Hoping to start a chicken garden in the spring.... pending hoa. Need some pointers.

[medicusmay]

Hello, Newbie here! I'm in S/W Colorado and I am hoping to start my garden and get our first chickens in our back yard this spring. We are presenting our proposal at our upcoming hoa meeting on the 27th. I'm going to be as prepared as possible and even let them decide on my coop style and run. I've been reading a lot on different breeds and I'm thinking Orpingtons are going to be what we are looking for (if approved). We need a quiet breed that is not prone to fly. I plan on using 1/2 our backyard for a Garden and I'll be putting my coop in there too. I would like to be able to make my whole garden area escape proof for my hens but that would have to be hoa approved too (I was thinking of using a trellis and lattice and chicken wire) so I may just have to settle for a walk-in run 7 feet or so. My little girl will be 4 in May and my baby boy will be 2 in June, so I also want them to be friendly. We live in city limits and are in a neighborhood where our houses are pretty close to each other. Everyone has a 6foot wood backyard fence, do you think my Orpingtons will try and fly over?
Also I’d like to find my chickens as local as possible from a humane breeder here in Colorado. I’m in Fruita Colorado but will travel if I need to. Can anyone point me in the right direction?
After hearing all that, please help me. I am brand new to gardening and owning chickens. I’m up for suggestions, pointers or anything helpful on anything I mentioned –including HOA and gardening with chickens.
I can’t wait to get started....fingers crossed and prayers said!

Heather

 

[gander007]

Alright Heather,

great to have you joining the flock

I don't know anything about HOA as my idea of one is me arguing with
myself about what I am going to do next ..........





Some of my flock

And the bigger one's

A couple of ducks






EE chicks

Russian Orloff Pullets




Molted Houdan's





My HOA is this predator

gander007

 

[14aviles]

I'm glad to see your post. I'm in a very similar stage. I've been planning and prepping for a spring garden. I'm interested in free range hens to help my compost and bring in organic eggs to increase my self-reliance. Like you, I'm in city limits with neighbors. I intend to look into the breed you deem suitable. Thanks!

 

[Puddin Fluff]

I'm glad to see your post. I'm in a very similar stage. I've been planning and prepping for a spring garden. I'm interested in free range hens to help my compost and bring in organic eggs to increase my self-reliance. Like you, I'm in city limits with neighbors. I intend to look into the breed you deem suitable. Thanks!

All chickens fly. They fly more when they are younger and lighter. Heavier breeds do tend to get airborn less. While they are young you can also clip their wings whick is not painfull to them, kind of like cutti g your fingernails, to keep them from launching into the neighbors yard.

Good luck and have fun!

 

[Puddin Fluff]

Alright Heather, great to have you joining the flock I don't know anything about HOA as my idea of one is me arguing with myself about what I am going to do next .......... Some of my flock And the bigger one's A couple of ducks EE chicks Russian Orloff Pullets Molted Houdan's My HOA is this predator gander007

Gander, Where did you get your Houdans?

 

[Spikes Chooks]

My little girl will be 4 in May and my baby boy will be 2 in June, so I also want them to be friendly. We live in city limits and are in a neighborhood where our houses are pretty close to each other. Everyone has a 6foot wood backyard fence, do you think my Orpingtons will try and fly over?

As another poster noted, chickens, when they are younger, will fly more than when they get older and heavier. The safest thing to do is clip one wing on each of them. It is easy to do - probably with another person holding them the first time. There's advice and pictures on this forum and also good youtube videos if you just search for clip chicken's wing.

We had to do this even though we built a 7 foot high fence, because our Silver Campine could still fly over it. The bigger girls include an Australorp, which I believe was bred from Orpingtons and are similar in size. These bigger girls didn't even bother attempting the fence. We clipped one wing on the Campine and she just didn't try again. She has moulted since and regrown her wing feathers - but no longer tries to do it, so we haven't repeated the clipping.

It might give you confidence that won't eascape, if you clip them the first year (once they have adult feathers) and perhaps you are more likley to get approval if you don't include a really high internal fence with your plans.

You might also want to consider a walk-in run anyway. If the chickens can get to your garden they can make very short work of your plants, and also dig some impressively large holes!

All the best

 

[drumstick diva]

Silkies do not fly and they are very popular with kids. They don't look like regular chickens so would probably be accepted easier by the residents and HOA. If you knew someone that had silkies and they brought one to a meeting, I'm sure there would be favorable interest in the breed.

Silkies are a small (bantum ) breed and come in many colors. They are generally quiet birds and don't even care to roost but, tend to sleep, piled up in a corner.

Put "silkies" in the search box and prepare to be amazed. And NO, I don't raise silkies I have a friend with them, and she doesn't raise/sell either, they are just housepets.

 

[TwoCrows]

I keep Black Australorps, also an Orpington breed, and I can tell you they can HOP right off the floor onto a nearly 4 foot bench I have in the coop. So I would imagine with a running start, you birds could fly over a 6 foot fence. 7 foot, maybe not.

But I do wish you luck in getting your birds! They are so much fun to keep and you will never regret it.

 

[roostersandhens]

 

[Marthab1953]

Welcome to BYC!