Raising Chickens In The City

From the Bronx to Washington Township to Oakdale, California, local foodies are setting up home chicken coops and bringing in the birds.

The urban farming revolution relies on homeowners to grow, maintain and harvest some of their own foods, instead of simply going to the grocery store. Some choose to raise backyard chickens for organic, free-range, local eggs. Others do it to cut down on the carbon-emissions of the grocery-store food trade.

Looking after your own, live food ensures its health, happiness and productivity. Worried about what kind of eggs and meat you’re eating? Put the hens in your backyard!

Interested in raising your own yard chickens? First, check with Backyard Chickens for help finding out if it’s legal in your area.

If you live in an urban area, chances are fairly good that you can keep hens in your yard. Roosters are often a no-no, since they make all kinds of racket at all hours.

When you set up a home chicken coop, consider getting two or three hens at once, because they can get lonely. Depending on your space, it is probably best to keep a home chicken coop in the backyard, where there’s is access to dirt – chickens love to scratch in dirt.

Urban farming takes commitment. Backyard farmers need to provide adequate shelter for their chickens, and keep them clean, well-fed and watered.

The Humane Society has a good guide for Adopting and Caring for Backyard Chickens, which includes advice about veterinary care. These are also the people to contact if you are looking to adopt a hen, since the number of abandoned birds is growing each year.

Petfinder is another great way to find homeless birds in need of a coop. If neither of those organizations have chickens available, check with a local poultry dealer to work out a deal.

You may need to make a minimum order and split it with other people interested in setting up their own home chicken coop. This is the perfect opportunity to set up a community of backyard chicken farmers!

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