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If the thought of coming to the coop and finding slaughter will freak you out, I'd recommend closing them up every night. I know many here on the BYC do not, but they do it with full understanding of the risk they are taking. To some the risk is worth it. To me, it's not. Reading the Predator forum gets me all spun out, but it's a good dose of reality. You might be surprised about the pred action you will get after chickens are added to the backyard. Even in the city.
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I love spending time in the garden and my chickens free-range in the summertime. They are destructive to both vegetable and flower gardens and may have a tendency to wander off, so supervision is recommended. I only feed treats INSIDE the coop so that when I call them with treats in my hand, I know they will come.
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Hens will sing when they lay an egg. Or when they want to lay an egg. Or when they THINK it would be fun to lay an egg. It's loud. And they don't always stay inside by their egg - mine like to walk about and "announce" their accomplishment. Sometimes two or three all get singing at once, obviously very proud of the girlie that laid the egg. I'm not so sure that your girls would be covert for long after they begin laying...
Generally, my hens aren't all that noisy and they certainly aren't smelly, but I like to err on the "good neighbor" side. I talked with my neighbors before I got the chickens (not to ask permission, simply to let them know what's getting ready to happen) and they were welcomed with open arms. If, however, you aren't particularly close with your neighbors, and the ordinances say that only 5 are allowed, then I probably wouldn't push my luck getting more than what's allowed. I think 5 is a good starter flock number for any newbie, especially if you're in the city.
