Urban Chickens

POULTRY PRINCIPLES URBAN Ever think about getting chickens, but don't live in the country? You're not the only one. Urban chickens are becoming inoreasingly popular. Why, you ask? What's better than eating a tasty fresh egg in the backyard while looking adoringly at your friendly egg-producing companions? I know, you're sold already. But before you take the plunge, let's start with some basic information CHICKENS on what it takes to have chickens of your very own. GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CHICKEN {comb} ANATOMY OF A HEN { ear} {beak } We're talking hens here, not roosters. You don't need a rooster to get eggs and { ear lobe } most cities do not allow them due to their need to crow throughout the day and thus { wattle } drive the neighbors crazy. When it comes to chickens, it's all about the ladies. {main tail feathers } {hackles } { breast } { wing} {hock } { thigh }. { shank } { spur } NAMES TO CROW. ABOUT { a.k.a. a håndý ljst of suggested chicken names } EGGSELLENT EGG-LAYING BREEDS {and the color of eggs they lay} Leghorn Saltine Rhode Island Red. Francis Black/Golden Sex Link Buttercup Barred Rock Pickleş Araucana Edna YOU CAN DO BETTER Ferdinand and that's just to name a few THAN "JOE" Grover The Crushinator COOPED UP THE ARC THE SHED This is used when you don't have a bunch of room. A more permanent building. Chickens can roam outside It can be moved easily so your chickens can graze throughout during the day (in a pen or free, your choice) and will come the yard and it provides protection from predators. Plus, it's inside the coop at 'night. This is great for larger flocks. Prices onė of the more inexpénsive options, so that's nice. vary depending on how glam you'go. There are many more types of coops than just these two. Basically, your chickens need protection from predators, freedom to roam, and a nice quiet place to lay their eggs. Simple, right? Check out some coop options at diychickencoops.com & hobbyfarms.com. COLD HARD CASH THE COST OF STARTING UP Here's a list of some of the more important items you will need in order to start raising your flock: HEAT LAMP: $10 CHICKS: $2.50 each WATERERS: $10 STRAW: $10 CHICK STARTER FEED: $20 FEEDERS: $15 CHICKEN COOP: $200-$2,000 CHICKEN FEED: $15 MINIMUM START-UP COST (WITH 4 CHICKS): 290 Prices vary depending on food variety, chicken breed, your location, etc. I'm putting down prices on the lower end so you can have a baseline. YEARLY COSTOF BUYING EGGS Now, let's assume you get about 18 eggs a week. YEARLY COST OF CHICKENS Let's look at how. much those 4 chickens we bought above will cost per year after that initial investment of 300 smackeroos Basic eggs (not organic.or free-range) cost about $1.25 per with the basics: straw and feed. dožen, according to thepeoplehistory.com, so we'll say a dożen and a half will cost about $1.87 if you buy your eggs. from the store. STRAW FOR THE COOP: $10 MONEY SPENT ON FEED: $120* TOTAL SPENT PER YEAR: TOTAL SPENT PER YEAR: $92 $130 COMPARE ME TO ORGANIC EGGS AND MAYBE YOU'LL BREAK EVEN! * The average chicken eats about 1/4 lb of feed a day. Use these steps to calculate feed consumption in your flock: On average, chickens lay 259 eggs per year according to the U.S. Poultry & Egg Association. That means our 4 chickens will Step 1. (4 chickens) x (1/4 lb) = 1 lb of food eaten a day lay about one and a half dozen eggs a'week. Please note, Step 2. (50 lb bag of feed) + (1 lb) = 50 days to eat all the feed however, that the breed and age of your chicken, as well as outside temperature, can effect its ability to lay. Honestly, my Step 3. (365 days) + (50 days) = 7.3 bags of feed each year- (which means you would probably buy an even 8 bags) Araucana, which I cleverly named "The Araucana," doesn't lay at all in the winter. Step 4. (8 bags of feed) x ($15 per bag) = $120 MR TMY LOVELY POLISH HEN WHAT THE CLUCK? Okay, so your chickens might be a little more spendy than just buying eggs at the store. Let's look at it this way: Since your chickens are roaming around and feasting on more than just feed, their eggs typically have less YOU KNOW I'M WORTH IT! cholesterol and saturated fat than those store-bought eggs. They also contain more goodies such as vitamin E, A, and D. Raising chickens may not make total sense financially, but they pay you back.with.a healthy dose of.nutrition and years of feathered friendship. Sounds like a deal to me. moneysideoflife.com February 2012, Obrass MEDIA Research, writing, design, & layout: Kyla Tom (with help from her feathered flock: Snowpeak, Thunder Cat, Goldie, Cinnamon, The Arauçana, and Mr. T)., Sources: diychickencoops.com, hobbyfarms.com, howtoraisechickens.info, motherearthnews.com, thepeoplehistory.com, uspoultry.org. urbanfarmonline.com, wrytestuff.com, www2.ca.uky.edu THE END