Keeping Backyard Chickens/ Class Offered March 14

As the days slowly lengthen, my small flock of hens is starting to lay again.  This year marks the fourth season that my girls have been in lay.  As they age, egg production has started to drop off and their non-laying molting period has increased.  As spring approaches, I am considering bringing new chickens into the flock to rejuvenate it. 

I am certainly not alone, the popularity of backyard chicken flocks has increased greatly in the past couple of years.  It is a natural fit as people have become involved with the local food movement and developing more self-sufficient home garden systems.  Chickens provide a healthy source of protein, bug control in the garden, and nutrient rich manure to add to the compost pile, not to mention that they make fun, entertaining pets as well.  If you are thinking about raising chickens, keep in mind the following considerations.

First, check your local ordinances to determine if keeping chickens is legal and, if so, what restrictions (including number, sex and setback limitations) apply.  Some communities limit the number of birds you can keep and many prohibit roosters altogether.  A call to your local animal control or zoning officer will give you the information you need.  If you live in a subdivision, your homeowners associations may have additional restrictions.  In Jacksonville, chickens are permitted but are not allowed to be a noise or smell nuisance.  This means it is advisable to not keep roosters if you are within the city limits.  In Swansboro, chickens are permitted but limited to six hens and roosters are prohibited.  

Once you have done your homework, consider how much space you have to work with.  Each chicken needs adequate space in the coop and run.  Figure a minimum of 4 square feet per bird within the coop and an additional 5-6 square feet in the outside run.  You can certainly provide more space – my birds enjoy a large run and spend time free ranging in the yard each day as well.  The more space your chickens have, the fewer stress related problems you will have. 

Once you determine how many birds you have space for, you’ll need to decide how many chickens you want.  On average, a laying breed hen will produce around 2 eggs every 3 days (or up to 15 dozen eggs) during her first year and then her productivity will decline with each subsequent season.  By her fourth year, egg production will have dropped off significantly. 

Young hens lay smaller eggs, egg size increases with maturity.

Now, this brings up an important question.  What do you plan to do with your ladies after their productive years are passed?  In the past, a non-productive hen would be turned into a batch of chicken soup.  While this may still be an option (again, check your local ordinances), many of us prefer not to have to dispatch Penny or Gertrude after enjoying their company in the garden for several seasons.  If you plan to keep your “retired” hens on as pensioners, include their numbers when you figure out the size of the coop that you will need.  Remember that a hen can live 8-10 years or more! 

In some urban areas, animal control offices are now faced with increasing numbers of hens that have been relinquished as they pass their productive years.  Remember that chickens, like other pets and livestock, are a commitment and you will need to have a game plan for what happens after the eggs stop coming. 

Once you have decided how many birds you want, it’s time to select a breed or two to build your flock around.  Barred Rocks, Rhode Island Reds, and Orpingtons are heritage breeds that perform well in North Carolina but others will do just as well. 

A selection of Buff Orpington and Silver Wyandotte hens.

When starting your flock, you can chose to buy day-old chicks and brood them yourself or purchase older birds.  While little chicks require some extra effort and care, it is an enjoyable process and a great way to get children interested.  It is quite possible to set up a small brooder in a large storage tote or other container.  If you opt to go this route, remember to order sexed chicks from the nursery.  This way, you won’t wind up with an overabundance of roosters.  Roosters are not necessary for egg production and there isn’t room for more than one rooster in a small flock.  Alternatively, you can buy pullets.  Pullets are young hens that are about to start laying.  You will pay a lot more for pullets but it saves you the effort and time of raising baby chicks.

If you think you would like to add chickens to your yard, check out the NCSU publication available online, Keeping Garden Chickens.  This publication provides details on housing requirements, feeding guidelines and healthcare and is available here: http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/poulsci/tech_manuals/Backyard_Chickens.pdf.

Onslow County Cooperative Extension will be offering a Keeping Backyard Chickens class on March 14 at 10 am.  Hosted by Jacksonville Recreation and Parks, the class is located at 100 Recreation Lane.  Please call 910.938.5312 to register.  The class is free and open to the public.