THE SAFER PATH
Return of the Backyard Chicken
By Laurine Brown

Some days you remember for the rest of your life. The day I got picked in my 5th grade class to take home a freshly hatched baby chick was one of those days for me. I proudly raised little Peppy in my backyard, feeding and tending her while she grew, imagining fresh eggs one day. Even though she turned out to be a rooster (announcing this with a “beginner's crow” at sunrise one day), my childhood experience of raising Peppy challenged and delighted me. And I gained respect for farmers who raised the chickens and eggs on my plate.
From my childhood till recently, urban chickens like mine all but disappeared from America's backyards, being outlawed in many urban settings. But, as highlighted in the humorous film Mad City Chickens(this year's Expo selected film*), a strong grassroots movement is beckoning the city chicken back. What's all the fuss?
Why raise chickens? Fresh, great tasting eggs with superior nutrition. Hands-on experience raising food. Chemical-free bug and weed control and great fertilizer. Fun and friendly pets with personality. Easy and inexpensive to maintain. These are common reasons why people raise chickens. A cultural universal, almost every society has some domestic poultry flocking around the homestead, primarily for eggs and meat. Historically, this was also true in America. And “egg money” from the sale of extra eggs helped “make ends meet.” Children often tended the chickens and eggs, contributing in important ways to family needs. My parents did this as kids. But in postwar America the inexpensive, mass-produced chicken flourished. Alongside this, the gap between city and rural living widened, and ordinances popped up banning “farm” animals from city places.
Within a generation, urban-dwelling Americans were ignorant about what it took to raise the chicken and eggs they ate almost daily. Myths flourished. But recently, with growing concerns of industrialized poultry (e.g., safety and food recalls, flavor and nutrition, animal welfare) along-side a local foods movement, underground (sometimes illegal) flocks of backyard chicken-raisers have emerged. They're gaining momentum across the country with a bounty of websites, books and magazines, workshops, and more, addressing common questions like these:
Are roosters needed for eggs? No, a hen will lay eggs regardless. They just won't be fertile. Most store-bought eggs are unfertilized. Nonetheless some say that without a rooster providing his important social structure in the flock, one of the hens may stop laying eggs and start acting like one!

How many eggs do hens lay? A typical hen starts laying eggs at 6 months. “Good layers” produce one egg almost every day during their first “laying” year, with less as they age. For example, a five year old hen may lay 1 to 2 eggs a week. When chickens “molt” in late fall/winter they stop laying, starting again in early spring (but a lightbulb inside the coop can encourage cold weather laying). Chickens can live up to 8 or 10 years (But for farmers serious about the business, 2 years is typical for egg production, and 6 months for meat production.)

Are they noisy? Roosters crow at the crack of dawn. Even our children know this. Some early-risers delight in this alarm clock, but it's the very reason cities often ban roosters. In contrast, hens just make soft, contented, clucking noises, with no sunrise chorus. Ok, they may squawk proudly when laying an egg. But this “functional announcement” pales in comparison to the ruckus of a barking dog. And hens are fast asleep by sunset.

Are chickens dirty, stinky, disease-causing? No more than other pets. But like other animals, they need care, like cleaning out soiled coop bedding and keeping their area dry. Bird flu is a growing concern worldwide, but experts feel disease risks like this are greater with crowding and confinement in industrial poultry operations, not outdoor backyard birds. Common-sense sanitary practices help prevent disease spread, e.g., taking shoes and jackets worn while cleaning a coop off before coming inside, and washing hands frequently after handling chickens and eggs.

What space or housing do they need? Poultry housing can be simple. The challenge is protecting the birds from weather extremes, night predators (racoons, owls, coyotes) and domestic dogs or cats, while also letting them forage outside for bugs and grasses. Thus backyard basics include a simple but sturdy coop for shelter (minimum 2-3 square feet per chicken inside) and a fenced run outside (about 4-5 square foot per chicken.) Some clever designs (Chicken Tractors) are “portable” - you move them around the yard to give birds fresh bugs and greens (while mowing your lawn.) Chickens like to “roost” at night so give a “perch” in the coop, and a nest if you want eggs.

Does my city allow backyard chickens? An online search of ordinances or quick call to your city government will answer that question. I phoned the Town of Normal Illinois, where I currently live, and confirmed that, even though I'm perched in the heart of America's farmland “it shall be unlawful to keep, propagate or culture any live swine or pigs, pigeons, poultry or any form of livestock, other than riding horses, in the Town.” Out of curiosity I called the city in Marin County, California, where I raised my rooster Peppy decades ago, and was surprised to learn that today “up to 12 hens are allowed per single family residence (but no roosters because they're noisy.)” Sorry Peppy. Poultry may be illegal in your town, but note that, with some thoughtful community organizing, cities like Madison Wisconsin and Seattle Washington have successfully passed ordinances allowing urban chickens (often 3-4 per household). This may be a good time to spark discussion and change. It starts with education and awareness.

For more information. Watch the film Mad City Chickens at this year's Expo*, and see www.MadCityChickens.com and www.BackYardChickens.com. Or just Google “backyard chickens.” You'll find plenty to squawk about.

Studies have found eggs produced by hens raised on pasture to be nutritionally superior to those sold in supermarkets. A 2007 study by Mother Earth News found that, compared with USDA nutrient data for commercial eggs, eggs from hens raised on pasture may contain:
o 1/3 less cholesterol
o 1/4 less saturated fat
o 2/3 more vitamin A
o 7 times more beta carotene
o 3 times more vitamin E
o 2 times more omega-3 fatty acids

References
o “Chicken LORE: Search for a City Ordinance.” Undated. Viewed 26 Feb. 2011. http://www.backyardchickens.com/laws/search.php
o Davis, K. “The Dignity, Beauty, and Abuse of Chickens: As Symbols and in Reality.” Paper was presented at the International Conference on “The Chicken: Its Biological, Social, Cultural, and Industrial History,” Yale University, New Haven CT, May 17-19, 2002. http://www.upc-online.org/thinking/dignity.html.
o Fetterling J. 'How to Raise Chickens in Your Backyard.” Mother Earth News. Nov. 6, 2008.
o http://www.motherearthnews.com/Sustainable-Farming/Raising-Backyard-Chickens.aspx.
o “Frequently Asked (Chicken) Questions.” Mad City Chickens. 2004. Viewed 26 Feb 2011. http://www.madcitychickens.com/faq.html.
o Long C. “Portable Chicken Mini-coop Plan.” Mother Earth News. April/May 2007. http://www.motherearthnews.com/Do-It-Yourself/2007-04-01/Portable-Chicken-Mini-coop-Plan.aspx.
o Long C, Alterman T. “Meet Real Free-Range Eggs.” Mother Earth News. Oct/Nov 2007. http://www.motherearthnews.com/Real-Food/2007-10-01/Tests-Reveal-Healthier-Eggs.aspx.
o “Mad City Chickens.” Documentary film produced by Tarazod Films. 2009. 79 minutes. Viewed 18 Feb 2011 http://www.tarazod.com/filmsmadchicks2.html.
o Personal communication on current ordinance for backyard poultry with Code Enforcement staff for City of Novato, California, (http://www.cityofnovato.org/) on 23 Feb 2011.
o Personal communication on current ordinance for backyard poultry with City Planner for Town of Normal, Illinois on 18 Feb 2011. Also referenced Town of Normal, Illinois, Municipal Code, Chapter 17 “Misdemeanors,” Division 8 “Animals,” SEC. 17.8-7 HOUSING. Viewed 26 Feb 2011. http://www.normal.org/code/Chp17/Chp17.pdf#17.8-7.
o “Raising Chickens 101.” BackYardChickens.com. Undated. Viewed 26 Feb. 2011. http://www.backyardchickens.com/raising-chickens-basics.php
o “Raising Chickens: Keeping a Backyard Flock.” A Flock of Your Own. Undated. Viewed 26 Feb 2011. http://www.gatewaytovermont.com/thefarm/chickens.htm
o “The Chicken: It's Biological, Social, Cultural and Industrial History. From Neolithic Middins to McNuggets.” Conference at Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, May 17-19, 2002. http://www.yale.edu/agrarianstudies/chicken/description.html
o Ussery H. “Incredible Homestead Chickens.” Mother Earth News. Dec 2007/Jan 2008. http://www.motherearthnews.com/Sustainable-Farming/2007-12-01/Best-Chickens-for-the-Homestead.aspx