How to Own Backyard Chickens

This year I raised two hens in my backyard in a city.  I wouldn't say NYC kind of city...more suburban.  It has been a success and it's such a joy.  One is black and the other is orange.  I had my boyfriend's sister pick two up for me so I didn't get to see what kind I got.  B and I have some guesses.  Each one is laying now so I get two eggs a day.  They are delicious.  The yolk and the whites are so sturdy and the shell is extremely hard to crack.  I'm kind of a meticulous person so they are very healthy and clean.

The black one is King Kong and the orange one is Godzilla.  They follow me now and run up to me; they also squat when they first see me.  I thought they were asking to get picked up or pet, but when I googled it they are actually saying "I submit to you" like I'm an awesome rooster.

I have been sharing eggs with my parents, a few neighbors, and some relatives.  I also made a quiche (ham, sharp cheddar, broccoli) and took it to my neighbor with cancer. I was afraid she wouldn't be able to eat because she is doing badly now, but she enjoyed it immensely.  She said it was something different since she's never had quiche before.  I'm really glad she was able to eat some good stuff!

The winter is coming and I'm not sure what I will do about their water freezing over, but my plan so far is to just go out in the morning before work to give them some warm water; come home in the evening and give them another load of warm water.

So do you want backyard chickens too? It's pretty easy since nature just works like a miracle. Thanks, God!  You can either get adult/pullet hens from craigslist or a farm.  I went the hard way and bought chickens from Tractor Supply Co. in the spring and raised them from little furry yellow chicks.

Build a coop for your chickens when they are old enough to live outside.  You can also buy a coop for around $100-150 from Tractor Supply Co. or buy one off someone on craigslist.  Make sure it's surrounded in chicken wire.  For the tops I used bird netting from Lowe's (to keep out birds from berries) and put it over the top of the chicken wire fence.

Feed them chicken feed until they are old enough to eat layer feed.  Then switch their food to layer feed.  You can also feed them almost any kind of vegetable. They also love yogurt, mealworms, and corn on the cobb.  I also give my chickens fruit when they are starting to look beat up.

They make their water dirty almost instantly, so I would suggest buying a shepherd's hook and a Cheery Chick water feeder.  It's such a time saver!!  Chickens are actually smarter than people give them credit for, by the way.

I clean their coop out with bleach and water every week.  I sometimes go every other week if I'm too busy.  Make sure to put their coop near shade because if they get too hot, they can die because they can't lay an egg.