association’s board to learn whether they allow chickens in your neighborhood. If they are against chickens, you may feel passionate enough to take steps toward reversing those restrictions. Educating your fellow homeowners and board members is the first step: Speak to your neighbors, start a petition, and present to the board all of the many reasons why chickens are a great addition to any backyard.
Know Your Chicken L.O.R.E.
To find out about your city’s chicken laws and ordinances, go to the website backyardchickens.com. There, you can search by state to learn all about chicken L.O.R.E. (Laws and Ordinances and your Rights and Entitlements): www.backyardchickens.com/atype/3/Laws
The Right to Bear Chickens: Eight Tips for Changing City Ordinances
If you find that keeping chickens is illegal in your hometown, all hope’s not lost. It is possible for citizens to petition, educate, and lobby to have an ordinance overturned. Really, anyone can do it. If you’re passionate about poultry and are ready to see legal backyard chickens in your city, here are eight tips for getting started.
1.Knowledge Is Power. Keep reading this book—and any other chicken book you can get your hands on. To convince fellow citizens, skeptical neighbors, and government officials that chickens belong in backyards, you’ll need to know enough about them to speak confidently about their needs, behavior, and proper care. Get to know chickens inside and out by visiting regional farms and speaking to current chicken owners in neighboring towns or cities.
2.Build a Team. Next, find like-minded citizens who are willing to help see this project through to the end. Assemble a small task force that includes two to four friends, neighbors, or backyard chicken enthusiasts to help you. These should be individuals who are familiar with chickens and feel comfortable speaking to groups of people, have the time to commit to the project, and with whom you feel comfortable collaborating. Other community allies may include neighborhood associations, master gardeners, local and slow-food advocates, schools, senior centers, animal rights groups, local chefs and restaurants, farmers, and food banks.
3.Build an Image. Give your movement a name. Then, with your teammates, start a mailing list of supporters and get the word spreading. Create a website, blog, or social media group (through sites such as Facebook and Yahoo), and invite citizens and local businesses to join, offering updates throughout the process and asking for help and support as needed. Getting endorsements from the community is important. It’s easy to ignore just one or two people who want to keep chickens—it’s hard for city government to ignore whole neighborhoods, vocal families, and local businesses.
Also, organize meetings for your supporters. Offer free screenings of films such as Mad City Chickens or Chicken Revolution for inspiration and encouragement. Find an existing chicken keeper who has a particularly docile hen that might be enlisted as a goodwill ambassador. You’ll be amazed how eager people will be to sign petitions, offer support, and join the project when they come face to face with a living, breathing, fluffy hen.
4.Get into Government. Educate yourself on how city government works and get to know your city officials, planning staff, or advisory board. If you can, identify individual members who may have a soft spot for the project and will take you under their wing. Having a pro-chicken ally within the city government can be extraordinarily helpful and speed up the process significantly.
5.Learn from Others. Learn the laws from other chicken-friendly towns and offer these as examples to your city council. What do neighboring cities’ regulations on keeping chickens look like? How many birds are allowed per residence? How far must the coop be placed from existing structures? Do your homework and come armed with information; you’ll inevitably need to navigate (legitimate) concerns about noise, smell, and curb appeal from citizens and council members. Be prepared to answer questions.
Also, find out how successful backyard chickens have been in those cities. If the movement is flourishing and complaints are at a minimum, you may ask for a letter of support from those cities to take to your council members. If you’re particularly savvy about governmental affairs, you may even draft a proposed ordinance for keeping chickens in your town (modeled on those cities’ codes) and offer it at a meeting.
6.Get the Media Involved. Contact your local newspaper and other city publications that may be interested in covering your story by targeting reporters who have an interest in sustainability and environmental issues. Also, accept offers to speak on the radio and similar public platforms. Be outspoken and spread the word. The goal is to garner widespread support and to put pressure on your city council to address the issue (they’ll be more likely to pass the ordinance if they see a majority supports it). Get the conversation going. Any press is good press.
7.Come Prepared. With the information you’ve gathered about chickens and other cities’ chicken-keeping laws, put together information packets to give to the city council member(s) who are willing to help you. If no one is willing, attend town hall meetings any time chickens are on the agenda. Gather your supporters and ask them to turn out to show support. Pick a few eloquent individuals to prepare speeches on certain concerns (odor, noise, disease, and so on) and ask them to speak when the council is open to public comments. Make your voices heard but be polite and stick to the facts. Show council members that you are serious and determined to see the project through. And don’t forget to invite the media.
8.Be Patient. Some cities are able to overturn ordinances in 6 to 9 months, but many take 12 to 18 months to see results. Once you get the ball rolling, don’t give up. Remember, “The squeaky wheel gets the grease” so be persistent but also compassionate and courteous. Do your research, be reasonable, and respectful, and you’ll soon have legal chickens in backyards all over town.
Being Neighborly: Proper Chicken-Keeping Etiquette
So your city’s codes check out, and you’re legally allowed to keep chickens in your town. Hooray and congratulations!
Before you start ordering chicks and building a coop, though, you may want to run your intentions by your neighbors. Those not familiar with chickens may be wary of even the mention of the barnyard animals. After all, chickens make noise (just a little) and their housing can smell (if improperly cared for). Your job is to consider your neighbors’ concerns and alleviate any unfounded fears. Assure them you’ll keep a clean coop (and follow through on that promise), because a well-maintained coop doesn’t smell. Also educate them on basic chicken behavior: Many people don’t realize that hens do not need a rooster to lay eggs, so you won’t need one around. (Most cities prohibit roosters, anyway, and roosters are the noisy ones.) Hens cluck and chirp contentedly throughout the day, but rarely do they make noise above a conversational speaking voice. Occasionally, an individual bird may sing her post–egg laying “hen song,” but it only lasts for a few minutes and is still quieter than a barking dog.
Finally, take aesthetics into account. A nicely constructed coop with attractive paint choices and window boxes or some minor landscaping can go a long way toward winning over wary neighbors. Keep it clean and tidy. Remember, your coop represents the modern chicken movement, and you are a representative of chicken keepers everywhere. Show your neighbors and prove to your town that chickens do have a place in every yard.
And when all else fails, shamelessly bribe your neighbors with the enticement of homegrown, pastured eggs with yolks so dark, they’re nearly orange. That might just be enough to win them over.
Chickens are among the easiest of animals to care for, but that doesn’t mean the birds are care free.
A Lifestyle with Chickens
Any new addition to a family requires some adjustment, and adding a flock of chickens is no different. The good news is that with a little preparation, chickens can fold neatly into nearly any lifestyle, any schedule, and any backyard or neighborhood.
Like any pet, caring for chickens requires a bit of daily attention. Whether you have a flock of 3 or 30, daily tasks include egg collecting, visual checks on all of your ladies for illness or injury, and a quick scan of the coop’s perimeter. That’s it. If you provide your flock with large water fonts and feeders, feeding and watering chores can happen every other day or so, and big cleanings can be reserved for one weekend in the spring.
One of the biggest adjustments to your lifestyle will take place in the evening, when the flock turns in for the night. Chickens instinctively seek shelter at dusk, and they’ll find it in their coop. To keep them safe from predators, they’ll need someone to lock them up in the coop each evening and open the coop door again each morning at daybreak. This chore isn’t time-consuming in itself; rather, it’s all about timing. Many predators strike right at dusk or shortly after, so it’s important to close up the coop just after the flock retires for the evening. The time for sunup and sundown will gradually shift with the seasons, though, changing the time of day you’ll need to close and open the door. For these reasons, it helps to create a system in place that works for you. Some chicken keepers install automatic coop door openers that close on a timer. These can be costly but really convenient. Some chicken keepers let their birds free-range only when they’re at home to watch them and are available to shut the door behind them each evening. Others build predator-proof outdoor runs that don’t require the daily opening and closing of the coop door at all (very helpful for those who work late or have unpredictable schedules). For those of you with families, this is a terrific responsibility to give to children and teens.
Another consideration when starting a flock of chickens is establishing their care while you are away. Unlike cats or dogs, a flock of chickens can’t be boarded with a veterinarian or kennel. Whether you travel for work or vacation, you’ll need to employ someone to come to your coop to gather eggs, feed and water the flock, and open and close the coop door while you’re away. Fortunately, as the chicken-keeping movement gains momentum in cities across the country, more and more knowledgeable chicken sitters are offering their services. For a small fee, they’ll keep an eye on your flock and know what to look out for should a problem occur.
Finally, if any of these responsibilities seem burdensome or an ill fit for your lifestyle, consider sharing the weight with others. Whole neighborhoods have been known to get in on the action of keeping chickens, with great results. Starting a flock with neighbors helps to distribute the costs and responsibilities of keeping chickens, and there will always be extra sets of eyes, ears, and hands to pick up chores, troubleshoot issues, and swap egg recipes.
You can spend as much or as little on a coop as you’d like.
Expenses
Many assume that if they keep a few chickens, they’ll get “free” eggs. But if you’re doing it right, keeping chickens is not free. While day-old chicks are rather cheap (cheep!) compared to other pets at $3 to $5 per chick, there will be start-up costs in the way of housing, equipment, bedding, feed, and supplements. The latter three items will be continuous monthly or yearly costs as well, so budget accordingly. To some degree, spending money is necessary if you want to keep healthy chickens.
By far, the coop is often the largest expense. You can spend thousands of dollars on a deluxe chicken coop with all the bells and whistles, or you can get creative and retrofit an old shed or doghouse with found or recycled materials—or something in between, of course. It’s really up to you, your budget, and your skill set. As long as the coop keeps your birds safe from predators and the elements, and it’s strong, sturdy, and gives them a place to lay eggs and roost at night, they won’t mind what the coop is made of or how much it costs.
Like any pet, chickens require a continuous supply of feed that will accrue a regular (usually monthly) cost. The thought of chickens foraging in the backyard (for free) is certainly idyllic, but it’s not realistic. Laying hens have specific nutritional needs, and if they aren’t met, their health will surely suffer. Feed costs vary widely depending on the brand of feed you choose and the number of birds you keep. (There’s much more on feed and supplements in chapter 7.)
The hard lesson that many excited, new chicken keepers learn in the first few years is that you don’t really save money on eggs by keeping chickens. If you’ve been buying pastured, local eggs from the tailgate market or nearby farms, you likely have an idea of what eggs from healthy, humanely raised chickens actually cost. In that case, you may see a small savings. But if you’re transitioning from 99¢ per dozen for factory-farmed eggs bought at the grocery store, it may be several years before you start to see a difference in your food bill. Even so, many keepers, myself included, feel that when the true costs are weighed, the effort is well worth the price.
Your chickens will need a coop that properly protects against predators as well as inclement weather.
Space Requirements
Chickens need room to roam. How much, exactly, depends on how large your flock is. The jury is still out on precise numbers per bird, but a good rule of thumb that many chicken keepers follow is to provide 4 sq. ft. (0.4 sq. m) of coop space per bird if they free-range daily and 10 sq. ft. (0.9 sq. m) of space per bird if they are confined to a coop, pen, or outdoor run full time. You can’t really give a chicken too much space; in this area, more is definitely better.
The only hard-and-fast requirement is that the space be located outdoors. To be a chicken keeper, a backyard space is a must. A small flock could conceivably live indoors and have their basic needs met, but I wouldn’t recommend this route. Raising chickens indoors would deprive them of their very nature to scratch, dig, peck, and dust-bathe. And giving laying hens a better life is one of the reasons we get into chicken keeping in the first place.
Time Requirements
We’ve touched a little on the basic time requirements needed to tend to a small flock of chickens. There will be a few (very easy) daily chores but also some (moderate) weekly maintenance, and once a year or so, there will be a (rather messy) coop cleaning. For now, be prepared to devote some time to your coop’s maintenance and chicken care.
Chores aside, when you share a life with chickens, there will be some lost time that goes unaccounted for: watching baby chicks in a brooder, spending time in your garden as your flock follows you around, and watching young pullets lay eggs. These are the “chores” that make all of the poop scooping worthwhile.
Peeps, Pipsqueaks, and Poop: Kids and Hygiene
Chickens and kids can—and often do—get along famously. Many of the small chores needed to properly care for chickens are perfect for little hands. Children are often endlessly entertained by chicken antics, and raising chickens for eggs offers valuable insight into where our food comes from.
To make the most of this relationship, though, children will need adult supervision in several areas. The most important factor is hygiene. Chickens aren’t the neatest and tidiest pets there are, and anyone tending to them will become quite accustomed to navigating around their waste. Proper hand washing should follow any contact with chickens. Wearing appropriate chicken attire (such as muck boots) for anyone working or spending time in the coop is also a must. By creating a hygiene routine for children directly involved in chicken care, everyone can rest assured knowing the poop stays outside where it belongs.
Kids are fascinated by animals, so it’s only natural they will want to help tend the chickens.
Four-Legged Flock Members: Other Pets
Another consideration for the pre-chicken keeper is other pets. If you already share your space with and care for other animals, you’ll need to consider how well they will fare with chickens and how well chickens will fare around them. Indoor birds, rabbits, guinea pigs, hamsters, gerbils, amphibians, and other similar critters are usually quite compatible with a flock of chickens—mostly because they never cross paths. Other barnyard animals, such as horses, goats, pigs, and cows, were practically made to cohabitate—whole books have been written on successful pasture rotation including ruminants and chickens, but I won’t cover that in this book. Other poultry, such as turkey and ducks, on the other hand, can share some nasty parasites with chickens, putting the health of all at risk, so do your research before integrating flocks of poultry.
Generally, cats do not pose a viable threat to most adult chickens. Outdoor cats may cautiously interact with free-range chickens, but there are rarely major conflicts. On the other hand, cats do pose a threat to small chicks and even some fully-grown bantams. Even a seemingly timid house cat can cause serious harm or death to either. Chicks brooded indoors around house cats should be properly protected: Predator-proof the brooder so that cats can’t jump into it or reach in and claw at the chicks. If at all possible, brood chicks in a separate room where you can close the door and keep cats away completely. Introductions between the species can happen with your supervision, but the two should never be left together unattended.
While cats have a fairly predictable set of hunting behaviors, dogs are an entirely different matter. Some dogs are very aggressive toward animals they perceive as prey and wouldn’t hesitate to kill a chicken (or an entire flock). Others may be disinterested or even compelled to protect the flock. Chickens and dogs may not seem to be the most compatible of species, but with an early start, some good training, and a watchful eye, certain dogs (of any size) can find a very harmonious existence with a flock of backyard chickens. You may find that keeping one of these compatible canines nearby can ward off a number of unpleasant predators all while fulfilling your pup’s need for a job.
Dogs and Chickens: Know Your Pooch
Can dogs really be trusted around chickens? You’ve likely heard a few disaster stories: traumatic events that ended in a bloodbath with dead chickens and Fido to blame. Others swear by their pooch’s loyalty, and you’ve no doubt seen the social media photos of placid, sleeping canines with fluffy chicks happily perched all over them. But when it comes to chickens and dogs coexisting in reality, there are no hard and fast rules. The real answer is that every dog is different.
Chicken breeds, while they vary widely in color, shape, and sometimes personality, are relatively uniform when it comes to temperament. They are creatures of prey, and they don’t want to be eaten, so they’ll do everything they can to avoid that fate. This makes them pretty predictable in terms of how they will react around most “predator” animals (dogs and cats are included in this category). On the other hand, the personality and temperament (not to mention size) of many dog breeds, in combination with a dog’s individual personality, can vary so dramatically that only you will be able to determine if your pup can be trusted around chickens. Here are some of the different factors that contribute to your dog’s trustworthiness around prey animals.
Working with Breed
Before you can move toward any conclusions about your dog’s behavior (or potential behavior), know his breed. If he is a mix from a shelter, then make your best guess. If you’re completely stumped, consult a canine trainer or dog expert for his or her advice. Knowing your dog’s dominant breed and the general traits of that breed is important because it will tell you a lot about what to expect of your dog around smaller animals. Read about the breed and what purposes or tasks it was developed for. Was your dog’s breed cultivated for herding? Hunting? Companionship? These offer very important clues to your dog’s underlying temperament and will help inform whether he or she will get along with chickens.
The reason this is important is that some breeds have a relatively high prey drive. Prey drive is the tendency or inclination to attack or pursue, and sometimes kill, smaller animals that are perceived as prey. Prey drive is not the same thing as aggression. Some breeds have a lower or higher prey drive depending on what they were bred to do. It is possible to train a dog around its naturally inclined prey drive, but this takes time, commitment, and, above all, consistency from the dog’s owner.
Working with Personality
Even a dog of a passive, unassuming breed can still pose a threat to your chickens if its personality is aggressive or overly playful. My 90 lb. (40 kg) retriever mix would never intentionally harm one of our birds, but she is playful, very large, and doesn’t know her own strength. While playing, she could easily pounce on a chicken and inflict a fatal wound, even without harmful intentions. On the other end of the spectrum, one of our Chihuahuas (we have two) seems to believe that everything, and everyone, exists to play with her. She likes to chase the chickens around in fun, but they find it rather annoying. They sometimes chase her back but simply aren’t fast enough to catch her. The dog doesn’t pose a threat to the chickens (if you don’t count sheer annoyance), but this behavior under other circumstances could stress out certain birds, separate chicks from hens, or make them feel generally unsafe. In this example, a breed developed for companionship (the Chihuahua) is overshadowed by the dog’s personality (high energy, very playful, and occasionally focused on the chickens). Sometimes, individual dogs simply defy their breed; their personalities just don’t match what their breed says they should be like. This is where it’s up to you to know your dog and watch his or her signs around perceived prey. Again, it all depends.
Birds of a Feather: Making Introductions
So you’ve determined your dog’s breed, know his personality, and think he’s ready to coexist with chickens. Where do you start?
First, timing matters. If you’ve recently added a puppy to your household and already own chickens, introduce them right away (as in, while your dog is still a puppy). If you already have a dog and are considering getting chickens, you may want to test your dog’s prey drive and general reactions by introducing him to other birds before getting chickens, with the supervision of a professional, of course. The following method is roughly the same for both scenarios.
The safest option is to start with the least amount of exposure and work up to direct contact. Keeping a distance, walk your dog or puppy on a leash around a chicken yard, coop, run, or enclosure. Watch to see how your dog reacts when he spots the birds. Do his ears perk up? Do his eyes lock onto the birds and become fixated? Or, does he glance their way, sniff the air, and then move on to other smells? Read your dog’s body language as you walk around.
If the dog shows signs of wanting to chase the birds (barking, growling, tugging at the leash, all while keeping eyes on the birds), you may want to call it quits for the day and try again another time. A dog that is aggressively interested in chickens may warrant some professional training to become acquainted with and trustworthy around a flock. If the dog is interested but not aggressively so (watching, sniffing the air, but generally moving about) or completely ignores the birds, you can move closer to where the flock is. Let your dog or puppy sniff the chickens and the ground around the enclosure. The nose is the information gatherer of the dog’s senses so let your pup sniff for as long as he wants.
Continue to introduce the dogs and chickens in this manner—with your supervision at all times—as you gradually eliminate barriers between the two species. This process may take days or weeks (or more). Be patient and take your time; continue to read your dog’s body language and follow his cues.
Can’t We All Just Get Along?
There may be some dogs that you feel will never be trustworthy around chickens. This can be an unfortunate reality that you will have to reconcile as a dog owner and/or chicken owner. If you have a dog that continually shows aggression, extreme herding behavior, or relentless chasing, it is likely that this dog’s prey drive is very high and may not be trusted loose around a flock of chickens. While not ideal for you, do remember that this is not the dog’s fault—it is his instinct and simply in his nature. In a case such as this, it is your responsibility to keep both species safe. First and foremost, train your dog to listen to your basic commands; keep him on leash at all times around the flock. House your flock in a predator-safe coop and lock them up each night. Watch diligently if your dog and chickens are ever in the same area together; and if you can’t be there to monitor interactions, keep them separate. If you are unable to take these steps, it would be wise not to keep dogs and chickens together at all.
Teach an Old Dog New Tricks
There are some that believe with enough time, effort, and diligent training, any dog of any breed can learn to live peacefully with chickens. Whether your dog requires daily obedience training or naturally has a nonchalant attitude around fowl, take the time to learn some basic commands and practice these with your dog regularly. Though it may be entertaining to watch, don’t encourage play between your dogs and birds; play may be a precursor to more aggressive behavior. Look on the Internet or contact your dog’s breed club for qualified trainers in your area that specialize in that breed.
Above all, use good judgment. Read your dog’s body language and know the animal well enough to determine which precautionary steps you need to take to keep both dog and chickens safe.
The Guardians
Dogs have guarded livestock for centuries. In my flock, we’ve tried a variety of roosters to protect our hens from foxes and raptors, but none has been as successful as the simple presence of our large retriever mix. She’s not a traditional guard dog: She’s a big, playful and goofy mutt more interested in chicken poop than anything else in the yard. But she has a very low prey drive and was raised around our flock from puppyhood, so everyone has had years to become acquainted. She doesn’t know she’s guarding the flock, but the results speak for themselves. We wouldn’t trade her for the world.
If you’re looking for a canine protector, here are some great livestock guardian breeds:
•Akbash
•Anatolian shepherd
•Great Pyrenees
•Komondor
•Kuvasz
•MaremmaHome on the Range: Preparing Your Backyard
Komondors, with their unique moplike coats, are best known for being extremely protective guardians.
A Great Pyrenees dog makes an excellent livestock guardian.
For just a minute, put this book down, head over to the window, and take a look at your backyard. What do you see? Do you have an expansive green lawn? Flower gardens? Large established trees? How about a deck or patio? Once chickens are introduced into your outdoor space, they will quickly make themselves at home in every nook and cranny within their reach: Flower pots, water fountains, veggie beds—it’s all fair game. Through the investigative powers of their beaks, talons, and sheer curiosity, no stone will be left unturned (so to speak).
To immaculately manicured flower beds and perfectly mulched gardens, a flock of chickens can be a frustrating nuisance at best and a devastating force at worst. Chickens scratch at soil, dig craters in the dirt for dust bathing, and eat the foliage and fruit from favorite flora. If they find something particularly tasty in your garden, they’ll eat it down to the roots. They’ll also overturn compost piles searching for bugs and grubs (it is up to you whether that’s a boon or a nuisance), without concern for making a mess. In the process, they’ll deposit droppings in their wake. With free-range chickens, these scenarios are not a matter of if but rather when.
Like any other preparation, chicken proofing a garden is a project best started before any peeps come home. The easiest and only foolproof way to keep chickens out of areas where they’re not welcome is to put a barrier between them.
Tales from the Coop
It’s probably becoming clear that I’m quite an animal person. When my husband and I started our first flock, we had three dogs: two Chihuahuas and a shepherd-retriever mix, all rescue animals. Our most timid Chihuahua, Lucy, steered clear of the chickens completely; our boisterous and outgoing Chihuahua, Ruby, happily followed our hens (to eat their droppings, of course) and taunted our rooster by zipping and jumping around him. Whether she was genuinely trying to play with him or gleaning joy simply from irritating him was anyone’s guess.
We got incredibly lucky when we adopted Winnie, the shepherd-retriever mix. She was just a few months old when she met the chickens and, since they were pullets themselves, both species grew up together. Once fully grown, Winnie ended up reaching a whopping 90 lb. (40 kg). Lucky for us, she was respectful and gentle around the chickens. She acted as a wonderful guardian when the chickens were free ranging, and, aside from her penchant for chicken droppings, she completely left them alone.
We also fostered dogs for our local shelters over the years, but not all were as respectful of the chickens as our three. Some of the adult dogs we brought home had very strong prey drives. Others were rowdy puppies that were driven solely by the desire to play. Thankfully, no chickens have ever been harmed in our fostering adventures (which continue to this day), but we always played it safe and exercised extreme caution.
Tales from the Coop
A life with animals was one I had long known well. The responsibility of their care came naturally and always held joy for me. For the most part, the change in routine that came with keeping chickens felt seamless for my husband and me, city slickers though we used to be. Overall, they fit right into our homebody lifestyle.
But mistakes are made, and nobody is perfect. The first time we experienced a fox attack was early one fall morning with our first flock of hens. I had failed to close up the coop the night before (we had been out to dinner), and the chickens were out roaming in the dewy, unmowed grass (a chore that my husband hadn’t gotten to the weekend before). Between the two of us, we had unintentionally set up the perfect conditions for a fox to have a chicken breakfast. By the time I realized what was happening, it was too late for Rita, our white Easter Egger hen. I caught a glimpse of the fox at the edge of our wooded property just as she was fleeing the scene. The vixen paused and turned to look at me, with Rita in her mouth. Then she gracefully dashed into the tree line.
It’s important to be as prepared as possible for the lifestyle changes that come with keeping chickens, but it’s equally important to forgive yourself when you do your best and accidents happen. Every chicken keeper will experience the loss of his or her birds sooner or later. We can then learn from our mistakes and become better wardens of our birds.
Fencing
Fencing used to keep chickens out of gardens need not be fancy or even heavy duty for that matter. It only needs to serve as a barrier to keep marauding chickens out (or in, depending on how you use it). This means most of your options won’t be terribly costly or difficult to install.
If your chicken fencing serves dual purposes of protecting your gardens from chickens and protecting your chickens from predators, turn to chapter 10 for a more detailed guide on predator proofing. If your neighborhood is home to loose-roaming dogs, it would be wise to consider dual-purpose fencing.
Assuming you simply want to deter your chickens from destroying your gardens, there are several simple fencing options.
Chain Link. Chain-link fencing is very durable and a common fencing option for many homeowners; however, it is quite expensive to use for simply keeping chickens out of unwanted areas. Consider chain-link fencing for perimeter use or for your own use. If you already have chain-link fencing erected on your property, it will work very well at keeping chickens corralled. Fortunately, for those putting up new fencing, there are many other chicken-friendly options.
Chicken Wire. Though the mesh is too thin for all-purpose predator protection, chicken wire fencing is one of the best options for keeping chickens out of unwanted areas. It’s inexpensive (comparable in cost to plastic), supereasy to find, and installation takes minutes. Farm supply stores will often sell metal posts for bracing that do not require hardware or the use of tools; wood posts also work well but will require some minor hardware to install properly. Chicken wire is available in a variety of lengths and widths, is easy to move, and looks clean and rustic in a gardenscape.
Decorative Garden Fencing. Decorative landscape fencing is usually available at home and garden stores and is manufactured in a dizzying array of styles, colors, height, designs, and patterns. Decorative fencing is commonly made from new or recycled plastic or metal. While inexpensive and pretty, decorative garden fencing is usually rather ineffective: Many styles are too low and chickens will simply hop over them. Others are tall but have wide openings through which a chicken can easily squeeze. Decorative fencing may work to deter new chickens for a little while, but they’ll eventually become curious and determined to investigate what lies on the other side.
Electric Fencing/Netting. Electric poultry netting has many pros: It’s easy to move and set up anew, it’s affordable, and it’s incredibly effective. Unlike other garden fencing options, electric netting will successfully keep predators out and chickens in. This is a favorite option for many chicken keepers, since it offers the peace of mind of knowing the chickens are safely enclosed. Of course, any electric fencing relies on electricity, so it is susceptible to power outages and other related snafus. If you choose electric netting, keep the weeds and grass mowed below the fencing, since overgrowth can cause the fence to short out. Also investigate solar-powered fencing to keep electric bills down and to have a reliable source of power. Electric fencing isn’t as aesthetically pleasing as some other options, but it does the job well.
Hog Fencing. Another handsome fencing option is hog fencing. With its large, square openings (about 4 in. [10 cm] per side), small predators such as weasels, snakes, mice, and rats, as well as tiny chicks and very young birds, may walk through freely, but it is suitable for keeping adult chickens confined to an area. Hog fencing panels are more expensive than either plastic or chicken wire and not very easy to move once installed, but they work well and make great garden fencing.
Plastic. Plastic fencing is popular for its accessibility, its ease of installation, and its low price tag. Made of vinyl or PVC, plastic fencing is available in a variety of mesh sizes, shapes, and colors and makes great temporary fencing. Unfortunately, plastic has several drawbacks: The material is incredibly flimsy and becomes brittle with the fluctuating temperatures of many seasons. Plus, any determined predator can knock it down or chew right through it, getting to your chickens quickly. What’s more, broken fencing leads to a lot of wasted material and money.
Wood. A great natural source of fencing material, wood may look beautiful in a garden. Unfortunately, wood privacy fencing is rather large and may require professional installation, adding a significant increase to the cost. Picket fences may be used to partition off gardens but are not easy to move once installed. Depending on the height, chickens may fly up to perch on wood fencing and fly onto the other side, gaining access to everything that is off limits.
Chickens will find a vegetable garden an attractive source of bugs, worms, seeds, and nuts, so installing a barrier is the only way to protect your valuable plantings.
Hardscapes: Concrete, Stone, Decking, and Gravel
Patios, decks, stone pathways, and other garden features beautify spaces and make outdoor living easy and comfortable. The chickens that share these spaces will navigate them in much the way humans do: They’ll come and go as they please, walking on any surface you or I might walk on. Hardscapes are rarely a deterrent for chicken traffic.
The major considerations when introducing chickens to hardscapes is the challenge of keeping them clean. As chickens graze and meander throughout the day, they’ll leave droppings in their wake. You’ll likely want to keep heavily trafficked outdoor areas clean to avoid tracking manure into your home or car. If you keep a small flock of hens, cleaning droppings with a cat litter scooper is a viable option but one that will probably become tiresome and tedious over the years. Instead, you may want to install only garden features with excellent drainage.
Deck railings, fence posts, and low fencing all make enticing perches for backyard chickens. As you’ll learn in later chapters, the preening and grooming that follows dust-bathing is a social activity that often takes place in small groups while perching. And as chickens perch, they poop. You can either restrict your flock to certain areas of your backyard or make your peace with poop.
Know the Cold, Hard Facts
Still wondering exactly what you’re getting into? Here are some cold, hard facts to think about before getting started with chickens.
Expect to get dirty. Chickens are messy. They eat like teenage boys, stand on every available surface, and they poop whenever (and wherever) the mood strikes.
Expect to give tours of your coop. For neighbors, friends, and family, your hen’s house will become a small attraction (as if you needed another reason to keep it clean).
Expect to become an expert at making scrambled eggs.
Expect to commit. Most battery-cage hens live for only a year and are then pulled out of production and “processed,” but a well-cared-for domestic chicken may live up to ten years. While the first two to four years of life are the most productive egg-laying years, most layer breeds will dependably lay for up to seven. If you raise healthy, laying breeds, you’ll be pulling eggs out of the nest box for many years.
Expect to make some modifications to your lifestyle. Whether it’s sharing a backyard with your feathered friends or traveling a bit less, bringing home any new pet warrants some compromises to your current routine.
Expect that your chickens will take a break from egg laying every once in a while for their health and well-being. A hen’s reproductive system waxes and wanes with the seasons. Egg laying naturally declines in winter as the days grow shorter. Other annual events, such as molting, will also put the brakes on laying for a little while.
Expect to be thoroughly entertained. Chickens are, in a word, ridiculous. They have a waddle that’s nothing short of slapstick comedy, they make the funniest chuckles and chortles you’ve ever heard, and their antics never cease. You will never be bored keeping chickens. Promise.
Softscapes: Mulch, Soil, Lawn, and Gardens
Of all the “’scapes” in the garden, softscapes are the most susceptible to destruction by chickens. Soil harbors all manner of grubby bugs, wriggly worms, seeds, and nuts, and seeking out and finding this forage is what chickens live for.
To the gardener, mulch is a must. It protects the precious topsoil, helps the ground retain moisture, and keeps weeds to a minimum. To the chicken, mulch is a flimsy barrier between her beak and the good stuff. In a few swift digs of her talons, she’ll send the mulch flying, revealing the vulnerable soil and bugs below. Like a moth to a flame, chickens instinctively know to search under mulch, piles of leaves, and similar ground covering to find protein-rich forage.
Like mulched areas, flower beds and edible gardens are prone to damage from free-roaming chickens. Vegetable gardens and fruit trees are especially targeted: The sweet greens, juicy fruits, plump veggies, and tender seedlings of newly planted beds are simply irresistible to chickens. With both mulched and cultivated gardens, fencing is the only surefire way to keep chickens from getting to these valuable crops. Fencing can be utilized to corral chickens to one area, enclose entire gardens, or even cover individual beds, so do what works best for your setup and budget.
Generally speaking, grass-covered lawn is less vulnerable than the types of gardens described above. While chickens will dig and scratch at grass, they’ll only do significant damage if they are confined to a small patch for a very long time. Chickens will nibble the tips from grass and take bites of weed and plant leaves but will rarely pull up any of these from the roots while grazing. Chickens may be rotated on grass with portable fencing or pens very successfully. (Chicken “tractors” and “arcs” serve much the same purposes; see chapter 6 for more on portable housing.) The size of the pen and the number of birds in your flock will give you an idea of how quickly they’ll eat the greens down to dirt. For the first few rotations, you will need to watch them closely and move them before you see significant damage to your grass.
“Misc”-Scapes: Outdoor Furniture, Birdbaths, and Garden Accessories
As with deck railings and fences, some garden accessories, such as outdoor furniture, birdbaths, outdoor grills, and garden art, will be used as perching and preening posts. Remove or relocate pieces that you don’t want soiled, especially anything that children play with, such as swing sets or outdoor play equipment, and anything that comes into contact with food, such as grills and tabletops. Furniture that remains outdoors will almost certainly require regular cleaning after perching and preening activities, or you may opt to store it when not in use.
But don’t toss the plastic pink flamingos just yet: Many garden accessories are simply of no interest to chickens. My flock shares the garden with a life-sized concrete chicken statue that goes largely unnoticed. New birds will often eyeball the statue with a sidelong glance, but once they determine that the gray hen is not a threat, they’ll go about the more important business
of tearing up my flower garden in search of crickets.
None of this information is meant to discourage you from allowing your chickens to free-range. In fact, foraging—and all of the great health benefits that come with it—is an essential aspect of any chicken’s life. As with any other area of chicken keeping, I listed these concerns because a few preventive steps can go a long way toward derailing any unfortunate surprises for a new chicken keeper. So, find a happy medium: Protect your gardens, but let your chickens have some free-range time. It’s entirely possible to have a beautiful, flourishing garden, clean outdoor spaces, and happy, free-roaming chickens.
