Urban chicken keeping

1. URBAN CHICKEN KEEPING 101 2/12/2008 Growing Gardens [email_address]

2. 1. Why you should have chickens in the city. 2. The Law, Ordinances. 3.Taking care of baby chicks. 4. Building a coop for your hens. 5. Managing the coop area, waste, and keeping your hens healthy and laying. 6. The Other Side. 7. Q & A

3. They are tough, low maintenance birds.

6. They are inquisitive and friendly.

9. Chickens require very little room.

10. They are superb pets that won’t chew up your couch when you leave for the day. (Notice how the wings are pressed against the body.)

11. Handle the chicks a lot when young to have user friendly hens. Use scratch grains to train them to “come when called”.

15. Silver Laced Wyandotte Rhode Island Red Barred Rock Buff Orpington Silkie Bantam

17. First summer:eggs from June-October. Thereafter: February-Late October.

33. Brooders

38. You are replacing the warmth and protection of the mother hen.

40. Keep the water and food a bit high off the ground.

41. Keep the feeder and waterer full. Watch for pasty vents.

43. Clustering chicks is a bad sign. Spread out like this is good. Trust your instincts.

50. 5 Weeks Pullets: 6-20 Weeks Getting thru the teen years. Don’t let me roam free. I don’t have good judgment.

51. I eat “Grower or Developer” feed, kitchen scraps.Scratch grains are like dessert to me.

52. 6-8 weeks. Time to start transitioning to the outside.

53. This gives you a month to build something. Buy chicks first, then build. Don’t wait!

54. It’s warm enough to let the pullets spend the day in the chicken tractor.

55. The Hen Years: Egg production and living outside. 20 weeks and beyond I eat “Layer Pellets”, kitchen scraps, bugs, worms, “scratch”, grit, and some oyster shell or calcium would be nice.

57. Happy, hypnotized chicken.

59. I feel like chicken tonight. Think about me when building a coop.

60. Keep food safe from mice, rats, and raccoons.

61. Both water and feed are kept off the ground.

64. It’s pretty but don’t be tempted.