Chickens in the city

Move over dogs and cats. Chickens are now the must-have pets among urban homesteaders looking to live more sustainably and cultivate their own eggs. Los Angeles Times columnist Susan Carpenter adopts a couple hens to see what it's like to raise chickens first hand.

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• Chickens
• urban
• farms
• farm
• city
• chicken
• pet
• eggs
• cities
• raise
• hens
• rooster
• egg
• backyard

[SmartHerSparty]

Forget the urban farming, eggs, or fertilizer. I just want chickens because I think they hare hilarious animals and I feel they could bring me joy. I think clipping their wings however, is like declawing a cat. If they live outside, it shouldn't be done. It might be their only escape mechanism.

[SunEDragon]

@Zecfackler: If you need a 'licensed contractor' to build your coop, you have NO business urban homesteading. That's just a Yuppie playing at farming.

[ZeceFackler]

@SunEDragon to make your own coop if your clever is like freaking $25 for what she is doing she is just buying what looks nice and gets it bran new installed by licensed contractors. she probably had the coops sent to her already built.

[SunEDragon]

Holy ****! $500! You got ripped. My chicks cost $2 eachx4, the materials for my coop and pen maybe $100, and that was 4 years ago, they have made back that and more. Good luck, and welcome to the urban farmstead community!

[one8apc1]

I have a ton of chickens.

[Angloartist]

Nice Rhode Island Reds I have a few. Mine free range as well. They nice brown eggs. I have Rhode Island Rooster now.

You got the hard part done, the eggs will come. you can encourage their laying by giving them 20% protien "Layer" feed. and placing an egg or light bulb in their usual nest so they will lay their next egg beside it. just be patient. You'll get plenty of eggs and Chicken feed co$t is just "chicken feed" ;)

[crazychookLOL]

@CaliforniaFarmGirl It depends on what time of the year it is :) even if they are younger then or older then 7 months they might not lay till the days are long enough mine didnt start laying till like near a year old because the days were not long enough in the winter time ( when they were the usual laying age)

[CaliforniaFarmGirl]

Seven months and not laying?! What kinda chickens are these? I have heritage chickens and my hens still lay before 7 mos.

[TheJaniceJoy]

It is a year later, do you still have your chickens?

Any recent videos?

How many hens do you feel can live comfortably in your set-up?

[cosnowmomma]

Well looking at this setup, it was a pretty expensive choice. I set up our coop for much less. It is cheap if you don't have to have the chicken version of a luxury condo.