Chickens!

In July we took home two adorable young chicks. After doing a lot of research on various breeds, and looking up laws and ordinances for our city, we decided what chickens would be best for us.
Enter two Silkie Bantams.  

They were appropriately adorable to call pets and known for docility. Also, being a bantam breed are smaller in size. Since we are allowed two hens per city ordinance, the two small chickens would be a perfect addition. It turned out that one of our "female" chicks was a male. By October, our young rooster was crowing and carrying on pre-dawn. I was very worried that we'd have difficulty finding him a new home, but it turned out an ad on Craigslist found him a home the same day with a local breeder, happy for a new rooster while we got an egg laying hen. 

Our original chick just started laying this week, and with production at roughly one small egg per day, we are enjoying just enough eggs to satisfy our appetites. "R" built them a fabulous coop that adds to the charm of our urban homestead back yard. I'll post pictures soon.

Tips on getting your first chickens:
~ Check your local laws first to be sure they are legal. Many cities allow hens only or restrict numbers and housing in relation to property lines.
~ Select a breed based on how much you want to handle the chicken as well as how much egg production you are looking for.
~ Be sure you have enough space. Consider if you have other pets that may harrass or even injure chickens.
~ Search online for local breeders rather than having young chicks shipped. This process is very stressful and in some cases deadly to the chicks. Support your local economy and stay "green."
~ Make sure you have the space and time to incubate young chicks indoors if you want to buy them as hatchlings. They require several weeks inside before going out to a coop.


Links:
http://www.mypetchicken.com/
http://urbanchickens.org/
http://www.backyardchickens.com/