Why Did These Chickens Cross the Road?

Yesterday I was interviewed by an magazine editor for a story he's writing about chickens and real estate. While most chickens don't have a high enough credit score to qualify for a home loan, there are important considerations for homeowners to make about keeping chickens in an urban neighborhood.

One of our neighbors was so smitten with the idea of having chickens and fresh eggs from his backyard that we helped him get started with his own flock. He built the coop above in two days flat. Pretty impressive!

Light Meat, whose new name is Dotty, rules the new roost. She's quite a bit larger than her sister, Dark Meat (aka Esther), who lives with us.

Donnie, the neighbor in question, has been very good about keeping his chickens clean, fed, watered, and happy.

To help keep predators from digging under the edges of the chicken run, he laid down some nice paving stones. This also makes a big difference when things get rainy and muddy in the winter,

The left side of the run that you can see above is a little screen door. It's just the right size to slip into the coop and grab an unsuspecting chicken.

Though Donnie's birds are only 15 weeks old, he's already provided them with a nest box. I reminded him that it needs a roof to make it feel safe and enclosed, but he still has a month to get that finished before they start laying eggs.

Look at that nifty roosting pole! Those chickens sure do have a good piece of real estate to enjoy! It's very comforting to see the three chicks we raised by hand being cared for with such compassion. Though Donnie still refers to each of them as "he," there's still room to learn and grow. The two sussex girls I couldn't get a clear picture of are growing like weeds. Both are happy and beautiful, and all three hens are proving to be great breeds for a first time chicken farmer.