Until recently, my knowledge of chickens– live ones, at least– was very limited. When I thought of poultry egg production, my mind turned to clucking, gossipy hens who, upon hearing the seductive croon of an emaciated rooster resembling a young Frank Sinatra with feathers, fainted dead away on the small mountain of eggs that just poured out of their backsides as a result of their .
That is, until I met Sophia [above, left] and Zsu Zsu [above, right], two who make their home with the Kriese family in Redwood City.
I’d read about these hens at — a fascinating blog started by Thomas and Melanie Kriese that began as an online diary about the joys and challenges of raising baby chicks into egg-laying adulthood, but has since grown into a mouthpiece for a kind of nascient-though-growing Poultry Rights movement. Yes, if you are looking for the latest-breaking local and national poultry news, you can find it there.
My original fascination with the website stemmed from an outlining the . Yes, that means raising chickens within San Francisco city limits. Apparently, anyone with enough room to keep a chicken coop 20 feet away from any human dwelling’s door or window can keep up to four chickens (sorry, no roosters) as pets! Somehow, I found this news very cheering.
Imagine waking up to find fresh eggs delivered a mere 20 feet from your back door every morning by animals who have imprinted more deeply upon you than your children ever will. Just please don’t expect miracles– hens lay on average once every 26 hours, which would give you…you’ll have to do the math yourself. If that is beyond you, you have no business caring for chickens since you most likely have enough difficulty just getting dressed in the morning.
[Above: Sophia’s very first egg is on the left, her latest, on the right.]
Fresh eggs. Not farm-fresh, mind you. Fresher than that. Fresh from the business ends of your pets.
Pets that like you so much, they provide you with food. Yes, cats will occasionally offer you a small dead bird or lizard, but only a loving chicken can provide you with the consistent means to create marvelous omelets.
And if I had a dog, I’d be looking at him with deep disappointment right about now, too.
Not only do chickens-as-pets provide eggs, they gladly lend themselves to weeding and pest control. And the supply of fertilizer is nearly endless.
Chickens, it would seem, are good for the environment.
After the Krieses kindly allowed me to spend time with their docile, kid-friendly hens, they sent me off with a few eggs from their personal stash, wrapping the very-latest egg separately, so that I might distinguish it from the rest. I was eager to crack it open and have at it.
Upon return to my friend ‘s house, I cracked open a beer, and then proceeded to do the same with the freshest egg in my acquaintance.
There was very little I wished to do other than eat it. But how? A light scramble, with just a little butter in the pan and a slight sprinkling of sea salt when it hit the plate. I cooked up a store-bought (though still organic) egg exactly the same way and compared the two. Everything about the ür-fresh egg was richer– the color of the yolk, the flavor, and the feel on the tongue. The store-bought egg was still good, but, you know where I am going with this, surely.
The thought of returning to my tiny, chicken-free apartment suddenly depressed me a little. Then I took another swig of beer, another bite of scrambled egg, and moved on.
If you think you might be eligible to keep some urban chickens of you very own, or just want to read about people who do, visit .
To purchase an Eglu, which is basically a Barbie Dream home for chickens, visit:
Related
We have many Rare Chicken Breeds for sale in Greensboro Maryland,
including Sussex Chickens, Welsummer Chickens, Turken Chickens and more.
Be sure to check out the Bargain Specials, as you can combine different
egg layers in smaller amounts and buy as an assortment. Greensboro
Maryland also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Greensboro Maryland, bantams for sale, ducks for sale, geese for sale,
turkeys for sale, guinea for sale, peafowl for sale, pheasant for sale,
chukar partridge for sale, bobwhite for sale, many different breeds of
baby chicks for sale in Greensboro MD.
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Greensboro Maryland
catalog is a yearly traditions in many houses. My kids and I eagerly await
the Murray McMurray Hatchery catalog. We love looking at all the cool and
different chicken breeds available. Catalogs are free so head on over to
their site and request one if you are interested.
Typically hatcheries online offer both standard breeds
and bantams. Bantams are fun hardy little chickens, they lay tiny eggs
that kids especially love collecting. Bantams typically weigh less than 2
pounds when full grown. Just like ordering anything online there are pros
and cons to ordering baby chicks online. Pros of buying baby chicks in
Greensboro Maryland * Big Selection - If you are wanting a large
variety of different chicken breeds and egg colors, you will find the best
selection at an online hatchery. * Both Bantams and full sized chickens
available * You get to choose what sex you want. If you want a mixture of
both male and female then choosing a "straight run" will save you money
and you will get a mixture of male and female chicks. You can also choose
all males or all females too. * Weekly specials. Hatcheries have sales on
chicks, you are likely to get a good deal if you are flexible with the
breeds you are wanting. Cons of buying baby chicks in Greensboro
Maryland * Order early to get the best selection. Certain breeds sell
out fast, sometimes as early as 6 months in advance of shipping! If you
are wanting a certain breed it's best to order your chicks in the fall
before their orders sell out.
Quantity - you must order a certain number of chicks. Typically hatcheries
will require you buy a minimum of 25 chicks at a time. The number is
necessary for the chicks survival during shipping. All 25 chicks are put
in one small box without heat. They are crowded in the box and produce
enough body heat to arrive in good shape. * The wait - If you choose to
buy chicks from a feed store you will have them the same day but if you
choose to go with a hatchery you have to wait until they are ready to ship
and then wait for the chicks to arrive. Ordering baby chicks online in
Greensboro Maryland is easy and has always been a very pleasant
experience of me. It can be a little frustrating waiting for the chicks
but it's so worth the wait. When the post office calls and you hear all
those little "cheeps" or "chirps" in the background you'll know the wait
was worth it! How to Care for your new baby chickens in Greensboro,
Maryland Baby chicks are very
adorable as well as
difficult to resist,
yet it's best to prepare for their
arrival prior to you get them. Prepare initially
by gathering not only the
proper products, yet
likewise the proper
understanding to care for
them. Raising baby chicks is fairly
straightforward, you simply should supply them with the following: A tidy and warm and comfortable
environment Plenty of food and water Focus and
love Environment Your environment could be a basic box, fish tank,
cat provider, or guinea
pig cage. Line it with old towels and
coverings (without loosened
strings!) to start, and also after a
couple of weeks make use of straw over newspaper.
Keep in mind: Avoid making use of just
newspaper or various other slipper
surfaces-- or your chicks legs could expand
misshapen. You additionally require
something to dish out food and
water in, such as a chicken feeder and also water
recipe from the feed store, or a pickle jar
lid for food and also a family
pet bird water dispenser from a family pet store. Likewise, as the chicks get
older you can introduce a perch
right into the environment to obtain them
trained on perching. Heat To
keep your chicks heat you should
give them with a warmth resource.
This could be as easy as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp style lamp from an equipment store, or an infrared reptile heat
bulb likewise work effectively (my
recommendation). Chicks need this
heat 24/7 up until their downy fluff is
replaced with feathers (which could occupy to 2 months). The recently
hatched need a temperature
between 90 as well as 100 degrees,
and every week this could
be reduced by
about 5 degrees or
so. The heat resource must be on merely one side of the cage
to allow chicks an array of
temperatures. The chicks are your ideal
thermometer- if they are concealing in the
opposite edge of your heat
light, you need to
reduce the temperature. If
they are surrounding each various other under the
heat (not just snuggling),
you have to put some warmth.
House cleaning
Cleanliness is key and also it keeps your chicks healthy. Make certain to change
the bed linens
typically as well as
constantly give tidy
food and water Food and water.
Chicks expand extremely fast
which calls for lots of tidy
food and also water. Provide
enough at all times and also examine
frequently to prevent parched and also
hungry chicks. Chick food is different than grown-up chicken food, and it is available in both medicated and non-medicated varieties. Feed chick food for the
very first two months, after that
switch over to a grower food (~ 17 %
protein) for an additional 2 months,
and afterwards to a slightly
reduced protein feed or a level feed
(if you have levels). Dirt Some chicks like to obtain a head start on taking
filth baths, while others won't take
up that task till they are
older. If you have the area in your chick
unit, introduce a tray of sand or
dust for them to shower in.
Attention as well as love There are a
few benefits to spending quality time with your chicks. First of all, they will most
likely bond with you and
not run away as adults. Second, if you
analyze your chicks daily and also
see their habits, you can
capture disease or other troubles earlier. Watch out for wheezing, limping, or
various other undesirable
indicators. Make sure to
also take a look at
their poop, as looseness of the bowels could cause matted feathers and also clogged cloaca.
Finally, it is necessary to look out
for social problems, such as the
littlest chick obtaining picked
on. Vacant nest syndrome So your
chicks are currently totally feathered
and its time for them to leave the
safety and security of your house
and relocate outside into a cage. Check out our
section on chicken coops to read more
concerning coops as well as
correct coop environments.