It’s one thing to get permits from the local authorities and
reach agreement with the neighbors. Before you set up housekeeping for a small
flock of chickens, also be sure to provide the proper surroundings to keep them
from flying the coop.
Chickens are like any other birds invited into the yard;
they need food, water and cover to be healthy and happy, said Jessica Bloom,
author of “Free Range Chicken Gardens: How to Create a Beautiful Chicken-Friendly
Yard” (Timber Press, 2012).
“It’s best if you can create some beneficial habitat for
your free-ranging chickens — particularly plants they can eat from,” Bloom
says. “That also gives them some shelter and a general sense of well-being.”
She calls that a “food forest” — a diverse and multi-layered
mix of tree canopy, berry-laden shrubs, vines, ground cover and planting beds.
“You can create a food forest garden in any aesthetic style
in a typical urban, suburban or rural backyard,” Bloom says.
Chickens can be great for a backyard: They control pests,
aerate yards, and supply fertilizer and eggs. They’re entertaining, too.
But they also love to scratch and peck when foraging, and
that can destroy gardens. Fence garden areas, particularly when the plants are
small and at their most sensitive, Bloom says. Use containers so chickens can’t
reach high enough to get at their contents.
Hen houses, chicken coops or night shelters are a must for
every flock, especially to ward off predators, she says. “If they are well
designed, these little structures can be fun, colorful and add an attractive
element to any garden.”
A few more suggestions for getting things started:
• It’s easier to build a flock by buying chicks than by
trying to hatch your own, Bloom says. “That’s something to consider for later,
though, because seeing the cycle of life is pretty amazing.”
• You don’t need roosters unless you want to breed your own
chickens, says David Frame, an extension poultry specialist with Utah State
University. “Not having a rooster will help keep the noise down in an urban
setting, where they’re often illegal,” he says. “But personally, I’d rather
hear a rooster crow in the morning than listen to a dog bark.”
• Have everything ready before you bring home your birds.
“Some people pick up their chickens at the local feed store and say, ‘Now
what?’ ” Frame says. “Know what you need and have it available.”
• Chickens will eat almost anything, including table scraps,
grass and insects. “But they have to have a balanced diet,” Frame says. “Get
some sort of commercial chicken feed that’s loaded with vitamins and minerals.”
• Keep living areas clean to prevent disease and rodents.
Chicken manure makes great fertilizer but it’s extremely high in nitrogen. “You
definitely want to cure used litter for a while before putting it on your
plants if you want to compost it,” says Jennifer Cook, with Colorado State
University Extension.
Chickens can be trained to do a number of things like
returning to the coop at night when called. Frequent handling makes them tame.
“It just depends upon how much time you want to spend with
them,” Bloom says. “I know people who run their chickens through agility
courses.”
Written by DEAN FOSDICK for The Journal News Media
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