backyard

Once you’ve got the legal all clear, spend some time considering the realities of chicken keeping – both pro and con! PROS: * The eggs are supremely good * Chickens are wonderfully entertaining .. Chickens are full of personality and are often very funny. They push each other around, fly up and down, scratch and peck, roll in the dirt, etc. And the clucking! They have a wide range of vocalizations and listening to them “talk” to each other is endlessly interesting. Something about watching chickens makes people happy. It’s relaxing, it’s fun, and it reminds people of simpler times. A flock of chickens makes a yard a home. CONS: * Chickens are cute, fun, and full of personality. Chickens also poop everywhere, and they poop A LOT. And the poop accumulates and smells. You can put down straw, or diatomaceous earth, but these are bandaids. Prepare to do a lot of particularly gross cleaning to keep the coop and yard in an acceptable state. * A raccoon, an owl, the neighbor’s dog, an unexpected illness – eventually, something bad is almost sure to happen to at least one of your chickens. For all the fun times and idyllic evenings spent watching your chickens at play, there will be sad, difficult and potentially ugly moments as well. * Chicken sexing is quite reliable, but nothing is 100%. You may think you’ve bought all hens, but the day may come when you realize that “Penelope” has started to try out a little beginner crow. Roosters are beautiful, noisy, often aggressive, and probably illegal in your municipality. There are the neighbors to consider. You will need an emergency plan in the event that one of your hens is actually a rooster. * A continuous supply of fresh eggs requires a continuous supply of hens of laying age. There is likely a legal limit to the number of hens you can own at one time, so non-laying hens will be taking up the “spots” you could otherwise fill with new young egg producers. Keeping chickens in the city may be tough at times, but there are many rewards that go along with it! Take some time to consider all the implications of beginning your own backyard chicken adventure – and maybe you’ll come to the conclusion that it’s time to dive in! Source: aercmn.com/the-pros-and-cons-of-keeping-city-chickens/

That's just awesome!

Golly - I didn't see them at first.

No.93 is the house with the chook outside at right -