BIG Mistakes
Get your chicken-keeping adventure started right by not falling for these unforced errors.
BY PAM FREEMAN
Getting backyard chickens is trendy and a good idea if you want to be in control of your food. It’s as simple as grabbing a few chicks from the feed-supply store or filling out some information online from a hatchery. Right?
Not so fast! If you’re a first-time or novice chicken owner, newbie mistakes can be costly. Learn how to avoid these mistakes to have a healthy and productive backyard flock.
KNOW YOUR LOCAL LAWS
Zoning laws may seem boring and tedious, but many a chicken owner has found out the hard way that these laws will govern every step of their chicken-keeping adventure. If you run afoul of the law, you may be forced to rehome your chickens or try to change your local laws. The best advice is don’t pick out your chickens then look at your local laws; look first. Note: Not all these scenarios will apply to everyone. Zoning laws vary by locality.
Zoning laws actually start at the feed-supply store when you’re buying day-old chicks. In my state, most feed-supply stores are required to enforce a six-bird minimum purchase. If your local zoning laws allow you to keep chickens (most subdivisions do not), then check to see your maximum bird limit. If your maximum bird limit is three but your feed-supply store only sells six minimum, you’re already over what the law allows you to own. If you’re buying chickens from a swap meet or hatching eggs, the same maximum will apply to you, too.
On a personal note, the six-chick minimum purchase is my most hated chicken law. I understand the need for it, but I always have to consider this when I add birds to my flock. If you don’t mind purchasing by mail or live near a hatchery, you may want to check with them before heading to the store. Some hatcheries will sell/ship a minimum of three birds.