TominWa
Songster
It has long been a desire of mine to stand in my field, surveying my land. Holding the warm rich earth in my hands as the evening sun sets kindly on my neck. The day spent tilling the well ordered fields and gazing with pride upon the prize-winning livestock that have taken generations to cultivate. But I live in the city limits of a small town. It’s not going to happen.
This dream is further reinforced daily as I look over my fence at my neighbor, who is in the county. I watch him tend to his flock, play with his fences, move dirt around and ride here and there on his little tractor. I really want one of those things. A red one. It was with these thoughts twirling in my head that I was surprised to learn, while hanging out down at the gas station, that the city of will allow us to keep a few chickens!
No roosters of course, I can see the reason for that. But yes, at last a chance to fulfill my dream – if only partly. Now I have plenty of room, a good half-acre, wooded with a stream out back. I decided to take the plunge. How hard could it be? And oh, free eggs! Investigating the opportunity, I took a look at both local feed store options of fine upstanding baby chickens. i spent time here on the forum to learn the basics. They had brown ones, red ones, white ones, some in between that would lay eggs in a variety of colors. There were big chickens, small chickens. Chickens with attitude and chickens that just mope around. Guaranteed to all be hens no less.
I purchased Cherry Eggers and Buff Orphingtons.
I was a little disappointed that I couldn’t put them outside right away and watch them, well, be chickens. Visions were already pouring into my mind of standing farmer-proud in my overalls casting feed in a well-practiced swirl while they pecked innocently by my side. My apron-clad wife walking into the transformed back yard with a fresh baked apple pie placed carefully upon the rough hewn picnic table. Which, of course, I would construct myself. Ahhh, farm life.
What I learned.
The following is a step by step guide to keeping chickens in the city in the hope it helps others.
I know by now you are excited and ready to run down to the farm store, but I must note that it is extremely important not to surprise your wife with the chickens. i can't over stress this. Discuss the benefits in advance. What follows is a step by step guide for others wishing to become Urban Farmers, like me.
STEP 1: Purchase baby chicks. Now this is important. When you bring your baby chicks home put a box in the kitchen and place a heat light above the box to keep them warm. Leave the light on all night. The next morning clean up the feathers, and replace the broken light. Go back to the Farm store and get more chickens. Put the cats out at night for a while.
STEP 2: Move your box to the garage or out of the house, clean kitchen area. Purchase stronger heat lamp as it is colder in the garage (repeat Step 1 if necessary). Call wife and ask her to come back assuring that the mess and smell of body-odor and boiled cabbage has been taken care of.
STEP 3: Go to Home Depot and purchase materials for your permanent Chicken Coop. Wire, boards, nails etc. Construct coop. Wait for chickens to grow, remove chickens from house and place in coop. The next day raccoon proof wire cage portion by putting wire a good six inches into ground. Go back to Farm Store and repeat STEP 1.
STEP 4: As your chickens grow into young adults you can begin to become an Urban Farmer and let them out of the coop for the day. Clean coop. That evening with help from a friend use your ladder to remove chickens from trees. Go down to hardware store and purchase an extension ladder that will go to a good 20 feet. Wait until dark and they settle down. Climb ladder and whack at them with a long stick to get them out of the tree. Tend to any injuries sustained from climbing trees in the dark whacking at chickens. Place chickens back in coop. Scare neighborhood cats away. Go back to farm store and repeat STEP 1 to replace missing chickens.
You are done. An Urban Farmer. Ready to take your place in the farming history of your area. You may begin to plan your poultry entry into the Fair and attend a Grange meeting to socialize with your fellow farmers.
(Join us next time on my The Urban Farmer series as we discuss beating the high price of vegetables by planting a Garden)
This dream is further reinforced daily as I look over my fence at my neighbor, who is in the county. I watch him tend to his flock, play with his fences, move dirt around and ride here and there on his little tractor. I really want one of those things. A red one. It was with these thoughts twirling in my head that I was surprised to learn, while hanging out down at the gas station, that the city of will allow us to keep a few chickens!
No roosters of course, I can see the reason for that. But yes, at last a chance to fulfill my dream – if only partly. Now I have plenty of room, a good half-acre, wooded with a stream out back. I decided to take the plunge. How hard could it be? And oh, free eggs! Investigating the opportunity, I took a look at both local feed store options of fine upstanding baby chickens. i spent time here on the forum to learn the basics. They had brown ones, red ones, white ones, some in between that would lay eggs in a variety of colors. There were big chickens, small chickens. Chickens with attitude and chickens that just mope around. Guaranteed to all be hens no less.
I purchased Cherry Eggers and Buff Orphingtons.
I was a little disappointed that I couldn’t put them outside right away and watch them, well, be chickens. Visions were already pouring into my mind of standing farmer-proud in my overalls casting feed in a well-practiced swirl while they pecked innocently by my side. My apron-clad wife walking into the transformed back yard with a fresh baked apple pie placed carefully upon the rough hewn picnic table. Which, of course, I would construct myself. Ahhh, farm life.
What I learned.
The following is a step by step guide to keeping chickens in the city in the hope it helps others.
I know by now you are excited and ready to run down to the farm store, but I must note that it is extremely important not to surprise your wife with the chickens. i can't over stress this. Discuss the benefits in advance. What follows is a step by step guide for others wishing to become Urban Farmers, like me.
STEP 1: Purchase baby chicks. Now this is important. When you bring your baby chicks home put a box in the kitchen and place a heat light above the box to keep them warm. Leave the light on all night. The next morning clean up the feathers, and replace the broken light. Go back to the Farm store and get more chickens. Put the cats out at night for a while.
STEP 2: Move your box to the garage or out of the house, clean kitchen area. Purchase stronger heat lamp as it is colder in the garage (repeat Step 1 if necessary). Call wife and ask her to come back assuring that the mess and smell of body-odor and boiled cabbage has been taken care of.
STEP 3: Go to Home Depot and purchase materials for your permanent Chicken Coop. Wire, boards, nails etc. Construct coop. Wait for chickens to grow, remove chickens from house and place in coop. The next day raccoon proof wire cage portion by putting wire a good six inches into ground. Go back to Farm Store and repeat STEP 1.
STEP 4: As your chickens grow into young adults you can begin to become an Urban Farmer and let them out of the coop for the day. Clean coop. That evening with help from a friend use your ladder to remove chickens from trees. Go down to hardware store and purchase an extension ladder that will go to a good 20 feet. Wait until dark and they settle down. Climb ladder and whack at them with a long stick to get them out of the tree. Tend to any injuries sustained from climbing trees in the dark whacking at chickens. Place chickens back in coop. Scare neighborhood cats away. Go back to farm store and repeat STEP 1 to replace missing chickens.
IMPORTANT NOTE – Of interest, you will hear about “clipping the wings” when discussing retrieving chickens from trees down at the farm store. This refers to just some of the feathers, not the whole wing. If issue, return to Step 1.
STEP 5: It is now time to replace and repair coop damage from raccoons and stray dogs. Go back to Home Depot and purchase cement blocks and mortar. Construct bunker. Clean Coop and extend wire cage. They will not be leaving the coop again.You are done. An Urban Farmer. Ready to take your place in the farming history of your area. You may begin to plan your poultry entry into the Fair and attend a Grange meeting to socialize with your fellow farmers.
(Join us next time on my The Urban Farmer series as we discuss beating the high price of vegetables by planting a Garden)
