Urban Chicken Coop: Good Idea or Insane Whim?
I’m extremely happy to report that Roy is on the mend. After five days of breath-monitoring, medicine-administering, Calamine-slathering and the like, I’m in dire need of a new and brighter topic. And so: Chickens!
We’ve been tossing about the idea of a chicken coop for awhile. We were originally inspired about five years back, after visiting our friend Randy, an artist who lives in the Iowa countryside. He’d built a gorgeous chalet-like coop, complete with salvaged stained-glass windows, and really seemed to enjoy taking care of his “ladies.” The morning’s omelets sold me.
Flash forward to this year, with the urban coop trend in full swing. My fairly new eater is an egg-lover, which makes them a menu constant. A steady supply of “free” organic eggs sounds fabulous, as does the homegrown lesson in where food comes from. Lately, we have chicken ownership on the brain.
So I’m ready to take it as a sign that a few weeks back, we spotted a chicken pecking about a neighbor’s front yard. We rang the nearest two doorbells. No answer. We were trying to decide what to do when she found her way into the nearest open gate. We shut it, figuring that if she wasn’t theirs, they might know where she belonged.
A few nights later, we spied someone puttering around in that very yard, so we stopped and asked: “Do you have chickens?” He answered “yes,” so we kept going: “How many? Is it hard? Are they noisy? How often do they lay?”
Mid-inquisition, his wife showed up, and the two of them were kind enough to not only field our questions, but invite us back to see their setup. Within seconds, Clint was inspecting the coop and getting the 411 on space requirements and city regulations, as Roy poked about, ultimately deciding that their dog was the cooler attraction. We left with an open invitation to swing by and talk all things chicken, plus plenty of food for thought.
When it comes down to it, the decision is up to Clint. He’s the professional hammerer in the family, so clearly he would build the coop. We have somewhere in the ballpark of a zillion projects in the works around the house and yard, so I didn’t think the odds were good that I might somehow sneak “build chicken coop” up toward the top.
But the day after our impromptu neighbor-chicken meet-and-greet, Clint tells me he called the aforementioned Randy, who gave him the scoop on which chickens are the friendliest and which lay the prettiest eggs, as well as his hatchery recommendation. Would I please order a catalog? Done.
And then: He picked up DIY magazine solely because I mentioned that the latest issue had an article featuring a chicken coop project. Later, we had a serious discussion on how we might adapt that coop to our needs.
Finally, there was the moment when Clint looked me square in the eyes and said, “If we get chickens, will you take care of them? Really?”
I could tell he was serious, so I took a little time to picture the reality of a coop—or, more accurately, the reality of poop. Would I be comfortable with adding “clean up chicken poop” to my standing to-do list? This would be the price to pay for those eggs. Those fresh, warm, perfect little eggs, waiting mere feet from our door each morning.
My final answer: Yes. You guys, I think we’re on our way to an urban chicken coop.
Are we crazy? And if you happen to be a chicken owner: Any drawbacks I need to know about?
Categories: Food, Fun, Home, Love And Diapers, Must Read | Tags:
by Stefanie
On June 13, 2011 at 10:52 am
All I remember about chicken coops is hearing butchering stories – but egg collecting should be quite nice:)
We had thought about it – but I’m afraid our dog would scare them to death – and with our stealthy kitty able to open doors, she’d likely snatch the eggs before we could even get to them!
You guys are brave! I hope that it goes well – we will likely visit to check it out!
by Julia
On June 13, 2011 at 11:15 am
Whoa you guys are brave! I can’t even handle a goldfish. Or a houseplant. Fresh eggs every morning sounds amazing though.
by Jen
On June 13, 2011 at 1:20 pm
Ha! Awesome. Jim just agreed (after years of my badgering) to yard chickens, but now there’s the gaping maw between approval and actual construction of coop. We’ll be right along with you in the experimentation phase! Good luck!
by Berit Thorkelson
On June 13, 2011 at 1:47 pm
Awesome, Jen! We can compare notes. Or, rather, our coop-builders should compare notes…
by Joanne Spencer
On June 13, 2011 at 2:31 pm
Berit – we have chickens. Or rather, we have chickens with 2 other families and they don’t live at my house. It’s kind of a co-op coop. We all helped build it, although much of the labor and care falls to our friend’s family. Each kid got a chicken so together, we own 6. We used a local farm supplier in Stillwater (Houles) and we got them in the spring, so we have the coop finished by the time they could go outside (sometime in Aug or Sept). We got quiet chicks who lay often, and were hardy in the cold. My kids are in LOVE with their chickens. But they do poop alot. My advice is to build a separate chicken poop compost at the same time you build your coop. Just an open one so it’s easy to get rid of. The amount of poop was a surprise, but we have 6 where you’ll have, maybe 2? Either way, I think my friend loves caring for them and what’s not to love about your own eggs?!
by Eve
On June 13, 2011 at 2:43 pm
Just another reason for you all to come visit. Eric started as a back yard chicken rancher. He started with six ladies. He has help build a number of backyard coops.
As Joanne wrote, there are many different breeds with different qualities. Some are frequent layers, some broody mama’s, etc.
We currently have 500 hens, broken into two groups of 250. The “Big Girls” are 17 months old and we get about 160 eggs a day. They will start ramping down over the next few months. The “Little Girls” were born in February will start laying in July. It takes about a month for the eggs to go from pullets to regular size.
Give us a call, email or visit if you have questions!
Good luck. And so glad Roy is feeling better!
by Berit Thorkelson
On June 13, 2011 at 3:08 pm
Awesome to hear from experienced chicken owners. Joanne, thanks so much for the poop compost tip. Perfect. Eve, I’m sure we’ll email you at some point during our process…. and I’m serious about that visit “sometime.”
by Barb
On June 13, 2011 at 11:07 pm
We have had chickens for 3 years now and I’m almost embarrassed to admit how much I enjoy them. And my kids are absolutely in love with them.
My best chicken coop advice? #1. Build the coop bigger than you think you will need it because it’s almost guaranteed you will want more, eventually. (I’m telling you, they really grow on you!). #2. Poop trays. Most of the poop build-up can be eliminated by putting some sort of tray underneath the roosts. Chickens do a LOT of pooping at night while they sleep. If you have something you can easily slide out under the roosts, you can dramatically reduce the need to clean out the coop. I only clean mine out a couple of times a year. You can find lots of examples on backyardchicken.com.
As far as cons to consider? Chickens are very low-maintenance, but they do require daily care. You will need someone to open up the coop in the morning and shut it at night. This is crucial. So if you go out of town, you can’t just leave them to their devices. It’s helpful to have a friendly neighbor.
by Berit Thorkelson
On June 14, 2011 at 8:33 am
Thanks so much, Barb. Input & valuable poop-tray tip much appreciated. I’ll check out that website, too.
by Eileen
On June 15, 2011 at 9:02 pm
We are about to embark on chicken ownership too! I am going to keep them in the enclosed bathtub garden space we have attached to our house. The plan is to get three….to replace my children : )lol! So we only need to build the nesting boxes etc. But we won’t try it out till it cools down in the fall. I’m excited.
So glad little Roy is back on the mend there, poor kiddo.
by mdt
On June 15, 2011 at 9:51 pm
What the hello are you going to do with chickens in the winter? Collecting eggcicles when it’s -52 outside and the snow is deeper than the distance from my porch to the coop does not sound like a chore I am up for. I like to watch other people doing crazy things though. Go for it!
by Berit Thorkelson
On June 16, 2011 at 9:12 am
Eileen! We’ll be able to compare notes, too. I hope you noticed the poop-related tips the other commenters gave, above. Your kids will be honored :)
Good point, mdt. I’m hoping I’ve bonded with the ladies enough at that point that no amount of snow will keep me from them? That’s the “plan,” anyway. Crazy as it may admittedly be.
by katie
On June 21, 2011 at 4:07 pm
Love it. Do it. Let me come over and pet the chickens.