To Coop or Not To Coop, That is the question. Whether it is nobler to suffer the slings and arrows of outraged neighbors, or to take arms and hammer and build me a chicken coop and get some chickens.
I want chickens.
I have been plotting this for some time. For three years I have researched it and researched it some more. And I think that this spring I am going to do it. I’m a get me some chickens for my backyard.
The zoning in my town allows me to keep up to 6 hens in my backyard. I love eggs and we use quite a few of them in my house. The idea of fresh farm eggs everyday is irresistible to me. I also think the kids can learn some valuable lessons from the raising and caring of chickens. So I am now resolved to do it.
Currently I am trying to finalize my design so I can build a chicken coop or a chicken tractor. I think I have settled on Rhode Island Reds as the breed. But I am open to suggestions from the experienced.
Does anybody out there have any experience with chickens? Coops? Or anything chicken related? I would love to hear from you.
What do you think? Am I crazy or inspired?
November 28, 2012 at 1:32 pm
Do it. The eggs are better, they are fun to watch run around and the kids will love it. Get six.
November 28, 2012 at 1:43 pm
Yes, do it. If you have a fenced yard, my answer is 'coop'.
One question though, what does your rodent population look like right now with out chickens? Because you will have them after for sure. Ducks can kill a rat, chickens cannot. I am getting ducks because we have an open storm drain near us where they already lurk. The local cats keep their numbers down, but I worry about "feeding" them once the chickens move in. Anyway, I'm in the Laurel Highlands, ducks lay eggs, kill rats, keep warm, and are quieter than chickens. Their eggs are larger and have more protein.
RIR are great hens and lay well. They are easy to get and are prolific layers. My mother had 3 dozen. We loved them. Hold them a lot so that they get used to being held and you won't have a hard time getting them in the coop when you need to.
November 28, 2012 at 1:57 pm
You will need a warm coop for nights and winter months. But if I were your neighbor I would love to sit on my porch and listen to your chickens scratching in my yard. I love the sound of contented chickens – it's one of my fondest memories of childhood summers at Grandma's.
November 28, 2012 at 2:19 pm
Do it. If you have a coop set up well they are incredibly easy to care for. I really like our Buff Orpingtons. THey are way mellower and friendlier than the Reds we've had. The Reds were cranky. If you can let them out to graze safely during the day, I would say get a coop. If you don't get too cold in the winter, the tractors are great. We have both since we also raised turkeys. The tractor is nice since it protects them from the hawks but there is something awesome about letting them out free in the yard. Clip their flight feathers so they can't fly far.
November 28, 2012 at 2:39 pm
Do 'Chicken TV' when they are peeps. Keep them in an aquarium in your home (busiest area) so they can watch you. They bond to the kids and you more easily, I think.
November 28, 2012 at 2:43 pm
Get the MurrayMcMurray catalog and enjoy reading about all the varieties of egg laying chickens. Get different types to add more color to your little flock. And for the kids, get at least one Aruacana, since these lay blue or green eggs. RE: ducks: one thing to keep in mind in a small backyard is that duck poop is bigger than that of the chicken.
I did witness a chicken kill a mouse once, by the way. Adopt a cat to take care of rodent issues.
I'm for the coop. Love the sight of the hens strolling around the yard.
November 28, 2012 at 3:25 pm
I talked my parents into getting me chickens when I was in 4th grade. It was very educational – even seeing our dachshund get loose and bite one of the chicks in half – and fun. We kept them for about a year and then sent them to a nearby farmer my parents knew.
We live in an unincorporated area and I've tried to talk my husband into chickens, but he's not on board. But other people in the neighborhood have some nice Rhode Island Reds that give me such joy. We even have chickens crossing the road. And rooster two blocks over brings such a happy, wholesome sound to the neighborhood.
Do get the Murray McMurray catalog – it's wonderful for poultry fantasy. I've considered looking for someone to go in with me on a six-pack of peacock eggs. No luck so far.
November 28, 2012 at 3:35 pm
GET THEM! Chickens are easy, useful, tasty, and fun. Great for kids of all ages.
I loved having mine. Buy female chicks and raise them. I'd pass on a rooster though, unless you want your neighbors to kill you…
November 28, 2012 at 3:36 pm
I love the coop in Williams Sonoma catalog. They are built by a Michiganer. If I had a coop that beautiful, how could the neighbors ever complain? My daughter in Concord, CA has several chickens. One is ostracized by the other hens and has free run of the yard. All the hens have names and are of several varieties. My daughter uses the eggs as barter with the neighbors. That keeps everyone happy. Note to the wise: if you ever drop your gum in the chicken yard, don't try to recover it.
November 28, 2012 at 3:59 pm
Reds are the way to go for eggs! Forget the rooster. You don't need him but he does increase productivity. Roosters can be a bit aggressive. They'll spread their wings and run at you and I've not known a hen not to try to get a peck in here and there. Also, the coop tends to smell a little, so be mindful of your neighbors in your placement of the coop…and yourself, of course! Also, when you build the coop, you're going to want to have two doorways. They're sneeky buggers and they'll make their way out with alacrity. If one gets through the first door, it won't be the end of your morning. Also, I've never had any luck with using the flap at the back of a coop to get at the eggs. They figure it out and stop laying in the baskets. They do like the baskets though, so don't dispense with those. They like to lay their eggs towards the corner where they know they can keep them surrounded and warm.
Forget all that "no coop" nonsense. You can let them wander and eat at will during the day, but at the end of the day, you're going to want them in the coop to keep them safe from predators and weather.
November 28, 2012 at 4:24 pm
Home laid eggs are the best! You'll be able to feed your kitchen scraps to the chickens. The larger ones, like RIR, will kill mice that get into their coop. You want a coop to lock them up at night. I think tractors aren't neccessary in most places; chickens confined can tear up a lawn fast! Get hatchlings, let the kids handle them a lot, teach them tricks by using meal worms or earthworms as rewards.
November 28, 2012 at 4:36 pm
DO IT!! I've had chickens in my backyard for 7 years. They provide eggs. They provide great entertainment (birds are really fun and funny to watch), the neighborhood kids love them, they help me dispose of kitchen "waste" and give me lovely fertilizer for my veg garden in return.
We started with a chicken tractor, but moved up to a coop. When my vegetable garden is growing, the chickens are penned into a fenced area around the coop. When the veg garden has been put to bed for the winter, the chickens are let out to roam the backyard.
Loads of great advice online. But be sure to buy Gale Damerow's book on Raising Chickens (Storey publications) — it's the go-to reference.
November 28, 2012 at 4:46 pm
One of my neighbors had chickens and it was nice to get a few eggs every now and then. Although that was his second set, a year before a fox got into the coop through a small hole in the shed it was attached to, killed all of them and was dragging them out one by one. So, make sure the coop is very secure, he had a series of bungees and later even an electric wire around the coop to keep them safe.
November 28, 2012 at 4:50 pm
We just got our chicks in the spring, and they started laying late August. There's some hard work involved, but I've heard that never hurt anybody. 🙂
It is still a thrill to open the lid to the nest box and pick up a fresh egg from one of my hens–hens that I know have been roaming around our yard all day, taking dust baths and sunning themselves when they want, enjoying fresh water and plenty of food. And the eggs are so beautiful and yummy! I know which hen laid which egg by it's color. Stella (a Barred Rock) lays large, lighter brown eggs, Dory (a silver laced Wyandotte) lays slightly smaller, slightly darker brown eggs, Bonnie Blue (an Easter egged) lays gorgeous light blue eggs.
I love to watch them come running when they hear the back door open, knowing I probably have a treat for them (and I usually do.) It's fun to look up from washing dishes and see them through the kitchen window as they scratch around in the leaves.
So by now you've probably guessed that my advice is to order those chicks! 🙂
November 28, 2012 at 5:18 pm
All I know is that my brother and his family in Minneapolis are totally into organic gardening, composting, you name it. They got their chickens over a year ago, fed them organic chicken feed and now they have a major rat infestation! He was stopping at the hardware store everyday on his way home from work, looking for bigger, better rat traps! The last I heard, he had killed/captured 15 rats–and healthy rats they are, having been fed gourmet chicken feed. Hmmm–you might want to think twice.
November 28, 2012 at 5:18 pm
I had no idea that so many people have or have had chickens. This is great encouragement!
November 28, 2012 at 5:50 pm
If you're building a coop make sure that the ceiling is high enough for you to stand up under. It will save you a TON of back-aches.
November 28, 2012 at 7:18 pm
We use this, combined with a run, for 4 hens:
http://catawbacoops.com/
November 28, 2012 at 9:27 pm
We started with 4 suburban chickens and a year later moved to the country. We now have 40 laying hens and raise 50 broilers and 3 pigs for the freezer. Make sure you have a place to compost the manure. We used a corner of our garden area to build 3 compost bins. Once composted down, it makes awesome fertilizer. Also, our hens almost completely eliminated our Japanese beetle problem. Check out hobby farm and urban farm magazines (disclaimer- I freelance for them sometimes).
November 28, 2012 at 10:50 pm
Jealous, jealous, jealous. My city doesn't (yet?) allow backyard poultry. I don't understand the objection. They'd be quieter than the neighborhood dogs; the cats living in the sewers can take care of the rodents.
@BetterThanEden: I've been researching this for a few years, in anticipation of zoning changes and I WANT ORPINGTONS! You're lucky!
– Rural Wannabe