Our village is looking into the backyard chickens issue and I’m a bit iffy on which side things will fall. I was feeling really positive until I went to the farmer’s market in town yesterday. There’s a big split between the baby boomers. Some say this is a “common sense” issue and that we live too close to the forest preserve to keep chickens, so it should be illegal. To that I say that common sense issues should be left to the individual. Aren’t we supposed to be making those decisions for ourselves? Some folks proclaimed, “I can’t believe the village wouldn’t let us have them. Why wouldn’t they?” Why would something that has, as far as can be discovered, always been legal here be outlawed now? There are so many misconceptions about keeping hens and I worry that there’s not enough time to make sure everyone feels educated about the facts before the board meets to review and make their decision.

Hens don’t crow. Roosters do.
You don’t need a rooster to have eggs.
A small flock of chickens produces 88% less waste than an average backyard dog.
Backyard chickens are not a sign of economically distressed areas. In fact, communities with pro-backyard chicken ordinances are viewed to be progressive and as having higher property values.
Chickens do not attract mice. Fact: Chickens are omnivores and do not tolerate mice. They’ll actually chase them and eat them.
Chickens are great composters. Give your kitchen scraps a second round by feeding them to your birds. They’ll return the favor with rich compost.
Homegrown eggs are without hormones or chemicals, are higher in nutrients, lower in cholesterol, and taste 10 times better than store-bought eggs.
Backyard chickens provide lessons for children about responsibility and where food comes from.
Chickens provide natural insect control. As they hunt and peck around the yard, chickens gobble up grubs, earwigs and other bugs, treating our garden pests as tasty, nutritious treats.

Our local paper came out to take pictures of our hens and ask me some questions. That article will be in this week’s edition. So now I’m worried about how that story will be spun. Am I the “crazy chicken lady” of the town? Or a progressive individual looking to keep basic civil liberties intact? Who knows how they will choose to play it out. We live here. We own our home. We have kids who will be growing up around these people. If they take the wrong stance about my opinion, it could be really negative for our family.

But then again, is this really that big an issue? I can’t imagine that anyone who isn’t excited about the option of keeping hens is much more than ambivalent about the issue. Would someone be so anti-backyard chickens that they would actively campaign against us keeping them? You never know.

Well, wish us luck friends. I hope the next check in on this topic is a positive one.
 

From my research, if you’re going to use a rain barrel for consumption or on edibles, it must be made of food-safe plastic and not be connected to your downspouts. There are petroleum byproducts in shingles and tar that will leach into the water if you hook it up to anything coming off your roof.

I bought this low pressure automatic waterer meant for backyard chickens online ($34.90). There’s nothing to it. There’s a dial to adjust the pressure while the water is released into the bowl. There’s a float inside that shuts the tap off when the bowl is full. In short, awesome. So much better than the risk of leaving a dry bowl for the poor hens. I added the cage ($24) around the bowl in hopes that it’ll help keep it from getting so dirty. The girls love to kick all sorts of gunk in there and I figure if I’m not going to have to keep as close a watch on their water, I should make sure it stays as clean as possible for as long as possible.

I’ve procured an empty feed barrel from our local farm supply store ($15) and will be cutting a hole in the lid to be lined with mesh for collection from the sky instead of the downspout. Until we start getting enough rain to keep it full, I’ll fill it from the hose. Can’t wait to get the whole thing up and running. For now I’m doing a test run with the waterer hooked up to the hose and it’s working like a dream!

Poor Annie has been complaining all morning…whimpering and clucking. Her hind-end seems rather puffy and she’s staying away from the other hens, so my best guess is that she’s getting ready to lay her first egg. She’s very happy for us to hold and pet her, so we think it must be soothing.

Since the other hens are hanging out in the coop and she wants some time on her own, I’ve taken the wash tub and lined it with straw so she can nest in private. I’m sure once they all start laying, there will be a more communal understanding about the indoor egg box.

Poor girl. Hope this passes soon.

Update: Yup! It was all about the egg, for certain. We have our first of hopefully many! Good job, Annie.

So here’s a quick catch up. A couple of months ago we had an absolutely heartbreaking morning. Dave, who opens the coop door in the mornings on his way to the garage, came into the house and said, “There aren’t any chickens out there!” My heart sank. I knew they had been locked up tight the night before. My mind skimmed a few scenarios. I threw on my shoes and ran back there, Sophia running behind me. I yelled for her to go back in the house as soon as I saw feathers blowing around the yard. A raccoon had pried open the droppings drawer and managed to get into the coop. There was absolutely nothing left except clumps of feathers, which were everywhere. Poor things. We raised those girls from day old chicks and despite our best efforts, they had suffered a terrible death. All I could think of is how scared they must have been. Needless to say, Sophia was devastated. She was so upset that I let her stay home from school. These were beloved pets that she had cared for with all her heart. She sat in the coop with them, played with them, carried them around in her arms…she really loved them.

So we decided that since we had put so much work into raising backyard chickens, we would need to replace the hens. I spent a day reinforcing the coop with metal latches and then we picked up 2 Buff  Orpingtons and 2 Rhode Island Reds from a local feed store. They’re doing very well and although we miss the Easter Egger girls very much, we’re enjoying the company of the new girls. Every couple of days, we let them free range (or “free style”, as Sophia says it) around the backyard. They clean up all the bugs and grubs and I must say that our plants are looking better because there are fewer pests to chew up the leaves. The chickens even pluck away the weeds!

We’re currently working with the Village of Brookfield to develop an ordinance that specifically addresses chickens. Currently there is only an ordinance referring to livestock, which backyard chickens are not, and another referencing “noisy pets”, which hens are not. Brookfield is a fairly green-friendly community and I’d be surprised if this doesn’t take a positive turn. There are many gardeners here, lots of residents have installed rain barrels, and we have a great farmer’s market every Saturday…so I just can’t imagine that this is out of scope for the town.

Keeping our hopes high! Any advice on this topic would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
 

She tends to them several times throughout the day, checking their water, sitting with them, holding them on her lap and petting them. The chicks will come and eat right out of her hand and seem more tame around her than Dave or me. She’s a natural animal caregiver. Animals love her and she loves them.

We added 3 little Araucanas “Easter Egger” chicks to our family about a month ago. We chose this breed for their hardiness in cold temps as well as their large, beautiful multi-colored eggs that can be green, pink, blue, or lovely chocolate brown.

Last weekend Dave and I worked on building the coop (Mostly Dave. He likes the tools. I painted and held stuff.) and then this weekend we built the run. This morning the girls had their homecoming when the two structures were joined and they were allowed to have their run of the place. They’re having a blast.

I sprinkled some fresh basil and meal worms in the run alongside their usual feed and water and they went nuts! It never fails that no matter how many treats there are, the first one who grabs a bite get chased by the other two, even as they step all over the extras. Go figure. I just came in from sitting on a garden stool and watching them for about an hour. Their behavior is so interesting and funny.

We’re really enjoying the whole experience of owning these interesting animals.

Video of the girls in their brooder.

Much development on the chick front. The girls have settled in nicely, though the little chipmunk-striped one has had some ongoing issues with pasting up. Pasting up is when their poo, which is toothpaste-like in consistency, blocks their tiny little vent. It is very serious and can kill the poor things, so you have to keep an eye on them, especially if one has demonstrated a tendency for this development. It’s supposed to clear up in about 2 weeks, so we’ll be able to relax a bit after then.

For now we have them living in our basement slop sink, because it has high walls, is in a room with a door (cats!), and is easy to clean. Soon, though, they’ll have to move into their brooder. It’s been so hot that I’m a bit worried about moving them into the stuffy garage. Hmm.

After searching high and low, I found a fabulous deal on a chicken coop for our backyard. It’s crazy how expensive these things can get, so when I found a wood structure with 2 nest boxes and lots of hinged openings for ease of maintenance for $229 and free shipping, I jumped on it. I don’t think we could buy the materials for that price. Dave is going to construct a run with wire covering all sides and the bottom to keep the predators out. We’re near the zoo and forest preserve, so there are all sorts of animals who would love to make a meal out of our sweet little birds.

Just 1 more week until they can go outside!

Hope everyone is staying cool and enjoying their summer.

Left to right: Nugget, Daves "TBD", and Martha

The chicks arrived today! After much oohing and aahing, they’re snug in their temporary home down in the basement slop sink. They took to their food and water right away after we dipped their beaks to show them the way. Sitting upstairs in the living room, I can hear soft little chirps coming up through the air vents.

Pics of their homecoming are here.