This Morning

Before the Sun began to rise, something in the blue light of  pre-dawn woke me. I came full awake out of a blissful sleep. I could not understand why, but like a neon sign in my head, all I could think about was securing the door to one of our chicken tractors. I dismissed the thought and because I could not sleep, I decided to get up and enjoy the bluish light show playing across the midsummer sky. Beautiful weather and low humidity welcomed me to another fine day in Wisconsin. The wind itself rustled through branches high above our tiny little house and not a cloud had appeared yet in the early morning sky. A distinctly cool and fresh breath of air made it's way to my lungs through the open window and I knew that I had to be awake. Something about this day demanded my attention. To my surprise, the chickens were restless as well. Something had them on alert and their vigorous clucking told me that something was amiss. I got up with purpose less than five minutes earlier, but "the girls" would soon be glad that I did.
I looked out the kitchen window and saw a slinking tail, dark and ominous, stalking the wire mesh of the coop and I wished that I had easier access to my pellet gun. I assumed that one of the local cats was harassing the birds. I slid on shoes and immediately ran out the back door to get a better look at the culprit. The long, low, shadowy figure had disappeared behind the garden fence and I went around the other side, hoping to see the interloper but whatever it had been, but whatever it was had not waited to let me see it. The chickens had quieted, but again piped up. When I came back to calm them I saw a second creature inside he coop. A raccoon had found the weak link in the cage and got in, but could not get out of the coop. The poor thing was really wishing that it had not gotten in. The jig was up and the masked intruder, comfortable with anonymity, was having none of the fact that they were caught in the refrigerator sized cage along with tho irate birds. Like the dogs in our neighborhood, as much as they may be attracted to the chickens, thinking they could be food or playthings, once they get close, they seem completely unprepared for the ruckus the hens can make.

Pearl, our iridescent black Australorp, had herself between Pepper, our smaller barred rock and was doing her best to fend off the wary 'coon. In the end, all I had to do was to open the access door that we use to feed and water the birds and our unwelcome friend made a hasty retreat back to his realm down by the riverbank. Before the interloper was released, he seemed to be feverishly trying to get away from the birds and it was a little hard to not feel sorry for the bugger. Anxious raccoon is never a great thing to wake up to so I was glad that it just needed a route of escape to set things right. The two birds, who are recent additions to our yard, seemed to recognize that I was their defender and came by me, thanking me in their own way, for securing their cage. All was right in their world and I felt a certain sense of pride knowing that quick thinking and rapid action on my part averted a catastrophe for them.

Hens Laying In Wait

Quietly, all across America, chickens are being re-introduced into the urban environment. Many think that those who raise chickens must also have their noisy brethren, the roosters. In most locations, fear rather than fact inform many of the opinions held by both city regulators and the neighbors. Chickens seem to bring with them, a host of fictions and misunderstandings, many of which are quite interesting. I love the question, "Don't you need a rooster to get eggs."
"No." I will say, but then I have to explain. Women usually release an egg each month, to have a fertilized egg, you need a rooster. If you want to see some funny faces, just the mention of a "fertilized egg" can do the trick.

Tony & Nancy's Chicken Palace is a converted rabbit hutch. 

 

The worries that chickens are dirty, or that they carry disease are surely based on facts learned from massive chicken rearing facilities. What I have seen and learned over the past year and a half living with them in my yard, proves that quite the opposite is true. Humans are actually much more likely to get sick, make a mess or spread disease. In our city, we need a special permit for our birds. One of the hoops we needed to jump through to raise chicken legally, was to get a well-health check from a local veterinarian. Our vet remarked that people are far more likely to get sick from their dogs than they ever would be from chickens. The way our "girls" consume our food scraps and turn them into manure, they actually reduce both the amount of organic waste and provide a miraculous transformation of much of our waste into beautiful eggs.
Our ladies may not be unusual, but from time to time we have gotten eggs that weigh in at 1/4 pound! The sense of pride that overtakes one when one of these "babies" arrives is not unlike the proud father strutting that goes on in delivery wards across our great nation daily. We use our digital dietary scale to keep track of especially large specimens, but  the real joy is in the eating of them.
When we began our learning curve was quite steep. My wife Nancy and I had both had a bit of experience with chickens, but knew about as much about them as the average person. They give eggs and taste great with almost anything. What else is there to know, right? I was amazed to find out that they actually prefer to sleep perched on a horizontal branch or stout stick. It sounded too precarious for a landlubber like myself. I am a lover of gizzards. I eat them whenever they are available. What I only had a foggy idea about was the structure and function of these specialized organs. Chickens actually eat sharp gravel, which lodges in the gizzard and helps them to grind their food. In a little over a month we read and studied the habits and needs of our feathered friends enough to feel confident in adopting a few. One of the funniest things that happened right away was that when we read about these creatures, we noticed that chicken owners frequently referred to the birds as "girls", more specifically my girls. Fancying myself as more pragmatic and aloof, I told myself that I would never speak with such affection as to call them girls. Certainly not "my girls"! How surprised I was when on the very first days with our new birds, I walked out to their coop saying "Good morning Girls!"

Red, is more inquisitive and comes to hand easily.

For under forty dollars we were able to purchase enough fencing and hardware to contain our birds, giving them a safe place that is healthy and the tools and supplies to keep them well-fed and watered. I am the first to admit that I have a surplus of building materials at my disposal, but you certainly don't need to spend a thousand dollars to build your own Chicken Palace. Several birds can share the same nest box, which ideally is only about the size of a single chicken. For ease of feeding, watering and egg collection I put their nest box and feeding station  and a foot or two off the ground. That leaves the bottom level open for scratching the ground and pecking for scratch.
Our neighbor took up the hobby of hatching fertilized chicken eggs about two years ago and when his chicks hatched, they were so cute and interesting, that I began to get curious. That is how my own odyssey began. I have heard that there are several ways to start, but sometimes finding a good source for just a few chickens can be a little tough. Mine came from an old farm that had been managed by a practical old woman who had a mostly hands-off approach to husbandry. She raised birds for eggs mostly, but had an annual culling to dispatch roosters and a few older hens. When we got our girls, we had an understanding that any roosters could be returned to the farm from which the eggs had come. The fellow who runs the farm now wanted a younger rooster anyway. Whenever possible, remember the advice that I got years ago about animal husbandry. Start with the best stock you can afford. then care for the creatures to the best of your ability. Good care can overcome many (if not most) deficiencies in genetic make-up. However, poor care of any animal will yield sub-standard performance, no matter the genes.
Our chickens love most of the things that we eat and are able to benefit from most food scraps that we produce. They especially like broccoli, spinach and nearly every leafy green we have ever thrown them.
We have attempted to make their lives as interesting and varied as we can, in spite of the fact that they are "bird brained", we like to give them opportunities to "spread their winds" as it were. Having read about the wonderful side benefits that chickens can produce, we wanted them to have relatively free access to range around our yard. The second major undertaking, after their coop was to construct a chicken tractor. This is nothing more than a frame with wheels on one end and a handle on the other that holds a large chicken wire cage, a spare food and water source, and when in use, our chickens. By moving the chicken tractor around the yard periodically, it allows the grass to recover between times the chickens scratch the ground up, and it prevents predators from eating our birds.
Just two short generations ago, many of our families were able to care for these creatures and watch them with delight as they pecked their way around the yard. Today, we may need "our girls" more than ever.

Elizabeth, pictured in the nest box with the chicken tractor in the background.

Not only do they provide local food and a fun hobby, but a source of great joy for both owners and the neighbors, especially when they get a few eggs from time to time. Not only is it a kick to go out and grab an egg or two, still warm, for your breakfast. not only will you grow to love your girls, but they are more fun to watch than television and for the time being, in many jurisdictions, they are still legal. City chickens have come home to roost and are providing food, fertilizer and fun wherever they flock.