Raising

Backyard
CHickens
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The information presented here has been carefully researched, and all efforts have been made to Are You Ready for Chickens? 4
ensure accuracy. Rodale Inc. assumes no responsibility for any injuries suffered or for damages or
losses incurred during the use of or as a result of following this information. It is important to study Check before Liftoff 5
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When using any commercial product, always read and follow label directions. Select Your Birds 6
Prepare a Chicken House 13
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Start Your Flock 18

companies, organizations, or authorities.

Internet addresses and telephone numbers were accurate at the time this publication was produced.
Begin with Chicks 20
Feed Your Growing Family 22
Gather Fresh Eggs 24
Coddle Your Hens 25
Listen to Chicken Tales 27
Project editor: Rachelle Laliberte Project manager: Sheilla Manalili
Project researcher: Jean Nick Copy editor: Alice M. Perry
Cover designer: Maureen Logan Book designer: Maureen Logan
Photo editor: Stephanie Smith

Photography: Laura Moss: cover; iStockphoto: pp. 7, 8 (top), 11, 12;

Matthew Benson: pp. 8 (bottom), 18, 20, 21; Guy Sagi/Veer: p. 9; Shutterstock: p. 17

Illustrations: Courtesy of Michael Gellatly: p. 31


Are You Ready
for Chickens?
The growing interest in eating the tastiest, least tainted, most
local vegetables is propelling more and more people to start their
own gardens, even if they have only a small plot of land. The
thrill of gathering fresh food from the back yard can then lead
to romantic thoughts of stepping outside to gather your own
fresh eggs every day. And, if you keep a few chickens, youre also
gaining fantastic pets. Sounds like a perfect plan, doesnt it?
Raising backyard chickens gives you some measure
Raising of self-sufficiency, says Christine Heinrichs, author
of How to Raise Chickens: Everything You Need to Know
backyard (Voyageur Press, 2007). Three hens will provide a
chickens family of four with plenty of eggs, but before you start
salivating over the thought of fresh Sunday-morning
gives you scrambled eggs, its important to understand what
some
raising backyard chickens entails. And if you dont
find your lifestyle friendly to home-raising poultry,
measure dont feel bad. You can do the next best thing and
buy your eggs from local small-flock poultry farmers
of self- who let their chickens live more natural lives outside
sufficiency.
(compared with filthy, factory-farm cage conditions).
You can even join organizations like the Society for
Preservation of Poultry Antiquities or the American
Livestock Breeds Conservancy to support the cause. Everyone
doesnt need to keep their own chickens, but by supporting each
other, we can create stronger local food networks that will serve
all of us better, says Heinrichs.
If you can cope with chicken poop on a regular basis (its an
amazing addition to your compost operation!) and are truly drawn
to the idea of raising backyard chickens, read on to see if you have
what it takeseven if you have only a teeny yard or a large deck
where you can keep a 3-foot-by-6-foot rabbit hutchstyle cage.
4 R AISING BACKYARD CHICKENS
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Check before Liftoff
B
efore purchasing birds or even planning for a coop, it is
important to check local regulations and homeowners
association rules. Many municipalities ban roosters (dont
worry, hens lay eggs without them) and limit the number
of hens a household can keep. Some communities require
permits, signed agreements from neighbors, or an appearance before
the zoning board, while others have ordinances that restrict the size and
placement of outbuildings.
Sometimes the rules are surprisingpleasantly. New York City, for
example, has never banned hens, says Owen Taylor, the training and
livestock coordinator for Just Food, a nonprofit that works to improve
access to fresh, healthy, locally grown food in the city. Theyre considered
pets, like cats and dogs, so zoning laws do not apply, Taylor says.
In communities that outlaw poultry, chicken activists are
joining together to challenge the laws. So start showing up at town
hall meetings and try to get things changed to support local food
production. Grassroots movements have overturned chicken bans in
Madison, Wisconsin; Ann Arbor, Michigan; and Bozeman, Montana.
So backyard flocks are on their way to becoming common once again.
Even if youre free as a bird to raise hens in your back yard, you may
still have to respond to an anxious neighbor or family members fears.
Here are a few of the most common objections to urban and suburban
chickensand how to lay those fears to rest. (Once you have hens, some
free eggs now and then can help keep relations rosy.)
Odor: A properly managed small flock is almost odor-free. If you pile
pine shavings 2 to 3 inches deep in the coop and clean it out every month
or two and compost it, its not going to smell, says Penn State poultry
expert Phillip J. Clauer. In some cities, including Seattle, Austin, and
Atlanta, chicken owners arrange coop tours to show off what good
neighbors chickens are. Portable pens and runs are even less likely to
smell or attract flies.
Health: You can get various types of illnesses including salmonella from
chickens, baby chicks, and eggs, but that is not peculiar to backyard
flocks or even chickens. Most salmonella infections related to chickens
begin in commercially raised products. The Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention recommends washing hands thoroughly with soap after
handling chicks, chickens, manure, or eggs, which also helps prevent
contamination. Concern about avian flu may also come up. Explain that
not only is bird flu very uncommon in the United States, but it is also
RodalesOrganicLife.com 5

extremely hard for people to get, even from each other, according to
Louisiana State University AgCenter poultry expert Theresia Lavergne,
Ph.D. The people who do get avian flu are in direct constant contact
with the birdsthey live with the chickens in the same house, breathe
the same air, which we wouldnt do in our culture.
Noise: Roosters certainly are loud, and at the worst possible time
(dawn), which is why some communities ban
them. But hens? Hens cackle for about 12 to
What? No 30 seconds after they lay an egg, and that may
Rooster? happen two or three times a day, says Andy
Schneider, who keeps a flock of about 50 hens
Hens lay eggs just fine and even a few roosters in a suburban Atlanta
without a rooster. If you subdivision. Schneider says he hasnt heard a
want to hatch your own peep from his neighbors about noise.
chicks, youll need one Rodents: Rats and mice can be attracted to
rooster per every 6 to chicken feed, which is why it should be stored
10 hens to fertilize the indoors or in a rodentproof container, such as a
eggs, but a rooster is metal trash can with a tight-fitting lid (rodents
completely optional if can chew through plastic ones). Coops and
you just want eggs to eat. runs with strong wire mesh make it difficult for
rodents to get in to eat or set up housekeeping.
Select Your Birds
H
ow many chickens should you get? You need at least two,
as they are social creatures and keeping just one is cruel.
Two hens will produce just over a dozen eggs a weekone
egg each almost every day starting when they are 24 to
32 weeks oldand continue to do so for 8 to 9 months
straight. If you and your family typically use more than a dozen eggs in a
week, add two more standard-size hens per dozen eggs needed.
After that first period of laying, your hens will take a break of a few
weeks to a few months (typically in the winter) and then start laying again.
Each time they start laying again, they will lay fewer but larger eggs. It
is not unusual for a pet hen to lay for 5 yearsat which point she may
be laying no more than an egg or two a week on averageand to live
even longer. So it is a good idea to plan on adding about half that many
new henstwo in this caseevery spring to keep egg production up
(assuming you will be keeping your old girls on for their natural lives and
6 R AISING BACKYARD CHICKENS
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SELECT YOUR BIR DS
not inviting them to dinner when production starts to dwindle, in which
case you will replace the entire flock about every 2 years).
Choose the Right Size
Many breeds come in two sizes: standard, also known as large breed,
and bantam, which are typically one-quarter the size of standard birds.
Both do fine in back yards, though standard chickens lay much larger
eggs than bantams and, because they weigh more, tend to be less flighty.
(If you decide on bantams, double the number of chickens you get to
compensate for the much smaller eggs they will produce.)
Most hens are in the 6- to 8-pound range, but a few breeds are even
larger. For those who have reservations about getting involved with
12-pound birds, bantams could be a good choice; Nankin bantams
are especially admired for their charming and sociable personalities,
says Heinrichs. One costume
interpreter at a colonial history
museum brings one along to
classrooms in his pocket, then
amazes the children by removing it
and letting it visit with them.
Silkies are another very sweet-
tempered bantam. Their unusual
hairlike feathers and black
skin also give you something to
amaze your neighbors with. Both
breeds are excellent brooders and
mothers, says Heinrichs, who
advises beginning chicken keepers
to avoid game breeds because
some are aggressive. White Silkies are fluffy and friendly.
Learn about Chicken Breeds
Pick breeds that do well in your climate and match the temperament
and production level you seek. Rhode Island Reds are a popular dual-
purpose breed that lay large, light brown eggs, but they can be aggressive
toward calmer birds such as Brahmas. Breeds with thicker plumage do
best in cold climates, while those without a lot of extra insulation, such
as Silkies, a fabulously ornamental breed with feathers that look more
like fur, live comfortably in warmer climates. Naked necks or Turkens
are very good in hot climates because their bare neck skin can shed heat
fast, and they are delightful birds and real conversation starters.
If you can, Heinrichs suggests, attend poultry shows to see different
breeds, and talk to breeders to make sure the birds you get are from a flock
that meets the standards you are looking for in your flock.
RodalesOrganicLife.com 7

Purpose: When selecting a chicken
breed, decide whether youre more
interested in eggs or meat, or if
youd like chickens that serve both
purposes well. Here are some details.
Layers (eggs) For dependable
egg production, choose breeds that
are good layers. Sex-link hybrids are
the best producers, and some of the
heritage breeds, such as Australorps,
Leghorns, and Anconas, are also
known for egg laying. Chanteclers
were developed for Canadas cold
climate and lay through winters
short, dark days says Heinrichs.
Most chickens slow down and
then stop laying entirely during the
White Leghorns lay eggs practically every day. winter months, though hanging a
small lightbulb in their sleeping
area and putting it on a timer to
extend the daylight period from
6 a.m. to 8 p.m. will keep them
laying some eggs all winter.
Broilers (meat) Not everyone
raises chickens for the eggs or the
company. If your plan is for the
chickens to end up on your dinner
table, youre looking for hearty
portion sizes and the plump double
breast of the familiar supermarket
chicken. The Cornish is the basis
for the fast-growing industrial
chicken, and when you look at them,
you can see why, says Heinrichs.
They look like the football players
Jersey Giants live up to their name. of the chicken world, with full
breasts and large drumsticks.
Jersey Giants were developed as a large meat breed, with adult roosters
weighing 13 pounds or more. Brahmas and Cochins are also large meat
breeds. Crevecouers and Houdans are old French breeds with good size
(8 pounds for a rooster) and renowned for their flavor.
Cornish cross hybrids are the champions of broiler world. They
convert chicken feed into meat incredibly fast and efficiently. If you
raise them yourself and give them access to good food, fresh air, and
8 R AISING BACKYARD CHICKENS
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SELECT YOUR BIR DS
room to exercise, you
end up with meat that
is better than anything
you can buy at the
supermarketin as little
as 7 or 8 weeks (heritage
broilers take twice as
long). Generally speaking,
broilers are not good
layers, as they tend to get
too fat to produce eggs,
and even if you ration
their feed to keep them
fit and trim, they eat a
great deal more feed to
produce an egg than a
standard-size chicken
does.
Dual-purpose (eggs
and meat) Plymouth
Rocks, Dominiques,
Wyandottes, Javas,
Rhode Island Reds and
Whites, Buckeyes, Jersey
Javas come in four varieties: Black, White, Mottled, and Auburn.
Giants, and Delawares
are renowned for their
productivity and adaptability, says Heinrichs. They are all dual-purpose
breeds, which means they are both good egg producers and good meat
birds for the table.
In addition to the American breeds above, traditional English breeds
such as Dorkings, RedCaps, Orpingtons, and Sussex are reliable egg and
meat birds. French Faverolles were developed as large table birds that
lay well and persevere through the winter, too, says Heinrichs.
Consider Other Attributes
Egg color: Some breeds lay white eggs, some lay buff eggs, some lay
brown eggs, a few lay chocolate brown, and still others lay pinkish,
greenish, or even bluish eggs. Feather color has nothing to do with egg
color (White Rocks lay medium-brown eggs, while Brown Leghorns
lay pure white eggs). Oh, and whats inside tastes exactly the same no
matter what color the shell is (taste is determined by diet and lifestyle).
If you like a particular color of egg, fine; choose hens that will lay that
coloror mix it up so every nest will contain a variety.
Leghorns are white-egg layers (the brown-feathered version are not
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SELECT YOUR BIR DS

quite as nervous as the white ones are); Anconas lay off-white eggs; Red
Sex Links and most of the larger heritage breeds lay medium-brown
eggs; Araucunas, Americanas, and Easter Eggers lay green-blue or
pinkish eggs; and Cuckoo Marans lay dark brown eggs.
Beauty: If youre solely into looks, you might gravitate to heavily
feathered giants like Cochins or Langshans for their eye-catching
beauty. The Sultan, with its feathery head, covered with a full crest,
muff, and beard, feathery legs, and five toes, was bred entirely as a
decorative breed, says Heinrichs, who notes that Sultan hens are often
good egg layers, too. Frizzles, with curly feathers, occur in all breeds
but are most often seen in Cochins, an already soft-feathered breed.
Diversity: If you cant decide which breed to get, mix and match.
Hens from different breeds will get along just fine. Conventional
advice suggests that you focus on a single breed, but many fanciers
cant choose a Polish over a Dorking, so they get more than one, says
Heinrichs. They are your chickens. Enjoy them.
But be warned, the decision isnt just a matter of adding up the pros
and cons. Almost certainly, once you have decided that you want
chickens, you will see the birds you cant live without, Heinrichs says.
Thats the breed for you. And there is always next yearwhen you
will be adding a few more birds to the flock.
The good news? Whatever breed you end up with will probably get
along fine with your family. Heinrichs says that early experiences make
a big difference in chickens. Being raised around humans, being gently
handled from day one, can make a pet out of nearly any chicken, she
says, and even birds adopted later in their lives soon learn to come
when called and may even become affectionate.

Heritage or Hybrid?
Heritage. Some chicken will be able to. Heritage to their hybrid vigor breeds to choose from, your chicks are
fanciers prefer to raise hens are more prone to (just as mutts tend to be but they tend to be easy all hens, select a
heritage (conventional) go broody (settle down healthier than purebred to find. And just to be sex-link hybrid
breeds rather than on a clutch of eggs to dogs). If you are looking clear: Hybrid chicken breed, says Jean
hybrid breeds. Heritage hatch them), which is a for the most efficient breedseven the Nick, author and
birds come in an pro if you want to raise production (the most ridiculously fast-growing sustainability expert
astonishing variety of chicks and a con if you eggs for the least feed), Cornish crossesare who raises pastured
shapes, colors, textures, dont, because broody a modern hybrid layer not genetically modified! chickens. (Not all
and sizes, and at least birds stop laying for the breed is hard to beat They are just the result of hybrid breeds are
one of them is likely to duration. Heritage birds for eggs (and a Cornish years of careful selection sex-linked, but
strike you as just too also tend to develop cross is hard to beat of natural variation within many are.) With a
beautiful to not have. more slowly and lay for meat production). conventional breeds and sex-linked breed,
Keeping heritage breeds fewer eggs per year (or Hybrid hens are just careful record keeping the boy and girl
helps preserve them produce less meat) than as personable and fun as to how the offspring chicks are clearly
Red Sex-Link chickens, also called
(even if you never raise hybrid birds do, but this as heritage breed hens of a specific cross different colors, Red Star, are always hens.
any chicks, you are is rarely a concern on are and make great (say, a Rhode Island making it next to
buying someone elses a backyard scale. (For backyard birds. (Cornish Red hen and a White impossible to pick out hens that lay lots and
when you buy hens and specific breeds, see cross meat birds are, Rock rooster) look and a boy when you want lots of big brown eggs.
helping to support their Best Backyard Heritage admittedly, a bit lacking produce. a girl. Brown Sex-Link Black Sex-Link chicks are
operation). If you have a Breeds, on p. 12.) in the personality chicks are commonly also available; with those,
hen and a rooster of the department, but you Sex-Link Hybrid. If available (you want the you want the solid black
same heritage breed and Hybrid. Hybrid chickens dont keep them around you want to start with reddish-gold chicks, not chicks, not the ones with
want to hatch your own are great birds and tend for that long anyway.) chicks and need to the yellow ones) and a white or gray star on the
chicks of that breed, you to be quite hardy, thanks There are fewer hybrid make absolutely sure grow into happy brown top of their heads.

10 R AISING BACKYARD CHICKENS RodalesOrganicLife.com 11


Best Backyard Heritage Breeds
The four breeds listed here are chosen for their superior qualities as pets.
All come in both bantam and standard sizes, do well in mixed flocks, and
have lovely plumage.
Buff Orpington. Bred in England, these large gentle birds have beautiful
orange feathers and a docile disposition. They lay large light brown eggs
and handle cold weather with aplomb.
Black Australorp. Originally from Australia, they have red combs offset by
glossy black feathers that shimmer in the sunshine with a hint of green.
Australorps are known for their curious nature and sweet personalities.
They mature early and reliably lay large brown eggs.
Barred Plymouth Rock. A heritage American breed with striking black-and-
white barred feathers, they lay large brown eggs that can sometimes have
a pinkish hue. Theyre friendly and very easy to handle.
Cochin. Introduced to the United States from China in the early 1800s,
Cochins look like balls of feathers. They arent known for heavy egg
production, but the hens make an excellent addition to a flock, both for their
calm personality and their fun feathered feet. They come in a range of colors.
For more about breeds, check out Storeys Illustrated Guide to Poultry
Breeds, by Carol Ekarius (Storey Publishing, 2007).
This Black Cochins feathered feet are
hidden in the grass.
Buff Orpington is a sweet-tempered heritage
breed that is a dependable layer.
12 R AISING BACKYARD CHICKENS
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Prepare a
Chicken House
Y
ou dont need to build an extra bedroom or anything,
but a carefully laid-out chicken coop will keep your hens
happy. And a happy hen is a laying hen. Here, backyard
chicken keepers Amy Johnson and Chris McNichol, of
Media, Pennsylvania, lay out some details on raising a few
chickens in a small yard.
At its most basic, a chicken pen is a rainproof shed or room that can
be shut tight against the wind, with enough space for a nest, where the
hens will lay their eggs, and a perchnot over the nestwhere they will
sleep (a 1-inch dowel or similar stick is perfect), as well as a larger area
with mesh sides and an open bottom below or beside it.
Coop dimensions can range from rabbit-pen size to storage-shed size.
Since the coop will also be a part of the landscape, consider aesthetics
as well as the chickens needs when planning for one. Even if you dont
have much extra space, consider what existing structures and space you
have, such as a play structure or space beneath a deck or staircase that
could be appropriate, says Christine Heinrichs, author of How to Raise
Chickens: Everything You Need to Know (Voyageur Press, 2007).
Measure for fit. The type of housing youll need depends on how
many chickens youre going to keep. Dont keep more chickens than
space allows, urges Heinrichs. Figure a minimum of 1 to 2 square
feet per chicken inside the henhouse and 4 to 8 square feet per chicken
of yard or run outside. Bigger is better. Bantams require the least space,
and large chickens the most. Chickens need space to stretch their wings
and interact socially with each other. Crowding is one thing they dont
like, says Louisiana State University AgCenter poultry expert Theresia
Lavergne, Ph.D. If they get stressed, they will peck each other.
Buy or build. There are many good commercial setups if you have money
to spend. An A-frame with the run underneath is easy to move and clean,
and makes good use of yard space. Modular plastic shelters with runs such
as the Eglu (eglu.com) have become a popular and convenient solution for
those with limited space and extra cash. (The Eglu Go chicken house and
chicken run will cost you around $550 plus shipping.) It has the advantage
of being ready out-of-the-box when you are, says Heinrichs.
Build a coop yourself, hire a local carpenter, or buy a prefab one.
A quick search online will turn up loads of do-it-yourself plans as
RodalesOrganicLife.com 13

well as prebuilt coops. Check out these sites: backyardchickens.com,
chickencoopsource.com, mypetchicken.com, motherearthnews.com/do-it-
yourself/. For plans for a Portable Chicken Ark, see p. 31.
Remember these rules. No matter which model or method of
housing you choose, here are some basic rules of thumb:
If the floor is elevated, make sure it sits at least 2 feet off
the ground to prevent rotting without providing an area that
rodents will love but you cant get at (the area underneath also
offers shade to hens outside during warmer months).
Avoid using pressure-treated wood, which is bad for your
backyard environment, or recycled wood with lead paint on it.
Make sure there are adequate vents or windows near the top
of the coop to ensure proper air circulation.
Make sure the coop has a door for hens on one side, and a
human-size door on the other end, so people can easily clean it.
A design that includes a horizontal flip-up door so you can
easily harvest the hens eggs without actually going into the
coop is a good idea.
If a window is in the coop design, cover it with -inch mesh
hardware cloth to keep out wild birds, rodents, and other
varmints.
Dont place the coop near a neighbors home or under your cooler than about 50F.
homes windows.
Put the coop in a well-drained area, ideally where theres
access to water and electricity. Consider placing it in the
shelter of a garage wall, which will provide more insulation for
the chicken house.
The Portable Pen
Dont rule out a portable pen for your chickens. A movable coop allows
you to keep the chickens out of places you dont want them wandering
in (such as your best flower bed, where they can dig; the doorstep,
where they can leave squishy presents; your neighbors yards, where
they can pester your neighbors, hiding their eggs in interesting places;
or the road, where they can play in traffic) while providing many of the
14 R AISING BACKYARD CHICKENS
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PR EPA R E A CHICKEN HOUSE
benefits of free ranging. It keeps them safe from wild and domestic
predators; gives them access to fresh grazing, which is important
for their health and the nutrition of their eggs; and lets them spread
their manure (so you dont have to). When you are out in the yard to
supervise, you can open the door and let them roam, if you like, but you
dont have to.
A movable coop arrangement also reduces the chances of diseases and
pests (time and sunshine are great sanitizers) and can make your egg-
laying friends less attractive to larger predators. Creatures on the hunt
like to case the joint beforehand, and changing the layout every few days
makes them uneasy, says Jean Nick, author and sustainability expert, who
raises pastured chickens and highly recommends portable pens.
For ease of portability, be sure your movable shelter is all one piece and
includes wheels or runners, especially if you will be moving it by yourself.
Depending on your climate, you may want to cover the top of the run
with shade cloth or a waterproof tarp to provide shade and/or dry foraging
area (you may have heard the expression mad as a wet hen; they much
prefer not to get soaked, though they will put up with a drizzle).
If you have even a small patch of lawn, you can find a new spot for a
portable system every day or every few days, and your grass will love you
for it. Just days after the hens have been moved off a patch of grass, you
wont even be able to tell they were there; if you can, try to relocate the
pen more frequently.
Aim to move the pen around so that it takes at least 30 days to get
back onto any area. Alternatively, you can park the portable pen on top
of an existing or planned garden bed and let the chickens scratch, peck,
and fertilize it into the best weed- and pest-free soil youve ever planted
in. This is the best option during the period of the year when the soil is
Chicken Run
Even in a fenced back yard, its not wise to allow chickens to range
free without supervision, both for their security and the safety of your
garden, deck, and lawn furniture. Chickens love to scratch the ground
looking for worms and seeds, without regard for what plants might be
in their way. They perch on anything handy and also bathe in the dirt
to prevent mites. In urban and suburban areas, predators come in all
shapes and sizes, from coyotes to raccoons to hawks and especially
neighborhood dogs, even the ones that would never hurt a flea. Seeing
a bird running turns on a primitive hunting memory in just about any
dog that hasnt been socialized with domestic birds. Your own dogs and
cats can be taught to accept chickens as part of the family.
Attach an enclosed outdoor run to your permanent or portable coop
to give the hens a place to exercise while keeping them contained. Use
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PR EPA R E A CHICKEN HOUSE

1-inch-by-2-inch welded wire mesh, which is strong enough to keep reach through to collect eggs without going into the
out just about anything except a determined bear (chicken wire is pen with the hens. If such a setup isnt possible, come
Cage
Your
designed only to keep chickens in, not keep predators out). It will be an up with another one that allows you to access the eggs
investment well worth the money. If you have bears, you may want to from outside.
look into electric fencing. Since danger can come from above and below, Place 3 to 4 inches of bedding in each nest. This can Plants
bury the fencing for a permanent run at least 1 foot deep to keep out be wood shavings (not cedar, which is toxic to birds),
Recent garden
predators that could dig through, and cover the run with berry netting dried grass clippings, fresh straw, rice hulls, peanut
transplants from
to deter aerial attacks from hawks and owls. hulls, sawdust, or shredded paperanything soft and
six-packs or
Because birds are most vulnerable at night, make sure they spend absorbent. It keeps the freshly laid eggs clean.
even 2-inch
their nights locked up in a secure coop. The outside run area needs to
be secure as well, but predators are more wary and tend to stay hidden Good Housekeeping pots need to
be protected
during daylight hours (when your chickens are out), so the run doesnt Cover the floor of the coop (but not the run, unless
from curious
need to be quite as rock solid. A portable run can be small (2 to 4 square it is concrete) with 4 to 6 inches of bedding similar
chickens
feet per bird) since you can move it frequently to fresh ground. A to that placed in the nesting box. It will help keep
until they are
permanent run needs to provide 8 to 10 square feet per bird: If you have the floor clean and soak up the wetness of the hens
established.
more space than that, consider making two or more runs and alternating droppings. Dusting on a little diatomaceous earth
Create temporary
which one you let the girls out into, or make a portable day pen and put can help prevent infestations of lice and mites.
protective cages
them out on a fresh section of lawn on nice days. When the litter gets packed down near the doorway
by crumpling
or under the perches, break it up with a shovel and
Built-in Nests and Perches rakeor just loosen it a little, sprinkle on a handful
up sections of
chicken wire
Hens need perches for sitting and sleeping and nest boxes for laying of scratch grain, and let the girls have some fun
and placing
their eggs. and do the work for you. If it gets wet, or there is a
them over the
Provide a perch. A 2-inch-by-2-inch piece of lumber with the edges strong ammonia smell, add some dry material on top
baby plants.
rounded, or a rough branch about 1 inches in diameter, is perfect. or remove the wet patch and replenish the bedding
Install it with only the floor (not a nest box) below. Allow 9 to 12 inches in that area. Every month or two, muck out the
of perch room per hen and mount the ends in notches on the walls so dirty bedding and start fresh. (This blend of bedding
you can lift it out if you need to. Spread sheets of newspaper under and chicken
the perch and change them every morning or so. Toss them into the droppings is
compost and that will take care of the vast majority of the cleaning. high in nitrogen,
Anticipate the need for a nest. Set up a nest box a week or two so be sure to
before you expect the first egg. A standard nest box is 15 to 17 inches put it on your
deep and wide with three 12-inch-high walls; the front wall should be compost pile.
about 4 inches high to allow hens to Never apply
step in and to keep bedding and eggs it directly to
Seating inside when she decides to rearrange
the nest. Ideally, the bottom should
the garden. Its
high ammonia
Arrangements be removable for easy cleaning. One level will harm
Nest boxes are for laying eggs nest box this size is perfect for 5 to plants.) During
in, not for sleeping. Hens prefer 10 hens (if you have more boxes, the winter months,
to sleep on elevated perches. If hens will all decide one is better than let the bedding
they sit on the edge of the nest the others, anyway). A covered cat layer build up
box, they will poop into the nest litter box makes an instant covered until early spring
and onto your eggs. Yuck! nest box. Place the nest box up against to help keep the
a wall with an access hatch you can chickens warm. Set up a proper nesting area, and youll find a reward every day.

16 R AISING BACKYARD CHICKENS RodalesOrganicLife.com 17


Start Your Flock
D
eciding what should come first, a chicken or an egg, is
not just a philosophical question. Choosing to start a
flock with fertilized eggs, chicks, or pullets (young hens
that are just about to start laying for the first time or that
have been laying for less than 6 months) is an important
decision. Each option has pros and cons.
Eggs
Pros: Incubating fertilized eggs and watching chicks hatch is a
fascinating experience, especially for children.
Cons: It costs $40 or more to order 10 fertilized eggs from a hatchery.
The eggs need to be kept in an incubator at a specific temperature and
turned three times a day until they hatch. Expect a mix of roosters and
hens. And as the saying goes, dont count your chickens before they Pullets (Young Hens)
hatch. You may get Pros: At this age, you can tell male and female chickens apart, which
none at all.
Chicks
Pros: Hand-raised
chicks are often very
gentle, social, and
bonded with their
owners. Chicks are
readily available from
hatcheries and at feed
stores in spring. The cost
typically starts around $2
per chick (plus postage).
Mail-order hatcheries
have a huge selection
and ship newly hatched
chicks via the U.S. Postal
Service. Chicks dont glossy feathers to replace their somewhat moth-eaten plumage and will
need to eat or drink for
the first two days of their
life, so as long as you
pick them up as soon
as possible when they
Baby chicks can arrive in the mail. arrive, you can safely
18 R AISING BACKYARD CHICKENS
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STA RT YOUR FLOCK
order them from anywhere in the country.
Cons: Local selection may be limited. Mail-ordering chicks adds the
cost of postage. Many hatcheries sell day-old chicks only in lots of 25,
which is more birds than most backyard chicken keepers want or can
legally have. If you are willing to pay a higher price in postage, some
hatcheries will send as few as two or three chicks, depending on where
you live. You can pay extra for female-only sexed chicks rather than
straight-run, which is supposed to be as hatched, or about 50:50
boys and girlsthough when you are purchasing only a few, getting all
roosters is possible. But chick-sexers are human and up to 5% of the
female chicks you get may turn out to be males. The chicks must be
kept in a brooder for 4 to 6 weeks before they can move out to their
coop, so there is some up-front expense and bother. For details on
starting with chicks, see p. 20.
(You may be able to order specific breeds of chicks through your
local feed mill. MyPetChicken.com, a site with additional information on
choosing breeds, will ship small numbers of chicks.)
nearly eliminates the risk of coming home with a rooster. Young hens
that have not started to lay or have been laying for less than 6 months,
called pullets, can live outside in a coop immediately and will begin
laying eggs within a few weeks or months, if they arent already.
Cons: Pullets can be hard to find (local farmers and 4-H clubs are a
good bet, and some hatcheries offer them), and there is often a limited
selection of breeds. Pullets are also more expensive to purchase and
typically cost between $7 and $10 per bird, and pullets raised on organic
feed can cost even more.
Experienced Hens
Pros: Theyre free! Commercial egg producers usually retire their
hens when their production starts to drop off. Inquire with the egg-
sellers at your local farmers market, or ask backyard flock owners
you know if they plan to retire any hens soon. If they do, arrange to
adopt a few. These experienced hens will start to lay much sooner than
chicks or even pullets will start laying. They will soon grow smooth,
become friendlier as they get used to you. You can search for backyard
flock owners near you at eggzy.net.
Cons: Chances are such hens will be 2 or 3 years old and laying only
three or four eggs a week each, so youll want to get a few more than if
you started with chicks or pullets. Also, they may rest for a few weeks
when you first get them home, but they will soon start laying again.
RodalesOrganicLife.com 19

Begin with Chicks
I
f you decide to start your hens from chicks, you will need to take
special care of them when they are little. Before ordering them,
read how to nurture them so youre sure you have the time and
patience to be a chick parent.
Mother Them
You can keep 2-day-old chicks inside your home; in 4 to 6 weeks, theyll
be ready to head outside. This arrangement will help them thrive and will
also make them comfortable with humans. You could order an expensive
brooder to raise them, but for three to even a dozen or so chicks, you can
do it on the cheap just as effectively. Simply use a cardboard box or other
sturdy containersay, a deep plastic storage binwith a small lamp. A
desk lamp with an incandescent bulb will do just fine. Be sure to set up the
brooder in a place the cat or dog or varmints cant get at, or secure a firm
screen or piece of wire mesh over the top of the box.
Line the bottom of the container with an inch of peat moss, shavings
(not cedar, which is toxic to birds), or other absorbent material. For
the first couple of days, put paper towels on top of the bedding so the
chicks dont try to eat the bedding. Place the lamp in one corner so it
hangs 6 to 8 inches above the bedding. The temperature in the space
under the lamp should be about 95F the first week and 5F less each
following week until the space is the same as the ambient temperature
or the chicks are about 6 weeks old and well covered with feathers. If
the chicks are comfortable,
theyll wander around. If they
huddle under the lamp all the
time, move it a little lower to
warm the corner upthey may
be cold. If they seem to huddle
far away from the lamp, its
probably too warm for them, so
raise it up a bit and/or replace
the bulb with another of lesser
strength. Keep the light on 24-
7. (If the electricity goes out, a
large bottle of hot water with a
towel draped over it to make a
Befriend your fluffy chicks as soon as they arrive. small, warm cave will suffice.)
20 R AISING BACKYARD CHICKENS
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BEGIN WITH CHICKS
Add a little more bedding to the floor when it gets soiled or wet.
When you reach in at first, the chickies will scurry to the other end
of the box, which is amusing to watch, but eventually they will associate
you with food and come over to see if you have anything.
After 3 weeks or so, your girls will start hopping and flying. By then,
if the box is in a warm place, they may no longer need the light; you can
turn it off during the day once they never seem to be under it, and even
leave it off completely as they start getting feathers. Be sure to place a
screen or wire mesh over the top of the box.
Feed Them Well
Put a saucer in the corner opposite the lamp. Put a few tablespoons
of food on it. Serve baby-chick food, called starter food, that is
preferably organic but at a minimum is labeled nonmedicated.
Put a second shallow saucer or a special chick waterer that screws
onto a glass jar next to the food dish. Fill your waterers with water
mixed with a chick-starter vitamin mix (per the package directions)
or with water mixed with 1 ounce of raw cider vinegar and a few drops
of blackstrap molasses per gallon of water, says Karma Glos, owner
of Kingbird Farm in Berkshire, New York, and author of Humane and
Healthy Poultry Production: A Manual for Organic Growers. As you unpack
your chicks, take the time to dip each ones little beak in the water
before you set him or her down. The sooner they start drinking, the
better. Dump, wash, and refill the food
container a couple of times a day, taking
care to freshen the litter at the same time.
(Wash your hands and the dishes away
from areas where you prepare human food.
Like any animal, chicks sometimes have
germs that can make you ill.)
After the first few days, youll need to
begin increasing the amount of food you
make available to them. Give them just
enough that its almost finished up by the
next time you clean the dishes. Continue
with that plan, adding more food as
needed. Switch to a larger food dish and a
larger waterer as needed so that they always
have water to drink. Your chicks should
also be snarfing down bits of grass, leaves,
seeds, bugs, and just about anything else Chicks, like this bantam Partridge Cochin,
that is smaller and slower moving than need careful attention. To earn their love,
they are, says author Jean Nick, who raises hold the young birds often and feed them
pastured chickens on a sustainable farm. such treats as worms.
RodalesOrganicLife.com 21

Toss in some bits of leafy veggies or fresh grass clippings, or even a
clump of grass or weedsroots, soil, and alla couple of times a day.
Your birds should continue a diet of chick starter until theyre 16
weeks old (for hybrid egg producers) or 22 weeks old (for heritage
breeds), at which point they are officially pullets and can start eating layer
food, which is lower in protein and higher in calcium. Feeding layer food
too early can stunt your babies growth and damage their kidneys. (If you
are adding young birds to an existing adult flock, you will need to keep
their food separate until the young ones are old enough to eat layer food.)
Baby-Step Outside
When your chicks are 4 to 6 weeks old, its time for them to go outside
to the coop. However, just like plants, you may not want to shock their
systems by putting them out all day all at once. You want to harden
them off like a little greenhouse seedling, explains backyard chicken
flock owner Amy Johnson, of Media, Pennsylvania. Put them outside in
their fenced-in run for a few hours each day, and then bring them back
indoors. Do this for a week before moving them to the coop and outside
run full-time. If the nights are dipping below about 50F, you may want
to put their brooder light into a corner of the coop to create a cozy
corner for a few more weeks.
Feed Your
Growing Family
Y
oull save money and lots of clean-up time if you get bulk
feeders and watererspreferably ones you can mount or
hang from the top of the coop or run along or clip to its
side. Place them so the food and water are chin height for
the birds to help keep out scratching feet and flung-up
dust. (If your pen and run setup is portable, mount the buffet dishes so
they will go along for the ride and dont have to be moved separately.)
Serve Up Vittles
Chickens need a quality balanced diet thats 16 to 18% protein and
made specifically for their needs, says Phillip J. Clauer, a Penn State
poultry expert. Even if they have access to the outdoors and are
22 R AISING BACKYARD CHICKENS
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FEED YOUR GROWING FA MILY
foraging for insects, slugs, snails, sand, and seeds, they still need to
have commercial feed such as laying mash or layer crumbles/pellets.
Freshly ground mash is the most nutritious choice if you can find it
(buy only about two weeks supply of mash at a time or store the extra in
the freezer so it stays fresh and nutritious); crumbles or pellets are more
processed and are exposed to high heat and pressure, but theyll do if
they are all that is available. Obviously, organic is best.
A hen will eat about a quarter of a pound of layer feed a dayless
if you have lots of high-protein scraps to feed her, but you should
still provide some layer feed because it contains minerals and other
supplements to give her a complete diet.
Serve your hens their food in a feed hopper so they can get to only a little
at a time, or give them only as much as they will eat in a day in an open pan.
If you give them lots of food in an open pan, they will sift through it like a
picky kid with a casserole, waste most of it, and clamor for fresh.
You can also offer equal amounts of whole grain or cracked corn. This
blend is called scratch feed and is great for scattering aroundwith
a loud here, chick, chick, chickwhen you want the girls to come
running and go into their house.
If the feed doesnt have calcium or grit mixed in, your girls should
have access to a small dish of pulverized oyster shell or crushed eggshells
(on-demand calcium for strong egg shells) and another of grit (small bits
of hard gravel that help grind up food in the gizzard). You can construct
a simple feeder for shell or grit by cutting a hole in the side of a plastic
bottle, poking a few small drain holes in the bottom, and tying the
bottle to the side of the coop or run.
Chickens also need plenty of greens in addition to their normal
feed. If they arent getting grass outside, give them alfalfa, vetch,
millet, clover, bolted lettuce, or any kitchen vegetables gone to seed.
When feeding, include the entire plantchickens benefit from the
grubs that come along to eat the plant and from minerals in the roots,
as well as from the stems and leaves of the plant. Your chickens will
enjoy treats like watermelon rind, pasta, oatmeal, dairy products, and
even cooked meat and fish. (Warning: Raw meat or fish could be a
source of Salmonella.) Just make sure you never offer anything spicy,
spoiled, moldy, or sour. And feeding them more than a little garlic or
cruciferous vegetables like cabbage, kale, cauliflower, and broccoli at a
time may result in stinky eggs.
Keep Water Flowing
Plenty of water is especially important for consistent laying, says Clauer.
If a laying chicken goes without water for more than 12 hours, it can go
out of production for weeks. Special poultry waterers help ensure that
chickens always have access to fresh water. Opt for plastic or galvanized
RodalesOrganicLife.com 23

poultry waterers; they resemble a large jar or bucket turned upside
down, with a water trough surrounding the bottom perimeter. Make
sure you clean and refill them every few days. Open pans work, too, but
will need more frequent cleaning.
Gather Fresh Eggs
S
o your hens are eating you out of house and home and youre
wondering when, oh, when will they lay eggs? That depends on
what kind they are, what time of year it is, and various other
mysterious forces.
Know the Cycle
In general, red or white hybrid layers may pop out their first practice
egg (its likely to be a misshapen mini version) between 18 and 20
weeks after hatching; heritage breeds may take between 24 and 26
weeks. After a few small practice eggs, the eggs will size up, and each
hen will lay one just about every day for the first 9 months or so and
then take a break from laying (often accompanied by molting and
regrowing new feathers). Lay rate often slows in the fall and stops in
the winter. Some people install lights (heat has nothing to do with
itits the light effect) to coax year-round production, while others
allow a natural winter break and look forward to the first eggs of spring
after a dormant winterone of the reasons that
eggs are associated with Easter and other springtime
Mark festivals.
the Spot
Pick Up Breakfast
Place a wooden Collect eggs at least once a day. Hens tend to lay
egg in the in the morning, so pick up eggs around lunchtime
nest boxes and make a quick check at bedtime. If the eggs
to encourage are soiled, wash them under running water that is
chickens to lay slightly warmer than the eggs are (so the eggs wont
in the proper contract and pull wash water through the pores in
spot. Otherwise, their shells). Clean eggs do not need to be washed and
youll find eggs many people think they keep better with their natural
all over the place. bloom intact. Store them on the counter for a week
or so or in the fridge for up to 6 weeks. Wait at least
24 R AISING BACKYARD CHICKENS
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CODDLE YOUR HENS
3 days after eggs are laid if you want to hard-boil themfresh eggs are
hard to peel.
Make a Pet or Dinner?
Although hens can lay for 5 to 6 years and live even longer (8 to 10 years
isnt uncommon), they produce fewer eggs as the years add up. When
egg production drops below a certain level, chicken owners are forced
to decide whether to keep the older hens as pets or use them for meat
(stew hen is delicious; you just need to cook it slowly for 8 to 10 hours to
tenderize it).
Introducing New Hens to Your Girls
Hens have a pecking order, and adding new hens will upset the apple
cart for a few days until they sort out how everyone fits in the new
scheme of things. The smoothest way to introduce new birds to your
flock is to wait until it is fully dark and the girls are all fast asleep. Gently
place the new birds on the perch next to the resident birds and close up
the coop. In the morning, theyll all wake up, look around, and pretty
much shrug and think whatever.
Coddle Your Hens
C
hickens appreciate human interaction. This is going to
sound weird, but they become your friends, says Debbie
Edwards-Anderson, who, with her husband, tends a flock
of hens in Brooklyn. When I get to my garden gate, I
yell out, Hey, ladies, and one will run back and get all
the others and they crowd at the gate with all their awk, awk greeting
noises. They are really affectionate in their own strange way.
Free ThemBriefly
If you prefer to let your chickens roam around your garden, let them
out for an hour or so in the late afternoon or evening. The cool
temperatures keep them from digging as much, and they will return
willingly to the coop to roost as twilight approaches.
You can train your chickens to head back into the henhouse by
associating a bell or clicker with going-inside time. Use a broom to
corral them inside. Then reward them with mealy worms or bread.
Theyll get the drift.
RodalesOrganicLife.com 25

Stir Up Some Dust
Hens dont like getting wet, but they do like taking bathsdust baths.
If you let your girls range, they will dig depressions in soft, dry soil
(probably right where youd rather they didnt) and wallow, flop, and
scratch until they almost disappear as they work the dust under all
their feathers and down to the skin. Might not sound nice to you, but
it is the height of hen pleasure and helps keep parasites away, too.
Treat your girls to a large pan of dry soil (mixing in a cup or two of
diatomaceous earth gives it extra parasite-fighting power) if they dont
have access to loose soil on their own. (This is another great use for a
covered cat litter pan.)
Take Care in Hot Weather
Hens need shade, breezes, and cool water to make it through hot
weather. Attach a tarp to the top of your pen to provide shade whenever
its needed, and open up all the vents in any enclosed areas so the air can
blow through freely and the inside stays cool. Hens wont come out of
the shade and into the hot sun to drink, and are less than enthusiastic
about warm water in warm weather. Keep their water in the shade
and refill it with fresh cold water in the morning and eveningand at
lunchtime, if you can, on really hot days. You can also set up a mister to
spray on the roof/shade tarp (but not on the hens) during the day to take
advantage of the cooling effect of evaporation during extreme heat.
Protect in Cold Weather
Contrary to what many people think, hens dont need a heated
henhouse unless you live in a climate with months of subzero weather.
They suffer more from stuffy air and ammonia buildup than they do
from cold. Close vents and cover open sides in the sleeping section of
the coop to keep out precipitation and direct cold wind, but make sure
there is still plenty of ventilation to allow humidity and bad smells to
clear. A bad smell is usually an indication that you need to add more dry
bedding to tie up the high nitrogen moisture in the droppings. Provide
warm water at least twice a day when the weather is below freezing
(using an open waterer, such as a rubber livestock pan, makes it easy to
dump out ice and refill the pan quickly) or use an electric water bowl
heater to keep the water from freezing. You may also need to pick up
eggs more frequently, as frozen eggs are edible, but you cant store them
to eat later after they thaw.
26 R AISING BACKYARD CHICKENS
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Listen to
Chicken Tales
No Ordinary Chicken
I
As told by Maureen Frederickson
got Ruby from a feed store. She was in a cage with a bunch of
other chickens. I had a flock already, but I wanted another hen.
When the owner asked me which one, I said, Whichever one you
can catch first.
So he gave me this chicken, and I took her home and put her in
with the others. The next day, as I was throwing feed, she walked up to me
and stood on my feet. And I thought, Oh, great. He sold me a sick chicken.
I reached down and picked her up, and suddenly, she started rubbing
her head on my chin, softly clucking all sorts of chicken words. I think I
knew right then that this was no ordinary chicken. She was a little Rhode
Island Red, so I named her Ruby; she turned out to be a gem.
Ruby followed me around, came when she was called, and was the
most amazingly social chicken I had ever known. I had been thinking for
quite a while about using a bird for therapy, visiting seniors at nursing
homes, but birds generally posed too many problems. We at the Delta
Society do careful screening for animals that are involved in our visiting
programs. Id worked with dogs, cats, rabbits, a horse, and a donkey,
but birds were tricky. Many have natural behaviors that can make them
dangerous in therapy settings. (They climb and use their beaks as extra
hands, which can frighten people.) They tend to be unpredictable. But
here was Ruby, a chickena domestic bird! She was just what Id been
looking for.
Ruby was the perfect candidate for therapy. I started by training her
to wear a leash and a harness. She liked it. She liked people. She liked
being petted by people. And it just kept getting better from there.
Weve trained her to sit in a basket and stay. When she has to go, she
tells you. Shell start clucking and wiggling (the signal is pretty clear), and
then Ill take her out of the basket and put her somewhere appropriate
so that she can relieve herself. I can give her a bath in the sink and then
blow-dry her, and she just stands there and thinks its fine.
Ruby has never pecked at anyones glasses or jewelry, which is unusual
because chickens generally peck at shiny things. She talks softly and
rubs her head against everyone Ive ever handed her to. If she sits on
RodalesOrganicLife.com 27

someones shoulder during a visit, she is very gentle about getting down
when shes had enough. And if a child happens to squeeze her too hard,
she just clucks a bit to let us know.
I use Ruby for numerous demonstration projects across the country.
When shes away from the flock for any length of time, she has to work
her way back up the chicken ladder when she returns. But she never
seems to mind.
If ever a bird was unflappable, its Ruby. She was once with me in
Chicago at a conference where there were more than 50 dogs. Never
fazed her. (She even reprimanded a golden retriever with a gentle nose
peck when he got too curious.) When we appeared on the Sally Jessy
Raphal Show with a live audience and cameras all around, Ruby not only
was relaxed but also calmly laid an egg on the air. Unflappable!
Ruby is a mother hen, and nurturing is what she is all about. When I
got her, she was at the bottom of the chicken totem pole, the last to enter
the flock. Now, 4 years later, she is the matron. She spent yesterday being
an aunt. Two of my hens had chicks hatching, and Ruby stayed in the
brood house with them the entire day. The results of her midwifing are
two black chicks and two red ones. Ruby spent the night in the horse stall
rather than in the coop with the others. She needed some rest.
I have no idea why Ruby is the way she is, except that I know shes on
a mission. She has changed peoples minds about birds, opened them up
to the possibilities of what animals can bring to us. And she has taught
me an amazing number of things. When we walk together, shell share
nature with me. If I pick up a rock, shell show me all the life thats
under it. She notices things that, had I not been with her, I would never
have seen. Shes shown me eagles. Shes shown me courage. But most of
all, Ruby has shown me that we must never underestimate who animals
areor why theyre here.
My Years with the Chicks
As told by Patrick Kelley
Okay, Im a guy writing about chicks. No, not the Dixie Chicks kind
of chicks, but real chicks. I would like to come out of my shell for a
moment and say that I really like chickens. As a matter of fact, I think
they are cool. Let me explain. Even though I live in a metropolis now,
complete with smog, traffic, and postage-stamp yards, from the time I
was 12 until I was 17, I lived on a farm.
My parents decided to move the family from a life on a military base
(my dad was a doctor in the Navy) to a 10-acre farm in southern New
Jersey. This was not a working farm but rather a nice bit of land, a
stream, a couple of barns, and room for lots of adventure. As soon as we
all settled in, my father made sure each of us five children got some kind
of farm animal to keep and take care of.
28 R AISING BACKYARD CHICKENS
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LISTEN TO CHICKEN TA LES
It was not a Brady Bunch moment where he gathered us around and
said pick what you want. The choice was actually full of sibling rivalry,
manipulation, bitterness, and kissing up to the right people. The end
results speak for themselves. My older brother got a saddlebred horse
named Shamrock Commander, one sister got a Welsh pony named
Ginger, another sister got rabbits, and my younger brother got a mastiff
puppy. I got four chickens. Obviously, I knew nothing about kissing up.
At first, I did not know what to make of these feathered creatures that
we brought home from the local Cow Town Flea Market. I did like the
fact that the birds could not suddenly stomp me to death, as I suspected
my older brothers horse could doespecially if the horse was anything
like my older brother. Also, I knew chickens could lay eggs, which I
thought was a real plus because nobody elses pet made them breakfast.
The birds were a source of torment for my older brother when it turned
out that I got to keep the four chickens in his horse barn. He bitched
and moaned to my parents and was basically steaming with anger and
misery over the arrangement. I immediately thought, Cool!
The four chickens became homeless soon enough, though, when I
started getting what I believed to be death threats. I started finding
Chicken McNuggets in my bed and even received a Polaroid in the
mail of an egg (presumably from one of my chickens) next to a hammer
with a typed note saying, If she ever wants to see her child again...!
Whether I was reading too much into these signs or not, I thought it
best to move the chickens out.
At first, we roamed the pastures, and like a pathetic Joy Adamson in
Born Free, I followed the chickens along as they hunted for grain and
bugs in the tall grass, making sure no harm came to them. I eventually
started to feel like I was part of the flock. I gave the chickens names:
Susan, Barbara, Jill, and Herman. I could even distinguish the sounds
they made when they found a juicy bug or were scared or lost. That is
when I knew I had better build a chicken house quickly or I would be
the biggest freak in my high school.
So, the girls and Herman took up residence in a primitive chicken
house I made by simply leaning a large piece of plywood against the
back of the barn under its eaves. Not much, but once it was stuffed with
straw and fitted with milk-crate nests, it was quite comfy. My chickens
lived there, happy as clams and free to run around the property,
until they eventually began to pass away peacefully from old age.
Unfortunately, that happened within four weeks. As it turned out, the
chickens we got from Cow Town were 150 years old in chicken years.
At first, I suspected foul play (Im avoiding the obvious opportunity for
a pun here), but this was ruled out by our vet when he examined Barbara,
my deceased hen. He said he had never seen a chicken so old. When the
surviving chickens were examined, they were diagnosed as antiques also.
RodalesOrganicLife.com 29
 Back to Contents

That solved the mystery of why I never got a single egg except for for 50 cents. I had to buy the 1-inch-by-2-inch cage wire.
the one in the Polaroid, which I now knew was a fraud. Still, I loved my I made my ark 6 feet long, 4 feet tall, and 5 feet wide at the base,
geriatric chickens and had become man enough to admit it. with two nesting boxes in one end and a small hinged door that allows
In a bold, uncharacteristic move, spurred on by Barbaras death, I easy access to the eggs. One roof panel also opens for replacing bedding.
approached my father and told him I wanted my own chicken house To protect the exposed wood from the elements, I painted it. (Do not
and that I would build it myself if I had to. I told him that my chickens use pressure-treated wood or wood painted with
deserved more than a board propped up against the back of a barn. I lead-based paint; either could poison your poultry.)
demanded younger, stronger, better chickens! Chickens who could still An ark this size easily holds six or seven
lay eggs and whose feathers hadnt mostly fallen off. I wanted equality! chickens. My happy birds cant
Well, my speech had a profound effect on my father. The next stop clucking about theirs.
week, for Easter, I received a cardboard box brimming with 25 fluffy
Rhode Island Red chicks. Not only that, but my father and Iworking
together, side by sideput together a beautiful chicken house,
complete with perches, real nest boxes, and an outside run. We built
all this ourselves out of scraps of lumber and wire, and the experience
brought us closer together. That was one of my greatest Easters ever. I
kind of felt bad for my older brother, though. All he got was a car.
60
A Portable Chicken Ark
As told by John Grogan
When I brought four chickens home to take up residence in our
backyard, I wanted them to be free to range around my property. The
problem was that they kept free-ranging their way straight into the
neighbors yards. One day I found all four of them happily devouring 30
black-oil sunflower seeds while perching on my next-door neighbors 5'
bird feeder, which was listing like a sinking freighter under their weight.
So I began planning a coop. But a permanent structure for four
Materials
measly birds seemed like overkill. And I hated the idea of a permanent
pen; I knew that spot would quickly be scratched clean of all vegetation. 6 two-by-fours, 5' long (framing)
The solution that I stumbled on was a chicken ark, a portable structure 3 one-by-threes, 3' long
(crossbars)
that ingeniously combines mobility with security.
4 one-by-threes, 6' long (roof slats)
A chicken ark is basically a coop and grazing pen in one movable
2 two-by-twos, 10' long (handles) 4'6"
package. It is shaped like a tent with the sleeping quarters above and a 12"
1 3' 6' sheet of "-thick
fenced pen below. A gangplank connects the two parts and can be raised plywood for floor
at night to keep the birds in and the predators out. Handles on each 1 18" 6' sheet of "-thick
end allow two people to easily move the ark around the yard, giving the plywood for roof hatch 22" "
chickens fresh grass every few days. It also can be placed directly over open 2 31" 36" sheets of "-thick 42
garden beds in the fall to let the birds fertilize, cultivate, and eat bugs. plywood for sides
I decided to build my ark from as many recycled materials as I could. Scrap lumber to build 3' 3'
From the Dumpster at a construction site near my house came several gangplank and nesting boxes
large scraps of half-inch plywood and odd lengths of lumber. From a Metal roofing and roof cap *If youd like to be able to move the ark yourself
friends barn I salvaged leftover scraps of red metal roofing. From 1" 2" cage wire instead of having to get a helper every time
2 two-by-fours, 6' long (runners) you want to move your girls, add runners along
my own garage I cannibalized an old set of shutters for their hinges. the length of the ark. Nail each runner onto the
My wife snagged a coffee can full of nails and screws at a garage sale (optional)*
bottom of the three legs of the A-frame.

30 R AISING BACKYARD CHICKENS RodalesOrganicLife.com 31

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