Celebrating the urban chicken craze

Why did the chickens cross the road? Maybe to go visit their friends down the street!

It seems that everyone has chickens these days. For the Lowry family in St. Regis, they have been raising egg layers long before recent popularity made displaying a chicken coop as common as dog houses.

While many have just recently hopped onto the backyard chicken bandwagon, others have doing it for decades.

Lowry, a mother of six, has been doing the chicken thing way before it became trendy.

“I bought my first batch of 12 Rhode Island Red chickens when I was 12 years old. Hid them from my parents because my step father was not a fan," she said. "I had been working off eggs from a neighbor, mowing lawns and pulling weeds. After they moved so I missed the eggs a lot. Way better than store bought!”

Right now, Lowry has 10 birds.

“I purchased chickens the very first year we moved here, 20 years ago,” she said.

From experience she knows that chickens can be a bit of work, but many a blessing.

For those that are successful at raising poultry, they can provide a dependable food source, entertainment and even lawn fertilizer or fodder for a compost pile.

Last spring during the pandemic chick sales skyrocketed at farm supply stores, fed by consumer fears of grocery shortages like eggs.

Simple solution right, as long as the owners calculate the time it takes to transform from fuzzy little chick to a dependable egg laying hen. Which can take up to 18 weeks. That fresh omelet might take more patience than you thought.

Cities across the country have different guidelines about keeping backyard hens, but in Mineral County the big sky is the limit.

Another reason backyard chickens became notably popular and thriving during the pandemic is because they foster self-sufficiency and help establish a sense of responsibility.

Backyard-chicken owners are able to rely less on grocery stores and more on themselves in terms of sources of food.

Lowry enjoys her plentiful egg supply, but they also use the chickens for meat as well.

“I usually butcher 50 chickens a year," Lowry said. "I get the Cornish cross because they are fast growers. Butchering a laying chicken is not something we do too often. They are tough!”

Katie Benson, a chicken owner in Superior, has noticed the recent feathered frenzy.

“I do think backyard chickens have become more popular. I think it goes back to people wanting to be more self-sufficient, use more natural methods for pest control and fertilizer, plus, chickens are just awesome!” Benson said.

Growing up Benson always had chickens running around, and once she was old enough to rule her own roost, she purchased her own brood.

“Plain and simple, I just enjoy chickens and their personalities,” she shared.

Right now, Benson’s coops are pretty full with 26 flocking around.

“We use chickens for three basic purposes, pest control, eggs and fertilizer, chicken poop is very high in nitrogen and great for plants and soil," Benson said.

Benson would argue that the benefits of raising chickens are hard to beat.

“The best part of having chickens, is I feel their eggs are healthier and have more nutrients as free-range chickens over the eggs that could be purchased in a store," Benson said. "We have a 30-acre homestead, our chickens are vital. We want to be more self-sufficient and chickens are a great way to begin that process. I also sell the extra eggs, which helps pay for their food in the winter.”

Getting started can be costly endeavor, especially if you construct your own chicken coop, and the cost of purchasing chicks.

“As far as a lot of work, I feel, once you get the basics, they are pretty low maintenance aside from making sure they have food and water every day,” said Benson.

Deciding on whether to start with chicks or full-grown birds is a common consideration.

“Most people start with chicks, which are very fragile. I would recommend starting with six chickens, if you are starting with chicks, get a few extra as they tend to die easily,” Benson said. “If your chickens are in a coop and run, they need about four square feet of space per bird, the more space the better.

"As stated before, time involved is pretty minimal once your birds are grown, getting them there can be a challenge if you are incubating chicks or have predators.”

If you have backyard chickens with neighboring residences, be careful of other animals.

Benson suggested, “Dogs can be a concern, especially if chickens are free ranging, right now, dogs aren't a huge concern as our closest neighbors are a mile away. In the past, when we had a smaller yard, I would recommend having a good fence that a dog could not jump over or dig under.”

Benson noted that it’s important to be aware of your surroundings near your backyard chicken setup to keep your birds safe.

“We have had chickens killed by skunks and hawks, which caused us to cover the chicken run with netting. We haven't experienced any problems with other predators such as foxes, coyotes or bears. Make sure you are familiar with your area, the predators that could be there and prepare your chicken coop accordingly.”

For those considering joining the urban chicken frenzy seek out advice from other locals who have hens and roosters.

Having chickens can be a great family project to teach children responsibility through caring for the animals.

Or even empty nesters might find having these feathered friends around a great source of entertainment as well as a source of farm fresh eggs.

Just minus the farm.