Making a Backyard Chicken Coop

News Type: Other — Seeded on Wed Jul 1, 2009 8:10 PM EDT

Article Source: Green Right Now

home-garden, how-to, links, chickens, coop, raising-chickens

Excerpt: The "urban chicken" trend has been endlessly chronicled in recent months, touting tales of city folks building backyard coops, buying hens and getting fresh eggs daily. The maintenance for these millennial pets is minimal, they say, and it's the next step in the "eat local" effort.

PS from Minnie -- In Houston you can keep up to 30 chickens. Yay.

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Groups: At Home, Gonzo Agriculture, Living with Less, Organic Life, The Green Room, Urban Vine
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3.3

{"commentId":7976325,"authorDomain":"MinnieApolis"}

MinnieApolis

Some of those chicken coops are sooo cute!

{"commentId":7976325,"threadId":"617284","contentId":"2989261","authorDomain":"MinnieApolis"}

#1 - Wed Jul 1, 2009 8:13 PM EDT

{"commentId":7981601,"authorDomain":"curiousg"}

CuriousG

I hope my wife doesn't see this! Every few months she talks about building one.

Fortunately, a friend delivers fresh eggs to her office every week or so from his hobby farm. He only asks for $1/doz, but she insists on paying him a paltry $2/doz, for some of the best eggs we've ever eaten. Of course, we do have to pay a little extra care in washing some of the 'nature' that comes along with fresh eggs.

{"commentId":7981601,"threadId":"617284","contentId":"2989261","authorDomain":"curiousg"}

2 votes

#2 - Thu Jul 2, 2009 8:13 AM EDT

{"commentId":7995238,"authorDomain":"MinnieApolis"}

MinnieApolis

How lucky you are to have a friend 'blessed' with chickens! Does the flavor vary at all from summer to winter, or not? I was thinking that the kind of forage they have might affect the flavor.

{"commentId":7995238,"threadId":"617284","contentId":"2989261","authorDomain":"MinnieApolis"}

1 vote

#2.1 - Thu Jul 2, 2009 6:02 PM EDT

{"commentId":8002721,"authorDomain":"DrKnow"}

Dr Know

Forage? The feed you give them is called "Scratch". These are not "free range" chickens. They are kept in coops. If you do not protect them in a coop be prepared for losses from foxes, coyotes, dogs, cats and cars. Oh and the occasional hawk or eagle.

{"commentId":8002721,"threadId":"617284","contentId":"2989261","authorDomain":"DrKnow"}

2 votes

#2.2 - Fri Jul 3, 2009 8:53 AM EDT

{"commentId":8006952,"authorDomain":"curiousg"}

CuriousG

Nope, don't notice too much seasonal difference. And, he has had trouble with his neighbors dog, twice. Got all but a few of them.

Only real difference we see is in size of eggs from age of chickens.

{"commentId":8006952,"threadId":"617284","contentId":"2989261","authorDomain":"curiousg"}

1 vote

#2.3 - Fri Jul 3, 2009 2:46 PM EDT

{"commentId":8004478,"authorDomain":"sherwood-1"}

atsidiwashichu

My grand father would sure have gotten a kick out of this article and the cute little chicken coops. If I didn't have a dog that likes to chase things, I would like to have a few chickens, and rabbits are on the list too. More people should be looking into this sort of stuff. More people should also be aware of the NAIS being fostered by the Dept of agriculture, it is sort of scary as far as I am concerned.

{"commentId":8004478,"threadId":"617284","contentId":"2989261","authorDomain":"sherwood-1"}

1 vote

#3 - Fri Jul 3, 2009 11:31 AM EDT

{"commentId":8006881,"authorDomain":"MinnieApolis"}

MinnieApolis

Yes, atsid, I agree that more of us should be aware and very concerned about this proposed NAIS rule. I sure hope that it will not apply to animals grown for one's own consumption. Please everyone, protest this rule because it will just about kill sporting and judging events involving animals, too -- because the organizers are expected to be able to scan ID chips in each animal that competes. That would kill state fairs and equestrian eventing.

{"commentId":8006881,"threadId":"617284","contentId":"2989261","authorDomain":"MinnieApolis"}

#3.1 - Fri Jul 3, 2009 2:40 PM EDT

{"commentId":8007047,"authorDomain":"sherwood-1"}

atsidiwashichu

Right now it is supposed to be voluntary, but we all know where that goes with the government-- income tax is supposed to be voluntary too.

{"commentId":8007047,"threadId":"617284","contentId":"2989261","authorDomain":"sherwood-1"}

1 vote

#3.2 - Fri Jul 3, 2009 2:53 PM EDT

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