[FONT=Georgia, serif]Legalizing Chicken Hens [/FONT]
Pioneering A Journey Towards Self-Sufficiency
Forward Thinking In Your Town
Some towns do not allow residents to raise hens. Please check your town laws and understand them before moving ahead. If raising chicken hens is not permitted in your town, you can, must, and need to change the law. We can show you how and help you do it.
E-Mail Editor For Help: [email protected]
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[FONT=Georgia, serif]
[FONT=Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif]NY Times - Straight From the Home Coop
NY Times - Is An Egg For Breakfast Worth This?
Score one for the chickens - a small victory in Johnson City, Tennessee
NY Times - Chickens On The Loose
The Record/northjersey.com - Wayne food advocate fights for right to keep hens
NEWS12 - Wayne man denied permit to keep chickens
CBS New York News - Wayne man fights to keep three chickens
Wayne Patch - Alfieri fighting for residents to raise chickens
NY Times - A Chicken On Every Plot, A Coop In Every Backyard
Aspen Times - Draft Code Allowing Chicken Hens
Lyndhurst NJ Creates New Ordinance To Allow Residents Raise Chicken Hens
For Printable Version Please Click[/FONT]
The Backyard Chicken Hen [/FONT]
Written By Victor Alfieri, editor woodlotfarms.com
Urban Homesteading Expert
Revised 6/2012
What you need to know.
The benefits, myths, issues and the contradictions of raising backyard chicken hens.
Once upon a time, folks in most small town homeowners kept chickens around the house for fresh eggs. Now, amidst a renewed interest in local food, health, and sustainability, local residents want to bring back the option of raising backyard chicken hens.
Recently chickens have undergone complete image
rehabilitation. Urban towns and cities across the country
are now changing their town ordinances to allow families
to own and raise small backyard flocks.
In the past two years, over 500 cities and towns across
the US have changed their laws to allow residents to start raising chicken hens. Just recently forward thinking Jersey City’s council encouraged their residents to start raising Chickens and honeybees.
"Fresh is not what you buy at the grocery store. Fresh
is when you go into your backyard, and harvest breakfast, lunch, and dinner, everyone should have a backyard
garden and chicken hens." Wayne Resident Michele Acton
Martha Stewart's book "Entertaining" began to change
that perception. As a committed chicken-keeper herself,
she made chickens seem less like livestock and more like useful, companionable creatures. Chicken hens are no longer associated with being farm animals. A 2 pound chicken hen has very little in common with a 400 lb. hog.
The second you start raising chicken hens you lower your families carbon footprint. The practice of urban homesteading and raising chicken hens has a POSITIVE effect on the local environment. Raising backyard chickens is now synonymous with sustainability.
Chickens are pets with a purpose. Hens lay eggs their entire life and live up to over 15 years old. By providing a high protein food source chicken hens pay for themselves.
In our current troubled times, raising hens for eggs will save families money.
[FONT=Georgia, serif]The Benefits To Raising Backyard Hens [/FONT]
Most Important Is HEALTH
Home Raised Eggs Offer Superior Nutrition
Mother’s across the country are seeing the health benefits of raising backyard chickens. The fact is Eggs from backyard chickens are healthier. Americans are learning, chickens hens can be raised easily right in their own back yard.
Eggs from backyard chickens are tastier, have firmer whites, and bright orange yolks for the beta-carotene. But the real difference is in the taste. Backyard chicken eggs have a more robust taste that is difficult to describe. Simply said they just taste fantastic.
Eggs currently sold in supermarkets are nutritionally inferior to eggs produced by hens raised on pasture and in backyards across the country.
That’s the conclusion of a 2007 Mother Earth News egg testing project. The testing was compared to official U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) nutrient data for commercial eggs.
A remarkable thing happens when a chicken is not confined and is able to live a natural more normal life, pecking for bugs, eating grass, and doing things chickens do.
The EGGS get healthier.
Eggs from backyard chickens contain:
1/3 less cholesterol
1/4 less saturated fat
2/3 more vitamin A
2 times more omega - 3 fatty acids
3 times more vitamin E
7 times more beta carotene
PENN State Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems - Poultry and Pasture
These results come from egg samples collected from 14 flocks around the country that range freely. The research team sampled six eggs from each of the 14 pastured flocks tested by an accredited laboratory in Portland, Ore. The egg samples were analyzed for nutrient content and then those results were compared with the official egg nutrient data from the USDA for conventional eggs.
These dramatically differing nutrient levels are most likely the result of the different diets of birds that produce these two types of eggs. True free-range birds eat a chicken’s natural diet. All kinds of seeds, green grass, insects, worms, and whole grain formulated chicken feed.
Factory farm hens never even see the outdoors or the light of day. These
environmental conditions are designed to produce eggs quickly and cheaply as possible in the factory farm setting.
Chickens are fed an unnatural and
unvaried diet of the cheapest possible
mixture of corn, soy or cottonseed meals.
This feed is laced with all kinds of additives, supplements, and growth hormones so the hens will produce eggs as quickly as
possible.
What is troubling to me is all the
antibiotics commercial factory farm raised hens need to stave off sickness caused
by overcrowded stressful living conditions.
Factory farm chicken hens are given their
first shot of antibiotics before they even hatch.
The egg industry wants to deny that
free-range/backyard chicken eggs are
better than eggs from chickens kept in
crowded, inhumane indoor conditions. The problem lies in the USDA definition of “true free-range." "Allowed access to the outside” is how the USDA defines “free-range.” This definition means that producers can, and do, label their eggs as “free-range” even if all they do is leave a door open to bare concrete.
NY Times - Antibiotics Off The Farm
I have seen this practice with my own eyes in PA. The sun was making the asphalt so hot, chickens just stayed inside.
True free-range eggs are from hens that range outdoors on pasture or backyards so they can do what’s comes natural. Like laying in the sun, drinking fresh rain water, and foraging for green plants, insects, and worms.
USDA considers eggs fresh 45 days after they are packed. USDA says eggs should be consumed within three to five weeks after you buy them. Following this policy, you could be eating eggs 9 to 11 weeks (77 days old) after they were laid. As these eggs age, air seeps into the naturally porous eggshell, degrading not just the nutrition, but also the taste and affecting the consistency of the egg.
Why would anyone want to eat a 45 day old egg?
Mother Earth News - Free Range Eggs
Beta-Carotene
motherearthnews.com Egg Graphic
wikipedia.org Free-range_eggs
Egg Nutrition Studies
• In 1974, the British Journal of Nutrition found that pastured eggs had 50 percent more folic acid and 70 percent more vitamin B12 than eggs from factory farm hens.
• In 1988, Artemis Simopoulos, co-author of The Omega Diet, found pastured eggs in Greece contained 13 times more omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids than U.S. commercial eggs.
• A 1998 study in Animal Feed Science and Technology found that pastured eggs had higher omega-3s and vitamin E than eggs from caged hens.
• A 1999 study by Barb Gorski at Pennsylvania State University found that eggs from pastured birds had 10 percent less fat, 34 percent less cholesterol, 40 percent more vitamin A, and four times the omega-3s compared to the standard USDA data. Her study also tested pastured chicken meat, and found it to have 21 percent less fat, 30 percent less saturated fat and 50 percent more vitamin A than the USDA standard.
• In 2003, Heather Karsten at Pennsylvania State University compared eggs from two groups of Hy-Line variety hens, with one kept in standard crowded factory farm conditions and the other on mixed grass and legume pasture. The eggs had similar levels of fat and cholesterol, but the pastured eggs had three times more omega-3s, 220 percent more vitamin E and 62 percent more vitamin A than eggs from caged hens.
While watching the following video, consider how much nutrition is in an egg from a chicken treated like what you are about to see. If you are not comfortable with the truth, do not watch this. Very graphic.
Family Food Security
Owning and raising hens creates a tremendous sense of security. Regardless of what happens around you. Your family has the ability to produce ounce for ounce and pound for pound the highest packed protein food source on the planet.
Our vast interdependent complex system we depend on could breakdown at the drop of a hat. A crisis could result from a wide variety of events, both natural and man made. In the last few years in parts of our country and around the world we are seeing some familiar and unfamiliar scenarios unfold.
Just recently we have seem some abnormal weather anomalies that have done some serious damage. Every year it seems like we are experiencing something different. As a country we are currently facing global financial collapse and the possibility of war with Iran, and the Middle East.
Food and gas prices are skyrocketing. We all see and feel it. Growing vegetables and raising hens helps offset the increasing living cost. Food Price Index
Towns do not have the resources to take care of their residents. Being prepared is not about negative gloom and doom. The act of being prepared is a positive action. Having something you need when you need it is positive.
Town officials need to start encouraging their residents to take care of themselves and become less dependent of their state and local governments. Old laws need to be reviewed and changed to mirror our current times. With a goal to help, not hurt in the quest for self-sufficiency.
Commodity Food Price Index Monthly Price
World food prices up, raising inflation concern
Delish Food In The News
Why are meat and poultry prices rising?
Meat prices on the rise
Food prices are soaring.
Egg prices expected to rise - consumers warned.
Setting A Good Example For Sustainability
When it comes to residential sustainability some US towns have fallen way behind.
The fact is [FONT=Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif]municipalities use less than 1% of the total energy consumed by most states. Towns can blanket their buildings with solar panels and it would not make a dent in total energy consumption. It won't make a difference until town officials start encouraging home owners to start practicing a more efficient sustainable lifestyle.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif]It's 2012 and residents I have to fight to change a law for the permission to live a healthier, more sustainable lifestyle. Towns and cities should be encouraging residents to do these things, instead you need to fight for it. [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif]Allowing residents to own chicken hens will help in this effort.
A small step in the right direction. [/FONT]
Local & Residential Sustainability Raising Hens
There is no waste with raising hens. Everything the chicken hen produces is used. The eggs are for healthy eating. If your hens produce a bit more eggs than you need, just give them away to friends and family.
Egg shells are packed with Calcium. Crushed egg shells add valuable nutrients to soil. Calcium is essential for cell growth in all plants. Calcium is especially important for fast growing plants because they quickly deplete the surrounding soil of calcium.
The second you start raising chicken hens you lower your families carbon footprint. The practice of urban homesteading and raising chicken hens has a POSITIVE effect on the local environment. The chicken law currently on the books contradicts what Wayne is trying to achieve.
Raising backyard chickens is now synonymous with sustainability. Wayne and other towns do an outstanding job in promoting sustainability. But as a town you cannot promote sustainability and not allow your residents to raise hens. You can’t achieve one without the other.
Living in the northeast we get most of our food from southern states, out west, Latin America, and even China. Food and eggs are first shipped to wholesale grocery supply companies like C&S Wholesale Company. Then, the wholesale company distributes the food and eggs to local supermarkets.
When buying food and eggs we have to consider the amount of resources it takes to get our food to our local supermarkets and the fuel used to travel to the market. It all adds up. Once less trip to the market makes a difference.
Chicken Manure As Fertilizer
Chicken waste is gardening gold. Composted chicken manure is one of the most sought after fertilizers for gardeners! Chicken manure fertilizer is very high in nitrogen and also contains a good amount of potassium and phosphorus. The high nitrogen and balanced nutrients is the reason that chicken manure compost is the best kind of manure to use.
It’s a fact that nitrogen helps to produce larger and healthier fruits and vegetables.
Coops with wheels can be moved around the yard to feed your lawn with rich nitrogen, so you can stop using harsh lawn chemicals. Calcium and nitrogen help keep your garden soil, grass, and plants healthy. More Info On Chicken Manure
RUTGERS Soil Study- Pastures and Livestock Build Soil Fertility
Education
Backyard chickens provide lessons for children about responsibility and where food comes from. Tending chickens is pleasurable and even easier than caring for a dog. There is no walking the chickens or even giving them a bath. Chickens require daily food, fresh water, and a coop cleaning from time to time.
One in three young adults unaware that eggs come from chickens
Children can participate in all of these chicken-related chores. The happier the hens, the more they will produce. A child's favorite chicken-related chore is running out to the coop to collect the fresh eggs.
Currently in the U.S. our high school students are learning food security, altering consumption patterns, and developing sustainable practices in our environmental science classes. Raising backyard hens plays a part in all 3.
Insect Control
Chickens provide natural insect control. As they hunt and peck for food, chickens gobble up grubs, mosquitoes, grasshoppers, earwigs, tics, slugs, stinkbugs, beetles, fleas, and other bugs, treating our garden pests as tasty, nutritious treats.
This method has a positive impact on the local environment by reducing the use of harsh backyard chemicals and pesticides. Backyard Pest Control
Raising Hens Will Save You Money
Chickens are pets with a purpose. Hens lay eggs their entire life and live up to over 15 years old. By providing a high protein food source chicken hens pay for themselves.
Organic Eggs in supermarkets cost as much $5.00 per dozen. Up 24% from March 1st 2011. With rising inflation and oil prices food and dairy cost could be rising dramatically.
Egg prices expected to rise: Click For More Info
Food prices are soaring: USDA Analysis and forecasts of the CPI for food
Chicken hens each lay about 300 eggs per year. So with 5 hens you get 1,500 eggs per year. Purchasing organic eggs in the supermarket would cost a family $586.20 a year.
Buying Eggs vs. Raising The Numbers
The Numbers Amount Per Year Cost Total
Chicken Hens 5 5 every 3 years $8.00 $40.00
Chicken Feed 50 lbs. Bags 6 300 lbs. $17.00 $102.00
Scratch Feed 50 lbs. Bags 2 100 lbs. $17.00 $34.00
Pine Shavings 6 Cubic Feet 2 12 Cubic Ft. $8.00 $16.00
Total $182.00
Raising your own backyard flock would cost approximately $182.00 per year. That's a savings of over $400.00 per year. In our current troubled times raising hens for eggs
will save families money.
Composted chicken manure is one of the most sought after fertilizers for gardeners! Chicken manure is now being sold for $.50 a pound. 20 pounds $10.00 Black Gold
Backyard gardeners having access to this and not having to buy fertilizers is a tremendous savings.
[FONT=Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif]For those who want to slaughter chicken hens for meat. First you will need the contact the U.S. Department of Agriculture for a free IA test[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif]. USDA will fax a pass to your local slaughter house for a 48 hour slaughter window. [/FONT]
Create Town Revenue
Just like a dog license, chicken owners will have to acquire a license for a fee (tax) from the town health department to own and raise hens. All these same things can apply to chicken owners.
There are good dog owners and there are bad dog owners. Chicken hen owners are not going to be any different. Just like a barking dog can become a nuisance, if a resident’s Hen becomes a nuisance or a resident abuses the law then the town will deal with it just as it would a barking dog.
Town revenue is hard to come by. Towns can use the new chicken hen law to promote sustainability and create revenue for the town. Our country, states, counties, towns, and residents are strapped for cash and resources are running out.
On a local level town officials need to enable and encourage residents to become less dependent on government resources. Dependence on government has rose over 23% in the last two years. Over 67 million Americans now rely on some federal program.
Food prices are soaring.
Egg prices expected to rise - consumers warned.
Families will save over $400 a year raising just 5 hens. Town officials are always looking for ways to help local residents save money. Support the new chicken law and kill 3 birds with 1 stone. Promote sustainability, improve health, and help local families save money.
[FONT=Georgia, serif]The Hen House[/FONT]
Chicken coops are now designed for all types of applications. Coop designs can be totally charming, upscale and even whimsical. You can convert an existing shed for under $50.00 or spend up to $5,000 for a beautiful dollhouse replica.
Hens need about 2 square feet in the coop and about 5 sq ft. of an outside chicken run. So with 5 hens you will only need 35 square feet to raise happy healthy hens. As long as the hens have a dry box for egg laying, a roost for sleeping and grooming, and are kept out of the wind in the winter, really anything goes.
Some of the coop designs I have seen are just remarkable and very innovative. There are even coops with wheels so you can move the coop around the yard to feed your lawn with rich nitrogen and stop using harsh lawn chemicals.
Chicken Coop Pictures
[FONT=Georgia, serif]Removing The Myths About Backyard Hens[/FONT]
Property Values and Raising Hens
You can personally believe your neighbor raising hens will lower the value of your home. The problem with making a statement like this is there is absolutely no data supporting your claim.
I can say chickens lay golden eggs, it doesn't make it true.
In fact there is data proving otherwise. Forbes lists of the 10 healthiest real estate markets and all but one city allow chickens. Greener Living
National Association of Realtors
NJ Association of Realtors
Chickens Are Not Pets
Of course they are and great ones too. Hens are the one pet that produces things that improve your life. Chickens are pets with a purpose. Hens lay eggs their entire life and live up to over 15 years old. By providing a high protein food source, chicken hens pay for themselves.
Over 6,000,000 homes in the USA own indoor birds as pets. Snakes are pets. Horses, rabbits, spiders, and rats are pets. In New York City, NY, chickens are considered pets under the Health Code. Unlimited number of hens are allowed.
Hens Need Roosters
One of the biggest myths is that you need roosters to produce eggs. This is not true. You do not need roosters to get fresh healthy organic eggs. Hens do this naturally all by themselves. Roosters are only needed if you intend to breed and reproduce chickens. Roosters do not lay eggs.
Disease and Bird Flu Concerns
The fact is New Jersey has never had one documented case of the Bird Flu.
When talking about Birds and disease please keep in mind birds are everywhere. There are over 9,800 bird species living today. There over 350 species in New Jersey alone.
There are more chickens in the US than there are people on the planet. When talking about birds and disease you have to consider all family pets. The national Center for Disease Control mentions 3 public health issues with chickens (birds), 16 for cats,
and 17 for dogs! Cats Dogs Birds
Please keep in mind chicken hens do not enter your home. Dogs and cats are fed in most home kitchens and sleep in most peoples beds.
Disease and bird flu argument is only brought up by residents and town officials who
are reaching for excuses. Most town officials don’t seem to be worried about all the Canadian Geese running around our local school fields, parks, and golf courses.
Any one of us can go out today and purchase an exotic imported bird from our local
pet store and keep them in our homes as pets. Over 6,000,000 homes in the USA own indoor birds.
The more you own of any pet, the more likely there will be disease. Town officials should be more concerned with the larger flocks residents currently own, and less concerned about residents owning 3 to 5 hens.
There is absolutely no study that proves you are more likely to get disease or bird flu with raising chickens on smaller properties than 2 acres. If town officials are concerned about disease than no residents should have the right to raise chickens.
The fact is in the USA pigeons and winter starlings carry more diseases than any other bird.
Pest control experts and public health specialists warn that there are dozens of different human pathogens associated with pigeons, including some that can be dangerous or even deadly. Many experts feel that pigeons are a significant health risk to people.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domestic_Pigeon
Chickens are legal in Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, NY City, and the highest populated city in the country Brooklyn NY. These cities don't seem to be worried about disease and bird flu. Why is your town?
Click For U.S. Global Health Policy - CASES
[FONT=Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif]Avian Influenza A/(H5N1) Cumulative Number of Confirmed Human Cases[/FONT]
Click For U.S. Global Health Policy - DEATHS
[FONT=Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif]Avian Influenza A/(H5N1) Cumulative Number of Confirmed Human Deaths[/FONT]
Chickens and There Waste Attract Rodents
This is absolutely not true. Chickens do not attract rodents. In fact chicken hens chase and kill rodents. Chickens are omnivores. They eat seeds and insects but also larger prey like small mice and lizards.
Why on earth would rodents be attracted to chicken waste?
Rodents don't eat chicken waste.
What attracts rodents is the chicken feed. (bird seed)
When using this argument opposing
the owning of hens please keep in mind feeding birds is not ILLEGAL.
Bird food is sold in every supermarket, pet store, Home Depot, Wal-Mart, Lowes, Target, even Walgreens has 20 lb bags
of birdseed.
There is NO difference between feeding wild birds, domestic chicken hens, rabbits, and pigeons.
Unless you intend on making feeding birds ILLEGAL this argument cannot be used.
Example: My retired neighbor Joe loves feeding birds and has many bird feeders all over his yard. Even has a platform feeder for laying out peanuts and sliced fruit for the Blue Jays and Cardinals. He keeps a log of bird species that enter his yard from year to year. Joe can peacefully sit in his backyard and feed the birds all day whenever he wants with bird food.
A small list of things that attract rodents around the house. Vegetable gardens, flowers, flower bulbs, compost bins, bird feeders, bird food, Honeybees (honey) dog and cat food, garbage, dirty BBQ's, insects, rabbit feed, pigeon feed, Koi fish pond feed, and free standing water.
Chickens Attract Wildlife
Yes chickens do attract wildlife. B[FONT=verdana,geneva]irds, [/FONT][FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif][FONT=verdana,geneva]chipmunks,[/FONT][/FONT] [FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif][FONT=verdana,geneva]squirrels,[/FONT][/FONT] [FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif][FONT=verdana,geneva]rabbits,[/FONT][/FONT] skunks, raccoons, [FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif][FONT=verdana,geneva]groundhogs,[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif][FONT=verdana,geneva] turtles[/FONT][/FONT], beavers, possum, snakes, [/FONT][/FONT]fox, coyote, bobcat, turkey, and black bears.
To use this argument against allowing residents to own and raise chicken hens,
you need to understand and consider all things that also attract wildlife.
Vegetable gardens, flowers, flower bulbs, tall grass, compost bins, bird feeders,
bird food, Honeybees (honey), worm farms, barking dogs, cats, garbage, dirty BBQ's, insects, rabbit coops, pigeon coops, Koi fish ponds and free standing water.
Chickens Are Noisy
Every bird on the planet makes noise. Chickens are no exception. But the noisy culprit is the ROOSTER NOT THE HEN. Roosters are noisy because they protect the flock, engage in male courting, fights for dominance, and territorial battles.
With 3 to 5 hens there is no fighting for dominance, THERE’S NO MALE. There's no territorial battle because chickens are instinctual. They understand that with only 3 to 5 chickens they need each other to survive.
In the wild when chickens want to lay an egg they break from the pack and seek privacy. When they are finished they let out a loud call to find their pack members. In a Chicken coop with 5 chickens or less there is no need for this behavior, all 5 chickens are very aware of each others locations.
Making noise uses energy. Instinctually the call out is unnecessary and pointless. Chickens are survivors the last thing they want is to attract unnecessary attention to themselves and their newly lain eggs. Chicken have been around since 2500 BC. I do not think they would have survived this long running around making noise all day attracting predators.
Chickens need and want sunlight. When the sun goes down, so does the chicken. They go into their
coops and go to bed. Un-like big barking dogs.
Noise is measured in decibels. Dogs have been
recorded louder than 100 decibels.
Human conversation is measured at 60 decibels. Chicken hens at their loudest have about the same decibel level as human conversation around 60 decibels.
Hens are so quiet that there have been cases of family flocks being kept for years without the next door neighbors knowing it.
This is because of sound drop off. Example 70 decibels measured one foot from the source that has traveled only 20 feet ranges down to 49 decibels.
Chickens Quieter Than Neighborhood Birds
Buffalo Rising City Chickens
[FONT=Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif]Chicken hens are not noisy, dogs are. [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif]In towns it’s legal to do construction and run power tools at 110 decibels morning, noon, and night from 7am to 10pm.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif]Also I can own 1,000 pigeons, do pigeons not make noise?[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif]My wife and I sit in my backyard reading and hear mowers, blowers, weed wackers, power washers, power saws, and all kinds of power tools all over 100 decibels. The people using these tools are recommended to use ear safety protection[/FONT].
And it's ILLEGAL for my family to raise 5 chicken hens because they might be too noisy?
This argument does not fly. There are to many things around us that make plenty of noise. There is a long list of things that are too noisy and chickens are not one of them.
Every home makes noise in one form or another. Some people like using power tools, other people like loud music, some yards are filled with loud kids and barking dogs.
Some homes have old central air units that power up and power down all day long.
We all have our thing. We need to learn to coexist.
Links Charts Info
soundbytes.com
Murray Hill Hatchery
Purdue.edu
Sarasota Cluck
Chickens Will Get Loose and Roam The Streets
Absolutely Not True. Chickens are very vulnerable. With the kind of wild life out there chickens would not last more than 1 or 2 nights in the wild. This is why we do not see chickens running around the streets in local towns where chickens are legal.
Chickens Are Dirty
Let me ask you a question. Have you ever seen a dirty bird? The answer is NO and NEVER. They don't exist. Chickens are birds and just like any other bird chickens spend up to 4 hours a day grooming.
You may think a bird looks dirty. I worked in the city for 13 years and I think pigeons are absolutely filthy, but are they really? Chickens have been around since 2500 BC. The notion that chickens are dirty is absolutely ridiculous and not worth spending anymore time on.
Chicken Waste Smells Bad
You can say chicken (bird) waste smells 100 different ways, But it doesn't make it true.
Now if chicken hen waste smells, then so does rabbit, pigeon, and dog waste. Check with your town to see how many of these pets are allowed.
Let's put this into perspective. A 40-pound dog generates more solid waste than 10 chicken hens. To be more specific, one 40-pound dog generates .75 pounds of poop every single day. Five 40-pound dogs generate 3.75 pounds of poop every single day. That is equivalent to owning 56 hens. Five 2-pound chicken hens generate .33 pounds per day.
The animal does not determine the smell of
the waste it produces. The food the animal
eats determines the smell of the waste the
animal produces. Chicken feed is made out
of whole grains.
But the fact is, just like dog and cat food, chicken feed is scientifically designed to eliminate odors. Many years ago pet food manufacturers realized pet owners didn't like smelly pets.
Zoo's in California were the first to start looking
for an all natural biological solution to neutralize animal waste. And they discovered "Yucca Schidigera" in southeastern California.
Yucca Schidigera, also known as the Mojave yucca or Spanish Dagger, is a flowering plant that is native to the Mojave Desert and Sonoran Desert of southeastern California, Baja California, southern Nevada and western Arizona.
After having success in zoo's, it was then added to bird seed for homeowners who owned indoor birds like Parrots, Canaries, Finches, Conures, and Cockatiels.
Over 6,000,000 homes in the USA own indoor birds.
Forms of pure "Yucca Schidigera" Root Powder is
now used in all pet foods including chicken feed.
"Yucca Schidigera" is what pet and chicken feed manufacturers add to food to eliminate pet waste odors. The extracts from this plant are in animal feed and various herbal medications. It is used as a natural deodorizer, and is used in pet deodorizers.
This is why CHICKEN HEN WASTE DOES NOT SMELL and most certainly not with only 5 chicken hens.
What would you rather have living next to you. 5 dogs or 5 chicken hens?
Links To Support The Facts:
Pure "Yucca Schidigera" Root Powder
Ultra Bio-Logics Inc. Printable Pdf
Yucca Schidigera Extract NP Raw Material (Food Grade)
University Studies Yuca
[FONT=Georgia, serif][FONT=Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif]Town Law Contradictions[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Georgia, serif][FONT=Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif]Check your town laws to find the contradictions.[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif] [/FONT]
Point On Dogs
Now I own and love dogs. This is to point out the contradiction in the law. In Wayne NJ it's LEGAL for residents to own and raise 5 Pit Bulls. But it's ILLEGAL to own and raise 5 chicken hens.
There are more than 72 million pet dogs in the U.S. and nearly 82 million pet cats.
Residents in Wayne can raise 5 dogs per household. It’s cruel but Wayne law states that dogs do not have to be kept in your home. With the proper housing dogs can be kept in your yard for their entire life never entering your home.
lronically, just like backyard chicken hens would be kept.
An estimated 4.7 million dog bites occur in the
US each year. Every 40 seconds, someone in
the United States seeks medical attention for
a dog bite. Dog bite losses exceed $1 billion
per year, with over $300 million paid by homeowners insurance.
Most of the victims are children, and most of
them are bitten on the face. Between 1982
and 2006 dogs were responsible for 2209 Attacks, 264 Deaths, and 1323 Mameings.
All The Facts On Dog Bites
The National Center for Disease Control mentions 3 public health issues with birds,
16 for cats, and 17 for dogs. Cats Dogs Birds
Dogs have no health or sustainability benefits to the community. In fact dogs increase families carbon footprints. One 40-pound dog generates more solid waste than 10 chicken hens.
If town officials and residents are concerned about noise, smell, and public safety, it doesn't seem like chicken hens are the problem. Point is, if you are against residents owning chicken hens, then you must be against residents owning dogs.
Bunny Rabbits
Town resident regardless of the size of their yard can raise, breed, sell, and slaughter rabbits without a license. As many as you want with no yard restrictions or coop setbacks. Rabbits can be kept outside in your yard all year long.
lronically, just like backyard chicken hens would be kept.
Rabbits are known to carry rabies and have
razor sharp teeth. Hundreds of injuries are
reported each year from rabbit bites mainly
around the Easter holiday. Rabbits are known
to become very aggressive.
Now rabbits do have a sustainable benefit to
the community. Their waste is very similar to
chicken waste mostly made up of nitrogen and
perfect for the garden. But their meat is very
low in protein and for the urban homesteader
raising chickens is more beneficial.
The contradiction is that in Wayne NJ it's
ILLEGAL to own chicken hens, But It's LEGAL to own, raise, breed, sell, and slaughter as many rabbits as I want. 20, 30, or 40, no restrictions. As far as smell, their waste is almost exactly the same as chickens, mostly made up of nitrogen.
I wonder how 50 rabbits would smell?
Indoor Exotic Birds
Today over 6,000,000 homes in the USA own indoor birds. Any one of us can go out today and purchase an exotic imported bird form our local pet store and keep them in our homes as pets. Indoor birds like Parrots, Canaries, Finches, Conures, and Cockatiels.
Domestic Pigeons
Currently resident regardless of the size of your yard can own, breed, sell, and release pigeons. Wayne residents can own as many pigeons as they want with no limits and without a license from animal control. 1,000 or 2,000 No Limit.
Pigeons are kept in coops. Ironically, just like
backyard chicken hens would be kept.
Owning pigeons does not have any health or
sustainability benefits to the local community.
The fact is in the USA pigeons and winter
starlings carry more diseases than any other
bird on the east coast. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domestic_Pigeon
The contradiction is that in Wayne NJ it's ILLEGAL to own chicken hens, But It's LEGAL to own and raise 1,000 or 2,000 domestic pigeons in your yard with a coop no larger than 1,200 square foot.
In Closing
Looking at some of these issues with common sense you quickly realize there is not much to go on. After reading this I hope you would agree that all U.S. residents should be allowed to own and raise 3 to 5 hens (no roosters) regardless of the size of their properties.
Town officials should take a forward-looking approach to this matter and recognize all the benefits associated with this ordinance change and vote on FACTS, not personal opinions.
You personally may not want to own and raise chicken hens. That’s your choice.
I should also have a choice and I choose health and sustainability over anything else.
Any questions please call 201.220.4862
Victor Alfieri, editor www.woodlotfarms.com
Urban Homesteading Expert
i want to have chickens but there are illegal for no good reason how do i leagalize it is there anyone in wayne or near by who has chickens and can help me leagalize them here i found so many reasons to keep them
Pioneering A Journey Towards Self-Sufficiency
Forward Thinking In Your Town
Some towns do not allow residents to raise hens. Please check your town laws and understand them before moving ahead. If raising chicken hens is not permitted in your town, you can, must, and need to change the law. We can show you how and help you do it.
E-Mail Editor For Help: [email protected]
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[FONT=Georgia, serif]
[FONT=Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif]NY Times - Straight From the Home Coop
NY Times - Is An Egg For Breakfast Worth This?
Score one for the chickens - a small victory in Johnson City, Tennessee
NY Times - Chickens On The Loose
The Record/northjersey.com - Wayne food advocate fights for right to keep hens
NEWS12 - Wayne man denied permit to keep chickens
CBS New York News - Wayne man fights to keep three chickens
Wayne Patch - Alfieri fighting for residents to raise chickens
NY Times - A Chicken On Every Plot, A Coop In Every Backyard
Aspen Times - Draft Code Allowing Chicken Hens
Lyndhurst NJ Creates New Ordinance To Allow Residents Raise Chicken Hens
For Printable Version Please Click[/FONT]
The Backyard Chicken Hen [/FONT]
Written By Victor Alfieri, editor woodlotfarms.com
Urban Homesteading Expert
Revised 6/2012
What you need to know.
The benefits, myths, issues and the contradictions of raising backyard chicken hens.
Once upon a time, folks in most small town homeowners kept chickens around the house for fresh eggs. Now, amidst a renewed interest in local food, health, and sustainability, local residents want to bring back the option of raising backyard chicken hens.
Recently chickens have undergone complete image
are now changing their town ordinances to allow families
to own and raise small backyard flocks.
In the past two years, over 500 cities and towns across
the US have changed their laws to allow residents to start raising chicken hens. Just recently forward thinking Jersey City’s council encouraged their residents to start raising Chickens and honeybees.
"Fresh is not what you buy at the grocery store. Fresh
is when you go into your backyard, and harvest breakfast, lunch, and dinner, everyone should have a backyard
garden and chicken hens." Wayne Resident Michele Acton
Martha Stewart's book "Entertaining" began to change
that perception. As a committed chicken-keeper herself,
she made chickens seem less like livestock and more like useful, companionable creatures. Chicken hens are no longer associated with being farm animals. A 2 pound chicken hen has very little in common with a 400 lb. hog.
The second you start raising chicken hens you lower your families carbon footprint. The practice of urban homesteading and raising chicken hens has a POSITIVE effect on the local environment. Raising backyard chickens is now synonymous with sustainability.
Chickens are pets with a purpose. Hens lay eggs their entire life and live up to over 15 years old. By providing a high protein food source chicken hens pay for themselves.
In our current troubled times, raising hens for eggs will save families money.
[FONT=Georgia, serif]The Benefits To Raising Backyard Hens [/FONT]
Most Important Is HEALTH
Home Raised Eggs Offer Superior Nutrition
Mother’s across the country are seeing the health benefits of raising backyard chickens. The fact is Eggs from backyard chickens are healthier. Americans are learning, chickens hens can be raised easily right in their own back yard.
Eggs from backyard chickens are tastier, have firmer whites, and bright orange yolks for the beta-carotene. But the real difference is in the taste. Backyard chicken eggs have a more robust taste that is difficult to describe. Simply said they just taste fantastic.
Eggs currently sold in supermarkets are nutritionally inferior to eggs produced by hens raised on pasture and in backyards across the country.
That’s the conclusion of a 2007 Mother Earth News egg testing project. The testing was compared to official U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) nutrient data for commercial eggs.
A remarkable thing happens when a chicken is not confined and is able to live a natural more normal life, pecking for bugs, eating grass, and doing things chickens do.
The EGGS get healthier.
Eggs from backyard chickens contain:
1/3 less cholesterol
1/4 less saturated fat
2/3 more vitamin A
2 times more omega - 3 fatty acids
3 times more vitamin E
7 times more beta carotene
PENN State Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems - Poultry and Pasture
These results come from egg samples collected from 14 flocks around the country that range freely. The research team sampled six eggs from each of the 14 pastured flocks tested by an accredited laboratory in Portland, Ore. The egg samples were analyzed for nutrient content and then those results were compared with the official egg nutrient data from the USDA for conventional eggs.
These dramatically differing nutrient levels are most likely the result of the different diets of birds that produce these two types of eggs. True free-range birds eat a chicken’s natural diet. All kinds of seeds, green grass, insects, worms, and whole grain formulated chicken feed.
Factory farm hens never even see the outdoors or the light of day. These
environmental conditions are designed to produce eggs quickly and cheaply as possible in the factory farm setting.
Chickens are fed an unnatural and
mixture of corn, soy or cottonseed meals.
This feed is laced with all kinds of additives, supplements, and growth hormones so the hens will produce eggs as quickly as
possible.
What is troubling to me is all the
antibiotics commercial factory farm raised hens need to stave off sickness caused
by overcrowded stressful living conditions.
Factory farm chicken hens are given their
first shot of antibiotics before they even hatch.
The egg industry wants to deny that
free-range/backyard chicken eggs are
crowded, inhumane indoor conditions. The problem lies in the USDA definition of “true free-range." "Allowed access to the outside” is how the USDA defines “free-range.” This definition means that producers can, and do, label their eggs as “free-range” even if all they do is leave a door open to bare concrete.
NY Times - Antibiotics Off The Farm
I have seen this practice with my own eyes in PA. The sun was making the asphalt so hot, chickens just stayed inside.
True free-range eggs are from hens that range outdoors on pasture or backyards so they can do what’s comes natural. Like laying in the sun, drinking fresh rain water, and foraging for green plants, insects, and worms.
USDA considers eggs fresh 45 days after they are packed. USDA says eggs should be consumed within three to five weeks after you buy them. Following this policy, you could be eating eggs 9 to 11 weeks (77 days old) after they were laid. As these eggs age, air seeps into the naturally porous eggshell, degrading not just the nutrition, but also the taste and affecting the consistency of the egg.
Why would anyone want to eat a 45 day old egg?
Mother Earth News - Free Range Eggs
Beta-Carotene
motherearthnews.com Egg Graphic
wikipedia.org Free-range_eggs
Egg Nutrition Studies
• In 1974, the British Journal of Nutrition found that pastured eggs had 50 percent more folic acid and 70 percent more vitamin B12 than eggs from factory farm hens.
• In 1988, Artemis Simopoulos, co-author of The Omega Diet, found pastured eggs in Greece contained 13 times more omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids than U.S. commercial eggs.
• A 1998 study in Animal Feed Science and Technology found that pastured eggs had higher omega-3s and vitamin E than eggs from caged hens.
• A 1999 study by Barb Gorski at Pennsylvania State University found that eggs from pastured birds had 10 percent less fat, 34 percent less cholesterol, 40 percent more vitamin A, and four times the omega-3s compared to the standard USDA data. Her study also tested pastured chicken meat, and found it to have 21 percent less fat, 30 percent less saturated fat and 50 percent more vitamin A than the USDA standard.
• In 2003, Heather Karsten at Pennsylvania State University compared eggs from two groups of Hy-Line variety hens, with one kept in standard crowded factory farm conditions and the other on mixed grass and legume pasture. The eggs had similar levels of fat and cholesterol, but the pastured eggs had three times more omega-3s, 220 percent more vitamin E and 62 percent more vitamin A than eggs from caged hens.
While watching the following video, consider how much nutrition is in an egg from a chicken treated like what you are about to see. If you are not comfortable with the truth, do not watch this. Very graphic.
Family Food Security
Owning and raising hens creates a tremendous sense of security. Regardless of what happens around you. Your family has the ability to produce ounce for ounce and pound for pound the highest packed protein food source on the planet.
Our vast interdependent complex system we depend on could breakdown at the drop of a hat. A crisis could result from a wide variety of events, both natural and man made. In the last few years in parts of our country and around the world we are seeing some familiar and unfamiliar scenarios unfold.
Just recently we have seem some abnormal weather anomalies that have done some serious damage. Every year it seems like we are experiencing something different. As a country we are currently facing global financial collapse and the possibility of war with Iran, and the Middle East.
Food and gas prices are skyrocketing. We all see and feel it. Growing vegetables and raising hens helps offset the increasing living cost. Food Price Index
Towns do not have the resources to take care of their residents. Being prepared is not about negative gloom and doom. The act of being prepared is a positive action. Having something you need when you need it is positive.
Town officials need to start encouraging their residents to take care of themselves and become less dependent of their state and local governments. Old laws need to be reviewed and changed to mirror our current times. With a goal to help, not hurt in the quest for self-sufficiency.
Commodity Food Price Index Monthly Price
World food prices up, raising inflation concern
Delish Food In The News
Why are meat and poultry prices rising?
Meat prices on the rise
Food prices are soaring.
Egg prices expected to rise - consumers warned.
Setting A Good Example For Sustainability
When it comes to residential sustainability some US towns have fallen way behind.
The fact is [FONT=Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif]municipalities use less than 1% of the total energy consumed by most states. Towns can blanket their buildings with solar panels and it would not make a dent in total energy consumption. It won't make a difference until town officials start encouraging home owners to start practicing a more efficient sustainable lifestyle.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif]It's 2012 and residents I have to fight to change a law for the permission to live a healthier, more sustainable lifestyle. Towns and cities should be encouraging residents to do these things, instead you need to fight for it. [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif]Allowing residents to own chicken hens will help in this effort.
A small step in the right direction. [/FONT]
Local & Residential Sustainability Raising Hens
There is no waste with raising hens. Everything the chicken hen produces is used. The eggs are for healthy eating. If your hens produce a bit more eggs than you need, just give them away to friends and family.
Egg shells are packed with Calcium. Crushed egg shells add valuable nutrients to soil. Calcium is essential for cell growth in all plants. Calcium is especially important for fast growing plants because they quickly deplete the surrounding soil of calcium.
The second you start raising chicken hens you lower your families carbon footprint. The practice of urban homesteading and raising chicken hens has a POSITIVE effect on the local environment. The chicken law currently on the books contradicts what Wayne is trying to achieve.
Raising backyard chickens is now synonymous with sustainability. Wayne and other towns do an outstanding job in promoting sustainability. But as a town you cannot promote sustainability and not allow your residents to raise hens. You can’t achieve one without the other.
Living in the northeast we get most of our food from southern states, out west, Latin America, and even China. Food and eggs are first shipped to wholesale grocery supply companies like C&S Wholesale Company. Then, the wholesale company distributes the food and eggs to local supermarkets.
When buying food and eggs we have to consider the amount of resources it takes to get our food to our local supermarkets and the fuel used to travel to the market. It all adds up. Once less trip to the market makes a difference.
Chicken Manure As Fertilizer
Chicken waste is gardening gold. Composted chicken manure is one of the most sought after fertilizers for gardeners! Chicken manure fertilizer is very high in nitrogen and also contains a good amount of potassium and phosphorus. The high nitrogen and balanced nutrients is the reason that chicken manure compost is the best kind of manure to use.
It’s a fact that nitrogen helps to produce larger and healthier fruits and vegetables.
Coops with wheels can be moved around the yard to feed your lawn with rich nitrogen, so you can stop using harsh lawn chemicals. Calcium and nitrogen help keep your garden soil, grass, and plants healthy. More Info On Chicken Manure
RUTGERS Soil Study- Pastures and Livestock Build Soil Fertility
Education
Backyard chickens provide lessons for children about responsibility and where food comes from. Tending chickens is pleasurable and even easier than caring for a dog. There is no walking the chickens or even giving them a bath. Chickens require daily food, fresh water, and a coop cleaning from time to time.
One in three young adults unaware that eggs come from chickens
Children can participate in all of these chicken-related chores. The happier the hens, the more they will produce. A child's favorite chicken-related chore is running out to the coop to collect the fresh eggs.
Currently in the U.S. our high school students are learning food security, altering consumption patterns, and developing sustainable practices in our environmental science classes. Raising backyard hens plays a part in all 3.
Insect Control
Chickens provide natural insect control. As they hunt and peck for food, chickens gobble up grubs, mosquitoes, grasshoppers, earwigs, tics, slugs, stinkbugs, beetles, fleas, and other bugs, treating our garden pests as tasty, nutritious treats.
This method has a positive impact on the local environment by reducing the use of harsh backyard chemicals and pesticides. Backyard Pest Control
Raising Hens Will Save You Money
Chickens are pets with a purpose. Hens lay eggs their entire life and live up to over 15 years old. By providing a high protein food source chicken hens pay for themselves.
Organic Eggs in supermarkets cost as much $5.00 per dozen. Up 24% from March 1st 2011. With rising inflation and oil prices food and dairy cost could be rising dramatically.
Egg prices expected to rise: Click For More Info
Food prices are soaring: USDA Analysis and forecasts of the CPI for food
Chicken hens each lay about 300 eggs per year. So with 5 hens you get 1,500 eggs per year. Purchasing organic eggs in the supermarket would cost a family $586.20 a year.
Buying Eggs vs. Raising The Numbers
The Numbers Amount Per Year Cost Total
Chicken Hens 5 5 every 3 years $8.00 $40.00
Chicken Feed 50 lbs. Bags 6 300 lbs. $17.00 $102.00
Scratch Feed 50 lbs. Bags 2 100 lbs. $17.00 $34.00
Pine Shavings 6 Cubic Feet 2 12 Cubic Ft. $8.00 $16.00
Total $182.00
Raising your own backyard flock would cost approximately $182.00 per year. That's a savings of over $400.00 per year. In our current troubled times raising hens for eggs
will save families money.
Composted chicken manure is one of the most sought after fertilizers for gardeners! Chicken manure is now being sold for $.50 a pound. 20 pounds $10.00 Black Gold
Backyard gardeners having access to this and not having to buy fertilizers is a tremendous savings.
[FONT=Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif]For those who want to slaughter chicken hens for meat. First you will need the contact the U.S. Department of Agriculture for a free IA test[/FONT][FONT=Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif]. USDA will fax a pass to your local slaughter house for a 48 hour slaughter window. [/FONT]
Create Town Revenue
Just like a dog license, chicken owners will have to acquire a license for a fee (tax) from the town health department to own and raise hens. All these same things can apply to chicken owners.
There are good dog owners and there are bad dog owners. Chicken hen owners are not going to be any different. Just like a barking dog can become a nuisance, if a resident’s Hen becomes a nuisance or a resident abuses the law then the town will deal with it just as it would a barking dog.
Town revenue is hard to come by. Towns can use the new chicken hen law to promote sustainability and create revenue for the town. Our country, states, counties, towns, and residents are strapped for cash and resources are running out.
On a local level town officials need to enable and encourage residents to become less dependent on government resources. Dependence on government has rose over 23% in the last two years. Over 67 million Americans now rely on some federal program.
Food prices are soaring.
Egg prices expected to rise - consumers warned.
Families will save over $400 a year raising just 5 hens. Town officials are always looking for ways to help local residents save money. Support the new chicken law and kill 3 birds with 1 stone. Promote sustainability, improve health, and help local families save money.
[FONT=Georgia, serif]The Hen House[/FONT]
Chicken coops are now designed for all types of applications. Coop designs can be totally charming, upscale and even whimsical. You can convert an existing shed for under $50.00 or spend up to $5,000 for a beautiful dollhouse replica.
Hens need about 2 square feet in the coop and about 5 sq ft. of an outside chicken run. So with 5 hens you will only need 35 square feet to raise happy healthy hens. As long as the hens have a dry box for egg laying, a roost for sleeping and grooming, and are kept out of the wind in the winter, really anything goes.
Some of the coop designs I have seen are just remarkable and very innovative. There are even coops with wheels so you can move the coop around the yard to feed your lawn with rich nitrogen and stop using harsh lawn chemicals.
Chicken Coop Pictures
[FONT=Georgia, serif]Removing The Myths About Backyard Hens[/FONT]
Property Values and Raising Hens
You can personally believe your neighbor raising hens will lower the value of your home. The problem with making a statement like this is there is absolutely no data supporting your claim.
I can say chickens lay golden eggs, it doesn't make it true.
In fact there is data proving otherwise. Forbes lists of the 10 healthiest real estate markets and all but one city allow chickens. Greener Living
- Springfield, MO - Voted October 2010 to allow for backyard chickens
- Denver, CO – chickens have been allowed for some time. They even have an annual event the “tour de coup.”
- Albuquerque, NM - allows up to 15 chickens and one rooster. You may even slaughter for food. (not my bag but noteworthy none the less)
- Colorado Springs, CO – 10 chickens and no roosters.
- San Antonio, TX – you may have up to 5 livestock animals (including sheeps, goats, pigs, cows) and of that number 3 can be chickens without a permit.
- Austin, TX – Up to 10 chickens allowed and they do a funky chicken coop tour
- McAllen, TX - you may have up to 6 per acre
- Raleigh, NC – no limit on number of chickens kept
National Association of Realtors
NJ Association of Realtors
Chickens Are Not Pets
Of course they are and great ones too. Hens are the one pet that produces things that improve your life. Chickens are pets with a purpose. Hens lay eggs their entire life and live up to over 15 years old. By providing a high protein food source, chicken hens pay for themselves.
Over 6,000,000 homes in the USA own indoor birds as pets. Snakes are pets. Horses, rabbits, spiders, and rats are pets. In New York City, NY, chickens are considered pets under the Health Code. Unlimited number of hens are allowed.
Urban Chickens vs. other Urban Pets Comparison Chart
Urban hens are similar to other familiar pets in many ways, with a few very positive differences.
Hens Need Roosters
One of the biggest myths is that you need roosters to produce eggs. This is not true. You do not need roosters to get fresh healthy organic eggs. Hens do this naturally all by themselves. Roosters are only needed if you intend to breed and reproduce chickens. Roosters do not lay eggs.
Disease and Bird Flu Concerns
The fact is New Jersey has never had one documented case of the Bird Flu.
When talking about Birds and disease please keep in mind birds are everywhere. There are over 9,800 bird species living today. There over 350 species in New Jersey alone.
There are more chickens in the US than there are people on the planet. When talking about birds and disease you have to consider all family pets. The national Center for Disease Control mentions 3 public health issues with chickens (birds), 16 for cats,
and 17 for dogs! Cats Dogs Birds
Please keep in mind chicken hens do not enter your home. Dogs and cats are fed in most home kitchens and sleep in most peoples beds.
Disease and bird flu argument is only brought up by residents and town officials who
are reaching for excuses. Most town officials don’t seem to be worried about all the Canadian Geese running around our local school fields, parks, and golf courses.
Any one of us can go out today and purchase an exotic imported bird from our local
pet store and keep them in our homes as pets. Over 6,000,000 homes in the USA own indoor birds.
The more you own of any pet, the more likely there will be disease. Town officials should be more concerned with the larger flocks residents currently own, and less concerned about residents owning 3 to 5 hens.
There is absolutely no study that proves you are more likely to get disease or bird flu with raising chickens on smaller properties than 2 acres. If town officials are concerned about disease than no residents should have the right to raise chickens.
The fact is in the USA pigeons and winter starlings carry more diseases than any other bird.
Pest control experts and public health specialists warn that there are dozens of different human pathogens associated with pigeons, including some that can be dangerous or even deadly. Many experts feel that pigeons are a significant health risk to people.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domestic_Pigeon
Chickens are legal in Boston, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, NY City, and the highest populated city in the country Brooklyn NY. These cities don't seem to be worried about disease and bird flu. Why is your town?
Click For U.S. Global Health Policy - CASES
[FONT=Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif]Avian Influenza A/(H5N1) Cumulative Number of Confirmed Human Cases[/FONT]
Click For U.S. Global Health Policy - DEATHS
[FONT=Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif]Avian Influenza A/(H5N1) Cumulative Number of Confirmed Human Deaths[/FONT]
Chickens and There Waste Attract Rodents
This is absolutely not true. Chickens do not attract rodents. In fact chicken hens chase and kill rodents. Chickens are omnivores. They eat seeds and insects but also larger prey like small mice and lizards.
Why on earth would rodents be attracted to chicken waste?
Rodents don't eat chicken waste.
What attracts rodents is the chicken feed. (bird seed)
When using this argument opposing
Bird food is sold in every supermarket, pet store, Home Depot, Wal-Mart, Lowes, Target, even Walgreens has 20 lb bags
of birdseed.
There is NO difference between feeding wild birds, domestic chicken hens, rabbits, and pigeons.
Unless you intend on making feeding birds ILLEGAL this argument cannot be used.
Example: My retired neighbor Joe loves feeding birds and has many bird feeders all over his yard. Even has a platform feeder for laying out peanuts and sliced fruit for the Blue Jays and Cardinals. He keeps a log of bird species that enter his yard from year to year. Joe can peacefully sit in his backyard and feed the birds all day whenever he wants with bird food.
A small list of things that attract rodents around the house. Vegetable gardens, flowers, flower bulbs, compost bins, bird feeders, bird food, Honeybees (honey) dog and cat food, garbage, dirty BBQ's, insects, rabbit feed, pigeon feed, Koi fish pond feed, and free standing water.
Chickens Attract Wildlife
Yes chickens do attract wildlife. B[FONT=verdana,geneva]irds, [/FONT][FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif][FONT=verdana,geneva]chipmunks,[/FONT][/FONT] [FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif][FONT=verdana,geneva]squirrels,[/FONT][/FONT] [FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif][FONT=verdana,geneva]rabbits,[/FONT][/FONT] skunks, raccoons, [FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif][FONT=verdana,geneva]groundhogs,[FONT=Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif][FONT=verdana,geneva] turtles[/FONT][/FONT], beavers, possum, snakes, [/FONT][/FONT]fox, coyote, bobcat, turkey, and black bears.
To use this argument against allowing residents to own and raise chicken hens,
you need to understand and consider all things that also attract wildlife.
Vegetable gardens, flowers, flower bulbs, tall grass, compost bins, bird feeders,
bird food, Honeybees (honey), worm farms, barking dogs, cats, garbage, dirty BBQ's, insects, rabbit coops, pigeon coops, Koi fish ponds and free standing water.
Chickens Are Noisy
Every bird on the planet makes noise. Chickens are no exception. But the noisy culprit is the ROOSTER NOT THE HEN. Roosters are noisy because they protect the flock, engage in male courting, fights for dominance, and territorial battles.
With 3 to 5 hens there is no fighting for dominance, THERE’S NO MALE. There's no territorial battle because chickens are instinctual. They understand that with only 3 to 5 chickens they need each other to survive.
In the wild when chickens want to lay an egg they break from the pack and seek privacy. When they are finished they let out a loud call to find their pack members. In a Chicken coop with 5 chickens or less there is no need for this behavior, all 5 chickens are very aware of each others locations.
Making noise uses energy. Instinctually the call out is unnecessary and pointless. Chickens are survivors the last thing they want is to attract unnecessary attention to themselves and their newly lain eggs. Chicken have been around since 2500 BC. I do not think they would have survived this long running around making noise all day attracting predators.
coops and go to bed. Un-like big barking dogs.
Noise is measured in decibels. Dogs have been
recorded louder than 100 decibels.
Human conversation is measured at 60 decibels. Chicken hens at their loudest have about the same decibel level as human conversation around 60 decibels.
Hens are so quiet that there have been cases of family flocks being kept for years without the next door neighbors knowing it.
This is because of sound drop off. Example 70 decibels measured one foot from the source that has traveled only 20 feet ranges down to 49 decibels.
Chickens Quieter Than Neighborhood Birds
Buffalo Rising City Chickens
[FONT=Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif]Chicken hens are not noisy, dogs are. [/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif]In towns it’s legal to do construction and run power tools at 110 decibels morning, noon, and night from 7am to 10pm.[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif]Also I can own 1,000 pigeons, do pigeons not make noise?[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif]My wife and I sit in my backyard reading and hear mowers, blowers, weed wackers, power washers, power saws, and all kinds of power tools all over 100 decibels. The people using these tools are recommended to use ear safety protection[/FONT].
And it's ILLEGAL for my family to raise 5 chicken hens because they might be too noisy?
This argument does not fly. There are to many things around us that make plenty of noise. There is a long list of things that are too noisy and chickens are not one of them.
Every home makes noise in one form or another. Some people like using power tools, other people like loud music, some yards are filled with loud kids and barking dogs.
Some homes have old central air units that power up and power down all day long.
We all have our thing. We need to learn to coexist.
Links Charts Info
soundbytes.com
Murray Hill Hatchery
Purdue.edu
Sarasota Cluck
Chickens Will Get Loose and Roam The Streets
Absolutely Not True. Chickens are very vulnerable. With the kind of wild life out there chickens would not last more than 1 or 2 nights in the wild. This is why we do not see chickens running around the streets in local towns where chickens are legal.
Chickens Are Dirty
Let me ask you a question. Have you ever seen a dirty bird? The answer is NO and NEVER. They don't exist. Chickens are birds and just like any other bird chickens spend up to 4 hours a day grooming.
You may think a bird looks dirty. I worked in the city for 13 years and I think pigeons are absolutely filthy, but are they really? Chickens have been around since 2500 BC. The notion that chickens are dirty is absolutely ridiculous and not worth spending anymore time on.
Chicken Waste Smells Bad
You can say chicken (bird) waste smells 100 different ways, But it doesn't make it true.
Now if chicken hen waste smells, then so does rabbit, pigeon, and dog waste. Check with your town to see how many of these pets are allowed.
Let's put this into perspective. A 40-pound dog generates more solid waste than 10 chicken hens. To be more specific, one 40-pound dog generates .75 pounds of poop every single day. Five 40-pound dogs generate 3.75 pounds of poop every single day. That is equivalent to owning 56 hens. Five 2-pound chicken hens generate .33 pounds per day.
The animal does not determine the smell of
eats determines the smell of the waste the
animal produces. Chicken feed is made out
of whole grains.
But the fact is, just like dog and cat food, chicken feed is scientifically designed to eliminate odors. Many years ago pet food manufacturers realized pet owners didn't like smelly pets.
Zoo's in California were the first to start looking
for an all natural biological solution to neutralize animal waste. And they discovered "Yucca Schidigera" in southeastern California.
Yucca Schidigera, also known as the Mojave yucca or Spanish Dagger, is a flowering plant that is native to the Mojave Desert and Sonoran Desert of southeastern California, Baja California, southern Nevada and western Arizona.
After having success in zoo's, it was then added to bird seed for homeowners who owned indoor birds like Parrots, Canaries, Finches, Conures, and Cockatiels.
Over 6,000,000 homes in the USA own indoor birds.
Forms of pure "Yucca Schidigera" Root Powder is
now used in all pet foods including chicken feed.
"Yucca Schidigera" is what pet and chicken feed manufacturers add to food to eliminate pet waste odors. The extracts from this plant are in animal feed and various herbal medications. It is used as a natural deodorizer, and is used in pet deodorizers.
This is why CHICKEN HEN WASTE DOES NOT SMELL and most certainly not with only 5 chicken hens.
What would you rather have living next to you. 5 dogs or 5 chicken hens?
Links To Support The Facts:
Pure "Yucca Schidigera" Root Powder
Ultra Bio-Logics Inc. Printable Pdf
Yucca Schidigera Extract NP Raw Material (Food Grade)
University Studies Yuca
[FONT=Georgia, serif][FONT=Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif]Town Law Contradictions[/FONT][/FONT]
[FONT=Georgia, serif][FONT=Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif]Check your town laws to find the contradictions.[/FONT][/FONT][FONT=Georgia, serif] [/FONT]
Point On Dogs
Now I own and love dogs. This is to point out the contradiction in the law. In Wayne NJ it's LEGAL for residents to own and raise 5 Pit Bulls. But it's ILLEGAL to own and raise 5 chicken hens.
There are more than 72 million pet dogs in the U.S. and nearly 82 million pet cats.
Residents in Wayne can raise 5 dogs per household. It’s cruel but Wayne law states that dogs do not have to be kept in your home. With the proper housing dogs can be kept in your yard for their entire life never entering your home.
lronically, just like backyard chicken hens would be kept.
An estimated 4.7 million dog bites occur in the
the United States seeks medical attention for
a dog bite. Dog bite losses exceed $1 billion
per year, with over $300 million paid by homeowners insurance.
Most of the victims are children, and most of
them are bitten on the face. Between 1982
and 2006 dogs were responsible for 2209 Attacks, 264 Deaths, and 1323 Mameings.
All The Facts On Dog Bites
The National Center for Disease Control mentions 3 public health issues with birds,
16 for cats, and 17 for dogs. Cats Dogs Birds
Dogs have no health or sustainability benefits to the community. In fact dogs increase families carbon footprints. One 40-pound dog generates more solid waste than 10 chicken hens.
If town officials and residents are concerned about noise, smell, and public safety, it doesn't seem like chicken hens are the problem. Point is, if you are against residents owning chicken hens, then you must be against residents owning dogs.
Bunny Rabbits
Town resident regardless of the size of their yard can raise, breed, sell, and slaughter rabbits without a license. As many as you want with no yard restrictions or coop setbacks. Rabbits can be kept outside in your yard all year long.
lronically, just like backyard chicken hens would be kept.
Rabbits are known to carry rabies and have
reported each year from rabbit bites mainly
around the Easter holiday. Rabbits are known
to become very aggressive.
Now rabbits do have a sustainable benefit to
the community. Their waste is very similar to
chicken waste mostly made up of nitrogen and
perfect for the garden. But their meat is very
low in protein and for the urban homesteader
raising chickens is more beneficial.
The contradiction is that in Wayne NJ it's
ILLEGAL to own chicken hens, But It's LEGAL to own, raise, breed, sell, and slaughter as many rabbits as I want. 20, 30, or 40, no restrictions. As far as smell, their waste is almost exactly the same as chickens, mostly made up of nitrogen.
I wonder how 50 rabbits would smell?
Indoor Exotic Birds
Today over 6,000,000 homes in the USA own indoor birds. Any one of us can go out today and purchase an exotic imported bird form our local pet store and keep them in our homes as pets. Indoor birds like Parrots, Canaries, Finches, Conures, and Cockatiels.
Domestic Pigeons
Currently resident regardless of the size of your yard can own, breed, sell, and release pigeons. Wayne residents can own as many pigeons as they want with no limits and without a license from animal control. 1,000 or 2,000 No Limit.
Pigeons are kept in coops. Ironically, just like
backyard chicken hens would be kept.
Owning pigeons does not have any health or
sustainability benefits to the local community.
The fact is in the USA pigeons and winter
starlings carry more diseases than any other
bird on the east coast. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domestic_Pigeon
The contradiction is that in Wayne NJ it's ILLEGAL to own chicken hens, But It's LEGAL to own and raise 1,000 or 2,000 domestic pigeons in your yard with a coop no larger than 1,200 square foot.
In Closing
Looking at some of these issues with common sense you quickly realize there is not much to go on. After reading this I hope you would agree that all U.S. residents should be allowed to own and raise 3 to 5 hens (no roosters) regardless of the size of their properties.
Town officials should take a forward-looking approach to this matter and recognize all the benefits associated with this ordinance change and vote on FACTS, not personal opinions.
You personally may not want to own and raise chicken hens. That’s your choice.
I should also have a choice and I choose health and sustainability over anything else.
Any questions please call 201.220.4862
Victor Alfieri, editor www.woodlotfarms.com
Urban Homesteading Expert
i want to have chickens but there are illegal for no good reason how do i leagalize it is there anyone in wayne or near by who has chickens and can help me leagalize them here i found so many reasons to keep them
