How Do Your Eggs Stack Up?
(Page 4 of 6)
April/May 2007
By Laura Sayre
Forget Your Own Food Chain
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If you decide to keep chickens, protection from predators should be your No. 1 objective when you choose a coop. Culprits include dogs, raccoons, skunks, weasels, hawks and foxes. Hens will naturally go inside the coop to roost at sundown, but then you need to close the door and secure it to foil the clever paws of raccoons. Coops should also have at least one nest box for every four to five hens and about 10 inches of roosting space per bird.
The fundamental dilemma of coops is reconciling the conflicting needs of protection for the birds with fresh daily grazing. Some people let their birds range free during the day, but chickens can decimate young seedlings in the garden and will scratch up dirt in your flower beds to give themselves dust baths, a useful behavior that prevents mites and other parasites. Hawks, dogs or other daytime predators may also be a problem. A lightweight, portable coop with an attached run is one solution. Mother’s inexpensive and easy-to-assemble moveable backyard mini-coop plan debuts at Mother's Mini-Coop Plan. This coop costs only about $100, can hold three to four hens, and is easy for one person to move around the lawn.
Another strategy is to build a larger, stationary coop and then use temporary pens to allow the birds to graze (or not graze) in different areas. In Minneapolis, Peat Willcütt banded together with a group of neighbors to build a community coop for a multi-owner flock of chickens, ducks and geese. An advantage of this arrangement is that it fosters shared work and fellowship, Willcütt says. “Different people will let the birds out early, others will check on water and food during the day, and someone else will close the coop at dusk.”
How To (And How Many)
In addition to the coop, your birds should have access to clean water at all times and about a quarter-pound of feed per bird per day — usually a mix of ground corn, sorghum and other grains. Before you get chickens , and especially if you live within municipal boundaries, find out what the local rules are. Usually this involves contacting the zoning department. Many cities limit the number of birds based on lot size, prohibit the keeping of roosters (because of the noise), or require chicken keepers to buy a permit. Madison sets a maximum of four hens per household and requires coops to be at least 25 feet from neighbors’ houses. In Minneapolis, permits cost $10, an annual coop inspection may be done and owners are asked to get the consent of 80 percent of all neighbors residing within 100 feet. Seattle allows three chickens on a standard city lot and one additional chicken per 1,000 square feet of property.
Feathered Diversity
Your final decision is what breed to keep. Commercial producers usually favor hybrid varieties — which can lay up to 300 eggs per year — but for backyard chicken keepers the less prolific, more distinctive heritage breeds hold a lot of appeal. “Usually the heritage breeds work out better,” says Christine Heinrichs, publicity director of the Society for the Preservation of Poultry Antiquities. Heritage breeds tend to be more robust; many are also more active, making them better foragers than the hybrids bred for high production in confined conditions.
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