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 Graysville Pennsylvania,
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. Graysville
Pennsylvania also has poultry equipment for sale, game chickens for sale in
Graysville Pennsylvania, 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 Graysville PA.
Thumbing through a baby chickens for sale in Graysville Pennsylvania
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
Graysville Pennsylvania * 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 Graysville
Pennsylvania * 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
Graysville Pennsylvania 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 Graysville,
Pennsylvania Baby chicks are really
cute and
hard to resist,
but it's ideal to plan for their
arrival prior to you get them. Prepare initially
by gathering not just the
right products, yet
additionally the appropriate
expertise to take care of
them. Raising baby chicks is relatively
straightforward, you simply have to give them with the following: A
clean as well as warm
environment Plenty of food and water Focus and
love Habitat Your environment could be a straightforward box, aquarium,
pet cat carrier, or guinea
pig cage. Line it with old towels and
blankets (with no loose
strings!) to begin, as well as after a few weeks utilize straw over newspaper.
Keep in mind: Avoid using only
paper or various other sandal
surface areas-- or your chicks legs can expand
malformed. You also need
something to provide food and also
water in, such as a chicken feeder and water
meal from the feed store, or a pickle container
cover for food and also a pet bird water dispenser from an animal store. Likewise, as the chicks grow older you could present a perch
right into the habitat to get them
educated on perching. Heat To
maintain your chicks warm you should
give them with a warmth source.
This could be as straightforward as a 100 watt
light bulb in a reflective clamp style light from an equipment store, or an infrared reptile warmth
light bulb likewise function very
well (my
recommendation). Chicks require this
heat 24/7 up until their downy fluff is
replaced with feathers (which could take up to 2 months). The freshly
hatched out need a temperature
in between 90 as well as 100 levels,
as well as every week this can
be lowered by
roughly 5 degrees approximately. The heat resource need to be on just one side of the cage
to permit chicks a range of
temperature levels. The chicks are your best
thermostat- if they are concealing in the
contrary edge of your heat
light, you need to
lower the temperature. If
they are surrounding each other under the
heat (not merely snuggling),
you should include some heat.
Home cleaning
Sanitation is vital and also it keeps your chicks healthy. Be sure to transform
the bed linen
usually and also
constantly provide tidy
food and also water Food as well as water.
Chicks grow quite quickly
which needs a lot of tidy
food and water. Offer
enough whatsoever times as well
as inspect
usually to avoid thirsty as well as
hungry chicks. Chick food is different than grown-up chicken food, and it can be found in both medicated as well as non-medicated selections. Feed chick food for the
very first two months, then
switch over to a raiser food (~ 17 %
healthy protein) for another 2 months,
and afterwards to a somewhat
lower healthy protein feed or a level feed
(if you have layers). Soil Some chicks like to obtain a running start on taking
dirt bathrooms, while others won't take
up that task till they are
older. If you have the room in your chick
enclosure, introduce a tray of sand or
filth for them to wash in.
Attention as well as love There are a couple of advantages to spending time with your chicks. First of all, they will certainly probably bond with you and also
not run away as adults. Second, if you
examine your chicks daily and also
view their habits, you can
capture health problem or other troubles earlier. Watch out for hissing, hopping, or
various other harmful
indications. Be sure to
also take a look at
their poop, as diarrhea can bring about matted feathers as well
as clogged cloaca.
Finally, it is necessary to look out
for social problems, such as the
littlest chick getting badgered. Empty nest disorder So your
chicks are currently fully feathery
and its time for them to leave the
safety and security of your residence
and move outside right into a
coop. Take a look at our
part on chicken cages to get more information
regarding coops and
correct coop environments.