Backyard chickens catching on
RESOURCES
WHAT’S THE FIRST THING that comes to mind when you think about chickens in the backyard?
If you grew up on a farm or had close relatives who lived on one, you may think of chickens as producers of fresh eggs and fertilizer, and even as companions.
If you’re an urbanite, you might have one overwhelming concern: the possibility of a stench so foul it trumps the beauty of the birds and the nourishment from their eggs. Rest assured that keeping Shelby County’s legal limit of six chickens will not result in a malodorous yard, despite the fact that the birds produce abundant manure.
Last week, a dozen or so chickens and about 120 people crowded into the auditorium of the Memphis Botanic Garden’s Goldsmith Civic Garden Center for a program on keeping poultry in your backyard.
About a third of those present raised their hands when asked if they already had chickens.
Raising chickens may not be as popular as growing tomatoes, but it’s obviously growing in popularity.
Rick Pudwell, director of horticulture at the botanic garden who has been raising chickens for more than 50 years, told the group about the basics needed to get started.
Paramount are a secure place for the hens to roost or sleep and cushy nest boxes filled with straw or wood shavings, where they lay their eggs.
Bedding materials should be replenished as needed and totally replaced about three or four times a year, Pudwell said.
The manure -rich materials can be added to an existing compost pile so they can decompose and be used to fertilize a garden.
Chicken manure is so rich in nitrogen that it will burn and even kill plants if placed near them when fresh.
One way to create a place for your hens is to build or buy a chicken coop with an area for egglaying nests; have an enclosed yard or pen for scratching and moving around and a secure spot for the
For feed and chicks, typically in the spring:
Tractor Supply Co. outlets at 9715 U.S. 64, (901) 386-6637; 8247 U.S. 51 N., Millington (901) 873-0233; 240 U.S. 72 W., Collierville (901) 853-0783.
Hall’s Feed & Seed, 155 U.S. 72 E. Collierville, (901) 854-5739.
Russell’s Farm Supply, 136 South Center, Collierville, (901) 853-2170.
Russell Gourley has many breeds of chicks, adult birds and laying hens: (901) 230-0311.
Mid-south Feed and Seed, 4659 Shelby Road, Millington, (901) 872-1556. hens to spend the night.
If the coop is not fenced and secure from predators, such as hawks, stray dogs and raccoons, your chickens won’t last very long.
For his enclosures, Pudwell likes to use mesh with openings of 1 inch or less that is coated with plastic, because it’s f lexible and should last 20 years.
Chicks purchased in early spring will be fully grown and capable of laying by midsummer. While they are young, they need to be kept in a box with a temperature of 90 to 95 degrees. Clipping a shop light fixture with a yellow or red light bulb on the side of box is usually sufficient. Do not use white lights because they are hard on the eyes of the chicks.
You’ll need to provide chickens with clean water and chicken feed every day. Many gardeners supplement their diets with scraps of green vegetables, such as turnips and collards, cabbage, kale, spinach and Swiss chard.
“They really like greens, especially if they don’t have access to grass,” said Jamie Acor, owner of Cackleberry Consultants, a business aimed at helping people have success in raising chickens at home. “They eat all kinds of bugs, especially grubs, mealy worms and crickets.”
They might eat an earthworm, but it’s not their preference, she said.
Acor, who has been involved with chickens for about 30 years, keeps four bantam hens in her backyard near the University of Memphis.
Bantams are miniature versions of other breeds, generally one -fifth to one -fourth the size. Because of their diminutive size, they require less space and produce less manure, Acor said.
Their eggs are smaller, too, but have the same flavor as other eggs.
Acor said her experience with chickens has given her the ability to notice nuances in their behavior or appearance to sense what might be wrong with them or their environment.
She also assists clients in designing coops and has relatives who will build them. She is knowledgeable on the local laws pertaining to raising backyard chickens.
A coop can cost from $150 for a modest do -it-yourselfer to thousands, she said.
Her flock of four wanders around her entire backyard, which is surrounded by a wood fence augmented by extra chicken mesh, where the fence meets the ground.
Acor’s laying nests are in a simple structure made with recycled wood and surrounded by plastic sheeting cut from old political signs.
Underneath the boxes is a secure area where the chickens spend the night.
“Stray dogs are the No. 1 problem for chickens,” she said. “Your own dog is fine. It will actually protect its f lock.”
When temperatures dip below 36 degrees, she advises moving the chickens to a garage or porch and placing them in a large cardboard box with shredded newspapers.
Laws regarding having live chickens in your yard prohibit keeping roosters, presumably because of the noise. Acor and Pudwell think it’s a shame because roosters are important for having happy hens.
“Roosters watch over the hens and warn them when hawks or other predators are near,” Acor said. “The hens will go into the roost at a sign of danger, but the roosters stay outside and continue to protect.
“Hens are a lot more comfortable when there is a rooster around. And besides, roosters have a lot of personality.”
Judging from their behavior last week, roosters are so smart that some might think they understand the spoken word.
Just as Pudwell was discussing regulations leading to forced celibacy for chickens, the roosters showed their displeasure with some agitated crowing. The chickens joined in, and it was awhile before the program could continue.
Could a protest march on City Hall be next for the fired-up fowl?