Coop Confessions
Ten Years of Suburban Hen Hosting
Last week I wrote about my favorite urban omnivores, backyard chickens. This week, I wanted to offer what I’ve learned after almost 10 years of raising three to six chickens every season. Included are some reasons why you might want to give things a try, the do’s and don’ts of daily chicken wrangling, and what you’ll need to get started.
Now I know this week is paid content. If you haven’t noticed, I’ve been folding in a little more of a paywall these days because I hope more of my free subscribers (now more than 5,000 of you) will see the value in all these tips, tricks and recipes. If you’re enjoying what you’re reading, and want to support my cause, please consider a paid subscription. A little goes a long way.
I am also hoping to work on some video, audio (dare I say an Enlightened Omnivore PodCast), and more social media content. Despite more than 20 years in marketing, and retail, this stuff isn’t my comfort zone. I’d rather just use the written word, but I know we all like a little of that phone candy on occasion.
In the meantime, if you don’t have time to read Enlightened Omnivore, consider listening to my posts via the Article Audio function on the Substack App. An awkward lady bot will read them to you!
One last thing, for those of you who have been following along since the beginning–and there are about 2,000 of you OG supporters–I have one or two more Dispelling Beef posts left to write, and an expanded series on my adventures with olives in France. If you want to read more about those or other topics, let me know in the comments. I would love to hear more from all of you.
When I started this Enlightened Omnivore experiment, I wanted things to resemble more a dinner party conversation–albeit a very large and awkward one. So please continue to share your thoughts, your curiosities, and your interests via Substack Notes, Instragram or Facebook; or just email me at enlightened-omnivore@substack.com.
Ok, enough shameless plugging. Let’s get clucking!
Suburban Chicken Farming 101
Why should I raise chickens in my backyard?
There are so many reasons to start raising chickens. I have to admit I started this adventure after my eldest daughter’s kindergarten class wanted to hatch some hens from eggs. But you might have a bunch of other ideas. Here’s just a few to get you thinking.
Quality Eggs: Like with everything these days, good eggs ain’t cheap. When you factor in coop construction, supplemental feed costs, and odds and ends, your eggs probably won’t be cheaper than the grocery store for several years, but the flavor and quality is unmatched. There is a richness of yoke, a firmness of white and a hearty flavor that just can’t be achieved with exclusively grain-fed eggs from the grocery store. Plus, everything homemade tastes better.
Sustainable living: You wouldn’t believe how small my garbage can is considering I have a family of five. That’s because I throw out next to zero organic waste. Green waste is eaten or mulched by my chickens, including grass clippings, leaves and weeds. I even empty the pool skimmer into the coop. They eat or break down everything, and what green waste they don’t process remains as free bedding to keep down the flies, dust, and mud in the coop.
Hours of entertainment: It was awesome to watch chickens strut their stuff around the backyard, and their personalities are very distinct. Hens are no different than any household pet. They are a joy to watch, and to interact and bond with. You’ll have your very own Jurassic park of suburban dinosaurs hunting and pecking through your backyard.
Cool factor: I offer this a bit tongue in cheek, but you will immediately become cooler than any of your friends once you put up a coop. I feel our social life was significantly improved by friends and neighbors visiting our hens. Be prepared for visits and inquiries, and plenty of hen sitting requests when you go away on vacation.
Gregarious Gardeners: Chicken manure is gardening gold. Although it shouldn’t be added directly to the soil, if you fold chicken droppings and coop bedding into your compost heap, it will immediately speed the composting process and boost nutrients in the resulting soil. Letting hens periodically roam your lawn or peruse your garden beds can aerate the soil, and remove pests. However, chickens love fruits and flowers as well, so wait until the end of each harvest before you let them mow down the garden’s remaining stalks, leaves, and stems.
Is Your Home Ideal for Chickens?
SPACE: First you need to ask yourself, do you have the square footage for chickens. My rule of thumb is to have at least three square feet of indoor space per bird, and four square feet of space outside. In addition to area, location is important. It should be well ventilated, get plenty of breeze, and stay relatively dry year round.
SUN: It’s good to not get too much nor too little. About 4-8 hours of sun a day keeps birds healthy, and more sun = more eggs. Too much sun can stress chickens, overheat them, or even lead to heat stroke, especially in the warmer climates. Also remember that the sun moves with the seasons so plan a spot where the sun remains consistent throughout the year.
SMELL, SOUND, and FLIES: As with any domestic animal, there are downsides. Chickens aren’t particularly smelly if in a well ventilated area but they aren’t without odor. They also love to chat and sing throughout the day, although never at night. And all animals attract flies. If possible, keep your chickens as far away from open windows, doors, or your neighbors as possible. Also, apply dry bedding like wood shavings, hay or grass clippings around the outside of the coop. This will help mitigate all three.
Picking the right Birds
I could write an entire post about chicken breeds, and not even scratch the surface. There are a lot of things to consider when picking a breed, from climate to egg production, temperament, to aesthetic appeal. Back in the day, I would troll Craigslist or the SPCA when I was in need of a few replacement birds. But that’s like so 2010. Nowadays, there are apps and online communities for almost any breed. So Google it, and let me know what you find. Here are some of the most common breeds you might find in your local area.
Ameraucana: Known for their colorful eggs and friendly disposition, Ameraucanas are relatively quiet and can adapt well to confinement.
Wyandotte: Wyandottes are hardy birds that lay brown eggs. They are docile and good foragers, making them suitable for suburban environments.
Orpington: Orpingtons are large, gentle birds known for their excellent egg production and calm temperament, making them ideal for families and suburban settings.
Sussex: These are dual-purpose birds that lay large, brown eggs and grow quickly for meat production. They are also friendly, easy to handle, and adapt well to smaller coops.
Barred Rock: Also referred to as Plymouth Rocks, are versatile birds known for their reliable egg production, docile nature, and cold hardiness, making them suitable for northern climes.
Rhode Island Red: One of the most popular breeds, they lay a lot of brown eggs, are hardy and adapt to several climates. They are also relatively quiet.
Silkie: These are showy birds with a fluffy appearance and gentle temperament. While they don't lay as many eggs as other breeds, they are quiet and well-suited for suburban settings due to their smaller size.
Easter Egger: Not a standardized breed but are known for their colorful eggs and friendly personalities. You can get pink, green or blue eggs. They are generally quiet and adaptable to confinement.
Chicken Feed
Chickens are the ultimate omnivore. They’ll eat most anything, from table scraps to grass clippings. I have a special bucket in the kitchen for all edible organic material. That said, there are a few things they shouldn’t eat:
FEED
Regardless of what kitchen detritus you're feeding them, chickens lay 5-7 eggs a week! You try to be that productive on scraps alone. This means chickens need a lot of calories that they can choke down quickly. This almost always means some sort of milled feed. You can go down the rabbit hole of organic, non-GMO, domestic and local all day long. Most importantly, you want layer feed if you’re raising eggs, and meat feed if you’re raising meat birds. They are not one in the same.
All birds should get starter feed until 20 weeks or so. Once they start laying, switch them to layer crumble or pellet. Crumble looks like gravel, and pellet looks like little capsules, otherwise they’re made up of the same ingredients. I prefer pellet because there is less waste, and it’s less susceptible to moisture during storage.
CALCIUM
Another consideration is to supplement or “amend” your birds with oyster shell or another calcium product. This ensures your birds maintain thick egg shells. If you ever notice weak shells or broken eggs in the egg box, make sure you leave out some crushed oyster shell inside the coop. The chickens will know what to do with it.
MAINTENANCE
Chickens need a clean, dry and shaded home. Inside the coop, this is best achieved with some form of bedding, preferably pine shavings or horse bedding that’s 3-4 inches thick. Adding new bedding every week or two is recommended, and cleaning out the coop a few times a year will keep down dust, ammonia and poultry mites, which all can get your birds sick and reduce egg production. I know some New England DIYers who just bury the old bedding in new shavings every month or so, especially in the colder months. The natural decomposition actually gives off some heat to keep the birds warm through the winter. This is never a problem for my birds, so I clean the coop every solstice/equinox. Make it part of your mystical tradition.
WATER
More often than not, abundant fresh water is a major reason for chicken trouble. Make sure your birds have regular fresh water. I like to have at least one source for every two birds. There are all kinds of water feeders on the market. Use what works for your space.
CHICKEN RUN
It’s not just a movie, chickens love exercise. Keeping an open space or “run” for your birds allows them to move around, scratch, peck, and bath in the dirt, all important behaviors for healthy birds. If you don’t have an open garden or lots of prized flowers in your yard, letting your hens run wild for an afternoon on the weekends is great fun.
I also tractor the hens in the yard. This means I put them in a large dog kennel which is open at the bottom. They can do their magic in the yard without getting away or being harmed by the pesky hawks that patrol the neighborhood.
The chickens do the best job of eating all the clover and dandelions
that litter my lawn. They also aerate the yard with their raptor-like feet, and they pick out all the japanese beetle larva and other pests that love to nibble on the roots just below the surface. My lawns always struggled through the summers, but now they flourish, thanks to the extra manure the birds offer as they make alchemy out of the grubs and grass.
PREDATORS
The number one risk to happy birds is natural and domestic predators. Most people don’t realize that Southern California is like an episode of Wild America (RIP Marty Stoufer). There are hawks, opossums, coyotes, bears, and even bobcats. Shoot, there’s even a few mountain lions in the Santa Monica Mountains.
A sturdy coop with a firm door normally does the trick. If you keep the birds in their coop until they start laying, they’ll learn to head back there every sunset. Some people even have automated doors that close after sunset. Just don’t forget to reset the timer during daylight savings….
Just so you understand the risks. One unfortunate summer we were visited by a trash panda, Rocky Racoon, who decided to take up residence in our backyard oak tree. We lost more birds to his five finger death grip than I’d like to recount. Racoons are wiley little shits and they can even open some locks. Most often they will simply reach in through the chicken wire and “pull” the bird back through it. The resulting episode of Game of Thrones is graphic to say the least, so make sure your chicken roosts are away from the perimeter of your coop enclosure, and that birds have firm walls to hide behind at night.
The other big pest is rats. You will have rats regardless of how “rat proof” your coop is. Removing the feed at night or putting it in a rat proof box helps, but they also like the accessible water, so just know that rats are part of the narrative. They normally won’t harm the birds, but they love eggs. If you’re squeamish, get a cat. They should take care of the problem.
One thing you don’t need: Roosters
I don’t know how many times I’ve been asked if I need a rooster to get eggs. The answer is a resounding no. You only need a rooster if you want fertilized eggs, a whole lot of baby chicks, and probably a knock on the door from your neighbor, or worse, the City when they remind you that urban roosters are VERY noisy and often not allowed in most city limits.
COSTS
At home chicken raising isn’t a money making enterprise unless you’ve got dozens of birds. And even then, with feed costs, illness, and natural egg drop off, it’s a gamble. Just know, you’re not going to be quitting your day job to live as an aristocratic hen host. Here is a breakdown of costs I’ve experienced.
DIY Coop: $50 - $200
Pre-built Coops: $200 - ???
Feed: $25-50 a month for 4-6 birds.
Feeders and Waterers: $10 - $30 each
Bedding: $10 - $12 a month
Licensing and permits: Most towns are cool with a few birds, but check with your local authorities about permits and fees.
Healthcare: Taking a bird to the vet is expensive ($65-300 a visit). They’re also hardy little ladies. Unless you’re really treating these gals as pets, I’d recommend quarantining birds and letting any illness run its course.
Resources
BackyardChickens.com: This website offers a wealth of information on raising chickens, including articles, forums, coop designs, breed guides, and more. URL:
The Happy Chicken Coop: The Happy Chicken Coop provides articles, guides, and resources on all aspects of keeping chickens, from choosing breeds to building coops and caring for chicks. URL:
My Pet Chicken: My Pet Chicken offers information on chicken care, breed selection, coop construction, and more, along with an online store where you can purchase chicks, supplies, and equipment. URL:
UCR Cooperative Extension Websites: Many university cooperative extension websites offer valuable resources and publications on poultry keeping, including information on breed selection, nutrition, health care, and disease management. UC Riverside is a great California resource, Google local options near you.
The Spruce Pets: The Spruce Pets provides articles and guides on various aspects of chicken keeping, including breed profiles, coop designs, feeding tips, and health care advice.
Mother Earth News: Mother Earth News offers a section dedicated to chickens, featuring articles, videos, and guides on raising chickens naturally, sustainable coop design, and organic feed options.
PoultryHub.org: PoultryHub provides resources on poultry science and industry, including articles, fact sheets, and educational materials on topics such as breeds, genetics, nutrition, and management.