My Urban Chickens

         This summer I can finally cross an item off my bucket list: raise chickens.

         I have always wanted a little flock of backyard chickens, but I figured since we now live in the city, that would have to remain a pipe dream.

        Not so! Apparently, there is a big movement of urban chickens, and you would not believe how many chickens live in the city. As a matter of fact, in Mobile, Alabama (where I live), up to 25 hens are allowed per household- no roosters- and rogue chickens are monitored like any stray cat or dog: by animal control. Luckily, chickens like to hang out close to home, and don't go rogue too often.

      The previous owners of our home had installed a gated dog run, which we were not using.  My back-yard neighbors were interested in raising chickens, too, so we put a gate in the fence and built a coop. (**By 'built' I mean 'bought' and by 'coop' I mean child's playhouse that we got at Sam's club and converted into a coop). We got some hay and some chicken feed and we soon had visions of yard eggs dancing in our heads.

     Since we primarily wanted to raise the chickens for eggs, we decided on a flock of eight chickens to start. We wanted good layers with different colored eggs. After doing some research, we agreed on young hens that were already laying- which was great! The disadvantage to that is hens that are raised as chicks are used to being handled and are actually pretty good companions- just like a cat or a dog. We bought eight chickens: 3 Turkins, 3 Leghorns, 1 Australorpe, and 1 Americauna.  Our girls are getting used to us though, and even let us pat them now and again when we tuck them in for the night.

Two Turkins- Prudence Blue
& Henny-Penny 

     The girls had fun naming the chickens, and our original flock was: Henny, Penny, Prudence Blue, Beyonce, Presley, Callie, Fancy Nancy, and Marshmallow.  Prudence Blue died the first night, we think because of the stress of being moved, and the fact that our dogs barked endlessly at the new intruders to their back yard. All indications pointed to 'chicken heart attack'.  Already, our flock was down to seven.  And then came the "Great Chicken Massacre of 2012".

R.I.P. Marshmallow

     We didn't realize that the latch to the gate of the chicken coop wasn't secure, and the dogs were barking at the chickens, and jumping on the fence, and the gate popped open.  It wasn't pretty. Fancy Nancy and Marshmallow were mortally wounded- the husbands had to put them out of their misery.  Henny or Penny (we don't know which- they were our 'twin'  chickens) died of another apparent heart attack.  What was with us, anyway? We were shaping up to be the worst chicken owners ever!! And then there were four.

     We fixed the gate, and the neighbors went to the local Chicken Swap (I know, I know- but they exist..I promise!) and came home with a beautiful teen-aged Copper Maran chicken we named Roxy.  She has not produced any eggs yet, but she is the softest chicken I have ever felt.

     We have five chickens now.  They all have their own personality.  They all know their names: if I can't find one, I just call their name and they pop out of their hiding place.  Egg laying slows down in the summer, so with four actively-laying chickens in the Alabama heat, we average two eggs per day, which we split with the neighbors.  This fact alone has me wanting to add a few more girls to the flock- my ultimate goal is to have enough fresh eggs to consume, with enough left over to share.

Presley: because her comb
flops over like Elvis! 

     Chickens eat table scraps along with their chicken food, and most of ours will take a treat right out of your hand.  Henny-Penny is a little aggressive with this, and sometimes pecks a little too hard. They help keep your yard free of bugs and weeds.  They sing when they lay an egg, and will complain if another chicken is in their laying spot when they want to go lay. They want to go to bed at dusk, and will all gather in the coop and wait patiently for you to close the door. The dogs hardly bark at them at all anymore.  Overall, my chickens have become members of our family, a conversation starter, and a source of entertainment as well as nourishment.  In my opinion, qualities like that rank right up there with cat or dog when talking about household pets. I adore the girls, and don't regret a minute!