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schatzi011

Chirping
Jun 9, 2018
29
51
76
West Hills, CA
Hello, I am interested in having chickens for egg production. I live in Los Angeles and have a big backyard, but it is landscaped (1/2 is rubber mulch and a playground, and 1/2 is grass for our tortoise). I have room for a coop, but don't really have room for a grazing area and was thinking of having them free roam. Otherwise, I do have a 9'x14' aviary for our two African Grey parrots and maybe a couple of chickens can live in there. I could build a coop on the outside and have it open into the aviary). It is a grass/dirt floor (no concrete). Anyway, looking into options. Please let me know if you have any ideas. Thanks a bunch.
 
schatzi011 said:
Hello, I am interested in having chickens for egg production. I live in Los Angeles and have a big backyard, but it is landscaped (1/2 is rubber mulch and a playground, and 1/2 is grass for our tortoise). I have room for a coop, but don't really have room for a grazing area and was thinking of having them free roam. Otherwise, I do have a 9'x14' aviary for our two African Grey parrots and maybe a couple of chickens can live in there. I could build a coop on the outside and have it open into the aviary). It is a grass/dirt floor (no concrete). Anyway, looking into options. Please let me know if you have any ideas. Thanks a bunch.
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I live in West LA and I don't have a whole lot of space either but i keep mine in the coop part of the time and let them go out on the grass for a while several times a week. If i were you I would build the coop but keep the door open if you want them to be able to move around freely. Its always good to have a coop for them so they have somewhere safe to be
 
Hello and welcome to BYC. The decision to range your flock is dependent on how secure your backyard is and your local predators. Either way, the odd loss here and there is inevitable.

You can use this link to contact members in your area - Find Your State Thread

Best wishes

Pork Pie
 
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It's best to keep caged birds and chickens separate. Chickens can carry a range of diseases that, due to the length of their domestication, they have a tolerance to. Less domesticated (and less intensely bred) birds are at risk of picking these diseases up from birds such as chickens and they can be badly affected by them.

You could keep some Coturnix/Japanese quail - they lay yummy eggs, only need a small enclosure (though more space is always appreciated), and the majority are very friendly and sweet little birds. Either raise them yourself and interact with them a lot or find someone who handles their chicks as you'll want to keep just females, or at least 4 females to 1 male. If they aren't exposed to people much as chicks (ie. only see a human when they are fed and watered) they can be very flighty.

Hope that helps and welcome to BYC.
 

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