Our girls were in the local paper!

The Gazette Times ran a story about city chickens on October 4th and quoted my husband and me. There were photos – including one of my husband feeding our hens — in the paper version but they unfortunately did not make it into the online version.

Talking about being newbie chicken-raisers  is enjoyable, but there’s a lot to it that can’t be communicated in the limited space of a newspaper article. If you are interested in raising hens, I would not hesitate to encourage you to look into it, but really look into it and plan ahead. For instance, with regards to building a coop — we did not plan far enough in advance and ended up buying all our materials, rather than obtaining recycled items, which would have been my preference. We were just taken off guard by how suddenly they needed to be out of the house, even though we’d read about it. Personally, I’d suggest having the coop done or nearly done before you even bring home the chicks, then you can spend time modifying or refining while they’re inside.

Another thing you really need to know is if your city allows chickens and what the restrictions are. Just save yourself the potential for grief later on. While Albany and the surrounding cities allow backyard hens, Salem currently does not.

One lesson we learned when one of our hens broke her foot… we were not first-aid ready. Read up on what products are safe to use on chickens and make a kit to keep near the coop.

For as much time as I spend at Coastal Farm & Ranch looking lost and out of my element, I am not offered much help while there. They’ll answer questions, sort of, if I find someone to ask, but I don’t usually end up feeling confident. For example, when we brought the chicks home, we were trying to understand the bedding options. They used pellets in their tubs, but looked confused when I asked to buy some. Our chicks were eating the pine shavings, but the folks at the store didn’t seem to know what I should do about it. I love the store, don’t get me wrong, I just think they cater more to people who already know what they’re doing. So, I turned to books: Storey’s Guide to Raising Chickens for some info from the experts, and The Urban Homestead: Your Guide to Self-sufficient Living in the Heart of the City for some real-world reassurance that non-farmer folks can do this in their backyards.

I also turned to the internet. I was inspired by fellow Oregon blogger Sarah and the tales she told of her chickens. I also regularly visit Backyard Chickens and Urban Chickens.

Bottom line, when you’re ready to take the plunge… read, read, read. And talk to people already raising a backyard flock, if you possibly can.

Tags: backyard chickens, Chicken, chicken coop, city chickens, Poultry farming