blogher food - sara tetreault -- techniques

Backyard Chickens

Keeping chickens on a small urban homestead -otherwise known as a backyard.

Sara Tetreault www.GoGingham.com {stylishly frugal living}

Are backyard chickens right for you?

• City and county ordinances• Space

requirements• Labor and time• Supplies and

materials

Sara Tetreault www.GoGingham.com {stylishly frugal living}chick to laying hen = takes about 5 to 6 months

Considerations

City and county ordinances• Can you keep chickens in your backyard?• Most cities don’t allow roosters• Living space (coop) requirement:– Minimum 2+ square feet/chicken



• Raising chicks = brooder• Keeping chickens = coop

• Location– Warm/Cool– Safe– Dry



Space requirements

• Daily = 10 minutes, let chickens out, collect eggs, check food and water

• Weekly = 20 minutes to clean out coop

• Seasonally = 30 minutes, to muck out run area



Labor and time

• Cost: initial set-up coop and run– Build your own coop $0 - $200– Purchase coop $200 - $1,000

• Cost: ongoing– Feed = 50 pound bag = $15 to $20 every 2 months– Oyster shell = inexpensive – forming shells– Pine shavings = inexpensive - bedding



Supplies and materials

Good• Easy, sweet pets• More interesting than TV

“Chick Channel”• Eat slugs in garden• Waste is good for

compost• Chicks are cute• Fresh eggs

Bad• Vulnerable, illness• Exit strategy = re-home

“Going to the Farm”• Eat everything in garden• Muck out run area = smell• Chicks = rooster

possibility• Need chicken sitter



The good and the bad

Backyard Chickens


blogher food - sara tetreault -- techniques

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