Breakfast in your Backyard

The popularity of backyard chickens has exploded across the nation. Americans are becoming more conscious about their food choices and the interest in local and sustainable food is growing. What could possibly be more local than your very own backyard? A few hens can provide you and your family with healthy homegrown eggs, nitrogen rich fertilizer, pest control and comic relief every day. What's not to love? 

The biggest misconception with raising backyard chickens is that you need to live on a farm or out in the country in order to have a flock of your own. This is not true. There are however, local regulations and neighborhood ordinances that may hinder you from keeping a backyard flock. Happily, more and more communities are becoming chicken friendly, and many citizens are working on getting laws and ordinances changed in towns that are not. Many towns do allow residents to raise hens within the city limits but restrict roosters, which brings us to the second biggest misconception about raising backyard hens.  

Many people seem to believe that you can't get eggs from a hen without a rooster. This is not true. Hens can live and lay eggs happily without any help from a rooster. Without a rooster in your flock, your eggs will be unfertilized and therefore would never hatch into a live baby chick. 

There are many benefits from keeping a small backyard flock. The first and most obvious is fresh eggs.  A hen will begin to lay eggs at about six months of age and will lay consistently for several years.  These eggs, especially when the hens are allowed to free-range and/or are given organic kitchen scraps, are much tastier and more nutritious than what you find at your local grocery store. Store bought eggs are runny with a pale yellow yolk. A fresh egg has a deep orange yolk. The darker color comes from higher levels of beta carotene. Fresh eggs also contain higher levels of Omega 3, vitamins A & E and lower levels of fat and cholesterol. You can also find comfort in knowing that eggs you've raised yourself are free from any antibiotics and hormones commonly used in factory egg farms.  

Egg producing hens in factory farms (the suppliers of those grocery store eggs) are often kept in such close, inhumane quarters in which they are unable to stretch their legs, or wings, or move around.  Even eggs which are labeled as being from 'cage free' hens in the grocery store, aren't living in a lush green field on a farm somewhere. Usually, cage free eggs come from hens that are kept in large overcrowded sheds, as opposed to overcrowded cages. By raising your own hens you avoid supporting these industrial farming practices and have the added satisfaction of knowing your eggs come from happy hens who are able to move around, spread their wings, scratch, peck and be a chicken.

Chickens also make wonderful pets. They have very inquisitive, endearing, and quirky personalities and are so fun to watch. You will find that they are quite entertaining, you'll spoil them with treats, and give them names and hugs. They are very social creatures and each flock has its own “pecking order.” They will come running to greet you, and some will sit by your side or in your lap. My daughter's favorite chicken, Bojangles, will happily play alongside her in our backyard. Chickens are also very low maintenance. They do not need to be walked or brushed. As long as they have fresh food, water, and a clean, predator proof coop, they are happy. Chickens are great at recycling kitchen scraps and yard waste turning it into a great nitrogen-rich fertilizer, which you can compost and use in your garden. The most important thing you need to keep chickens in your backyard is a safe, sturdy shelter.

I found a discarded bedframe on the side of the road and it made
a perfect roosting ladder for my larger coop

Chickens require dry, draft free housing, with good ventilation. There are many different styles of chicken coops to choose from ranging from, high priced fancy chicken condos, to DIY built from lumber scraps. I've even seen children's play houses converted into cute coops, it's all a matter of personal preference. It is a good idea, however, to have your coop raised off the ground to prevent the floor from rotting, and to deter rodents. My girls' favorite place to stay cool is underneath their coop.  They like to dust bathe in the cool dirt. The minimum recommendation for space per standard size chicken is 4 sq. ft. per hen, inside their coop, and 10 sq. ft. per hen in the run area. Smaller breeds called bantams can easily get by with less space. The coop and run area needs to be predator-proof from all sides. It is a  good idea to bury the sides of the run into the soil to prevent predators and rodents from digging their way in. It's also very important to secure the top of the run area with bird or deer netting in order to keep wild birds and predators away from your hens. Humans are not the only species that enjoy a chicken dinner! Raccoons, foxes, hawks, owls, and dogs are the most common predators of chickens. It is important to protect your flock from these guys. Raccoons can easily reach in and grab a chicken through standard chicken wire, so its recommended that you use a smaller gauge hardware cloth/mesh around the lower section of your run area, to prevent this from happening. Inside the coop you will need to provide something for your hens to roost on when they sleep at night, and a nesting box in which to lay eggs. Encourage egg laying with one nesting box for every 4-5 hens. When constructing your chicken coop, keep in mind easy accessibility. You need to be able to easily gather eggs each day and clean out the coop as needed.  

There is an abundance of valuable information online on raising chickens and coop design, including plans and instructions. Do some research to determine what will work to suit your needs. Also check your local library for books about raising chickens, chicken breeds, and backyard homesteading. The forums at www.backyardchickens.com are full of great information and helpful chicken keepers who can answer any questions you have because their years of experience and knowledge. Also, if you are on Facebook, and are local to eastern NC you can join the group “Barnyards by the Sea” to network and communicate with local friends and neighbors who are raising chickens in coastal NC counties.

This article was published in the July 2013 issue of Carolina Salt Magazine.

Thanks for stopping by and please keep in touch!

Find Colored Egg Homestead on Facebook: Click Here

Follow me on Pinterest :Click Here

Subscribe to this blog via Feed Burner: Click Here