Chickens in town, or Urban Farming

[averytds]

When we have chicks, juvies and meatbirds going, we can get up in the 90-100 range. Approx 3/4 of an acre I think.

We only keep/maintain usually around 40 year round. City code allows for birds and no limits, just no complaints/don't be a nuisance.


We try to limit who's ranging where/when though so as not to panic people about how many.

 

[mandelyn]

I have 9, with 5 actively laying for 2 people. I give away about 3 dozen a month. All girls. The way the vague ordinance reads I can have as many as I want until someone complains, so I'm not pushing my luck. I started with grown hens for some instant eggs, then later hatched eggs and kept the girls. So I have 2 older hens, 2 1 year old hens, 2 8 months olds, and 3 who should start laying around May. So when my first 2 start slowing in their laying, I'll have 3 to take their place.

We have a big yard, right smack in the middle of an urban block of residences. 5 neighbors can see into our back yard and none of them mind. We placed the coop where it would be the farthest away from a house. And built a compost pile to handle the poo in the corner. Leaves and yard crud goes in there too and so far it's been effective. Sand in the run too, for fly and odor control.

Originally I thought the houses were too close to get chickens, I have had them before in an urban area but the house was set a part from the rest on a dead end road. But here, I was standing out in the driveway with my husband and our land lady, and a chicken came around the corner of a house across the street. I was like OMG... A chicken! I want some! And land lady was like "have at it, I want eggs". Cool deal. So I'm not the only one either.

 

[hallerlake]

Quote:
On cold, wet winter mornings, I like mine close to the house.

 

[BrynnRDH]

Quote:
Yeah, I have seen chickens out by the road one block over. One time we were walking the dogs and a rooster came out of someone's backyard all puffed up and followed us along the sidewalk until we passed his house! We never saw him again, too bad, it cracked us up and we always talk about it when we pass that house.

 

[eds500]

We have 6 golden comet hens. Roosters are not allowed by code due to noise. We've gotten 4 eggs per day out of the 6 for the 4 days we've had them. We chose 6 due to the predicted number of eggs per day, that 6 seemed manageable to us and 6 seemed like a social-able number for them. Our son will sell the surplus each week for his spending money. Fortunately I live in a chicken friendly neighborhood and everybody is excited about them. There are 3 other coops that I know of within 1/2 mile of us.

 

[AnaD]

We have 7 chickens 1 roo with a 6 chicken and no roo law, but I have heard other roos in town and counted up to 15 heads in some chicken runs.
We also have 3 ducklings

 

[Funsizeracing]

Inside the city limits we are allowed 6 hens, must be enclosed in a "nice" (whatever that means) enclosure, no complaints etc... My neighborhood is actually outside the city limits (we're rebels lol) even though we're surrounded on all sides by city limits. When I asked the county health dept about chickens just to be safe their response was "We don't care what you do with chickens in the county" lol. Right now I have 5 hens laying about 2 dozen eggs a week. I share eggs with the neighbors so they all love my chickens too! We did have one neighbor who thought we were growing something illegal in our coop (they thought it was a storage shed) because they saw movement at night and red lights on all the time. We had heat lamps going 24/7 because it was getting down to -7 at night. I don't keep roosters as a courtesy to others but someone in my neighborhood has one because I hear him crow when I go for early morning runs. You definately need a compost pile to deal with the waste. I have one in the back that eventually ends up on my garden. There is something very rewarding about having fresh eggs and then great fertilizer for fresh veggies right in my own backyard.

 

[foxinachickenhouse]

In city limits, 3 hens allowed. 1/3 acre. Have 9 hens, 1 rooster. 3 are silkies so they don't count

 

[gmendoza]

We live just on the city limits line.There is no limit to how many livestock in your back yard.The coop needs to be 30' away from any dwelling and not to be a noise or odor nuisence.On one of our previous snowdays, we heard a rooster crowing in the disatance.I know where it was at.about 2 miles away.

However,there was this one guy who had backyard chickens get cited for having 150 in his 1/3 acre lot!!! thats alot of birds!!So now I know my limit is 149!! My wife will have a spasm seeing this post but I dont care.

 

[awesomefowl]

Go for it!!!!!!!!!!!

from NY!