A quick grainy glimpse of our five backyard hens who live 1.5 miles from city hall. They were kept under my back porch for many months until my neighbor expressed unhappiness about them. I am letting them free range before I find a new home for them. At night, they currently sleep in a dog crate.
Chickens are legal in the City of Chicago but in every suburb that I know of surrounding Chicago, they are illegal. This is mainly due to a desire to seem more urban and less rural; ironically, it is people in major cities who have fueled the massive trend toward urban vegetable gardening, poultry keeping and bee keeping as part of the Locavore and Urban Homesteading movements.
Here are a few facts about chickens:
- Hens lay eggs without the presence of a rooster.
- Many chickens are friendly and can be safely kept by children.
- There is a huge array of chicken breeds fancy and non-fancy, reflecting their long history with humankind.
- Some chickens can recognize their names.
- A full size chicken needs approx. 8-12 sq. ft. of living space, a bantam chicken (specially bred for small size) needs half of that
- Chickens can live mainly on forage; that is, worms, bugs, weeds and gleanings from the garden along with produce and grains leftover from the kitchen, supplemented with chicken feed. The leftover vegetable trimmings from the grocery store and the stale bread from the neighborhood bakery work, too, if you are committed to utilizing the urban waste stream.
City chicken keepers need to be prepared with the name of a poultry vet, first aid supplies and a strong stomach in case of emergencies. A secure coop will keep predators out but chickens can be faced with a unique set of health challenges that most city folks have never encountered.
If you’re prepared for the hard parts as well as the fun parts, city chicken keeping is incredibly rewarding. We spend hours watching “Chicken TV” and have enjoyed our flock more than we ever thought possible. The eggs are pretty tasty, too – gathered while still warm, in many cases!
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