AVOIDING THE MISSHAPS OF RAISING CHICKENS
IMPORTANT POINTERS FOR THE NEW POULTRY OWNER
BY PETER SUCIU
The Bantam Welsummer is a breed that was exported to the United Kingdom in the 1930s. These chickens lay about 180 darkbrown eggs per year. (Photo: Public Domain/Creative Commons)
This small organic farm has repurposed discarded horse trailers as coops with nests on the side that allow for easy egg harvesting. The fence helps keep predators away from the chickens and limits contact with wild birds.
(Photo: USDA photo by Lance Cheung)
During the 19th and early 20th centuries, it was common to keep livestock, including pigs, cows and even chickens, in towns and cities in the United States. As the cities grew, local ordinances slowly curbed the keeping of animals in urban centers-mostly due to the issues of noise and smell nuisances-but even those were relaxed during wartime as people were encouraged to find creative ways to feed themselves. After World War II, the flight to the suburbs, thanks to the availability of the automobile, along with increased accessibility to packaged and prepared foods, made the keeping of animals a thing of the past.
It’s almost easy to see why this breed has earned the "Easter Egger" name: This bird looks like a colorful Easter egg!
(Photo: Public Domain/Creative Commons)
The brown egg of a Barred/Plymouth Rock chicken
(Photo: Public Domain/Creative Commons)
White Barred/Plymouth Rocks are crossed with Cornish chickens to create the "chicken" found in many grocery stores.
(Photo: Public Domain/Creative Commons)
“LARGE CITIES,
SUCH AS NEW
YORK, SEATTLE
AND PORTLAND,
OREGON,
HAVE CHICKEN
PROGRAMS,
WHILE SUBURBAN
OR BACKYARD
CHICKENS ARE ALSO
HATCHING AROUND
THE COUNTRY AND
WITH THE SUPPORT
OF MAJOR FOOD
PRODUCERS.”
By the 1980s, for the most part, only farmers (or possibly hippies) dared raise chickens.
Given the fact that there’s an abundance of grocery stores in most areas, and because we live in a technology-centric culture, it would seem unlikely that individuals would consider raising livestock … yet, the chickens have come home to the 'burbs and cities to roost!
Many cities have relaxed their regulations and made permits easier to obtain to raise and keep chickens. Large cities, such as New York, Seattle and Portland, Oregon, have chicken programs, while suburban or backyard chickens are also hatching around the country and with the support of major food producers.
"Raising backyard chickens gives families more time together, teaches responsibility to children and puts food on the table," said Archer-Daniels-Midland (ADM) Consumer Products Business Manager and chicken expert Mike Barrett.
GETTING STARTED
While the outbreak of the novel coronavirus highlighted how precarious the American food supply chain can be, and many people had to rely on food banks and donations to keep their families fed, raising chickens has been seen as a way to prepare for a future pandemic outbreak or a breakdown of society.