Quad Cities IL/IA

[EastmanEggs]

Anyone near the Quad Cities also keeping chickens?

 

[AnaHere1]

Greetings and salutations! I see you haven't yet received any responses, so I made an account to show you some love and talk chickens! I love chickens, all animals really. I have a mini-zoo at my apartment, but I plan to move into a house somewhere in the QC eventually, and I want to add to backyard chickens to my animal family. I do not and never have had backyard chickens, but boy oh boy do I want . It seems like some cities in the QCA allow backyard chickens and others do not... Would you happen to know which cities do and don't permit chickens, by chance? What is your take on the maintenance of backyard chickens? What does a person do with their chickens during the harsh winters we get in the midwest?

Thank you for making this post, and thank you for your future response!

 

[EastmanEggs]

@AnaHere1

Thanks for saying hi and being the first! Creating an account to "show the love" is above and beyond. You're awesome.

The QC does get cold, but most varieties of chicken can bear the temps if sheltered from the elements. Of course, mine are pampered with 3 heat lamps and a necessary heated waterer in a 14x14 2-level coop with attached 14x14 run. Free range depending on weather forecast.

I feel your passion, as I was a zoo-worthy house as well. We moved out to a farm and I fight back the urge to get "farm animals" each day. Obviously I gave in and bought 13 chickens... then 5 more, then 22 more, then 2 more, then 3 more...

No goats, pigs, horses, or cattle, yet.

I moved out of the city to what's considered RockIslandCounty. Nearly all of the 7 cities in the QC area have rules and ordinances regarding chickens, though they're not usually addressed directly as "chickens" since they fall into the "livestock" category for zoning and building.

As far as Chicken Work and maintain ence: they're somewhat comparable to a cat or dog. You have to feed, water, and collect eggs daily. In addition to providing a coop and checking the bedding occasionally.

Message me back to let me know you seen this! I'm excited to hear from you!