Hello from Chicago!

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Missy821

Missy821

In the Brooder
9 Years
Feb 22, 2010
24
1
22
Chicago
Hi! I've been lurking for months now, but since I officially ordered my chickens today, this seemed like a good time to actually join!

I'll be picking up my one-year-old Sussex hens in a month! (Anybody out there have Sussex hens and words of advice?)

I have five wonderful indoor cats, so hatching eggs or bringing already-hatched tiny chicks into my house seemed like a bad idea. (I could just see my cats: "Look, guys! There goes lunch! ...It's fluffy!")

I'm getting my hens from someone who is switching to commercial layers and giving away his flock. The heritage type is fine with me. I only need a few eggs, since there's only two of us, though I'm sure my parents or my boyfriend's parents would love any extras! My boyfriend and I just bought a house, so now we're in the process of fencing in the yard, building our chicken coop, making raised garden beds... and oh right, completely remodeling the house that came with the yard.

I'm in the city and blessed to have a yard and a half, almost double the size of a normal lot, but space is still at a premium (especially with the garden I have planned for spring). I think I'm going to get three hens and maybe introduce a chick or two next season. ...How many hens did you all start with? At first I thought I'd get two, then I figured I'd take six, and now I'm stuck between three and four. I might not decide 'til the day I go to pick them up at this rate!

Right now, my biggest concern is walking up to my new neighbors and saying, "Hi, my name is Michele. Will you look at some fence designs? We'd like a taller fence because we're getting pets! What kind of pets? Um. Well. Chickens. Yes, that's right, chickens. Please don't hate us!" And then I'll have to explain that our coop will be pretty, our chickens will not smell, we will not have a noisy rooster (though I want one!), and yes, it is legal to keep chickens in the city.
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ooh just starting out! Hooray! You'll have ALL the fun! Congratulations on the new house! And the new yard! Welcome to chickendom! Good Luck!


Make sure you keep a copy of the City Code which explains, word for word, exactly how you are allowed chickens in your yard, and a good copy of the ways you comply with that law (enclosure, vaccinations, waste management, whatever). Keep it in a beautiful binder or notebook by the front door. I have done so, 3 times when police approached my home and told us our chickens aren't allowed. The police don't know by heart every city code, so be ready for the time when education regarding the law becomes VERY IMPORTANT. For me, each time it was an officer who never heard about the other officers who already went through it with me. (And, each time one of my chickens was "excavating" the front sidewalk, not in my yard) But now I know a few nice officers, and that's good!
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My coworker at Loyola had one hen, the police made her get rid of the chicken because some neighbors complained. That was 2.5 years ago, within city of Chicago limits. The law is one thing, getting along with your police force is another.

And the fence around the chickens becomes more about keeping dogs and people out than keeping chickens in, so if you have a choice, I think a privacy fence that can't be seen through is a good idea. Many times before we fenced 'em in, neighborhood children ran after our chickens, throwing things at them and grabbing them like they were toys. There's always "freerange" kids around who pretty much put feral cats to shame, with no sense of civilized behavior or manners. And there's always some poor older person just trying to walk a dog who sees the chickens, drags the older person across the street to chase and sniff the chickens, I mean its just too exciting for a dog (or a feral child).......
 
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from Ohio. So glad to meet you. I agree with 6chickens in St. Charles, in fact I would have extra copies to hand out. It gives them something to take with them to read. Good Luck.
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Thanks for the welcome everyone!

I found the municipal code for the city online, so I'll definitely get that printed out before my chickens arrive!
 

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