Urban Chickens

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A couple of summers ago, my 7 year old neighbor proudly showed off his baby chicken.  I couldn’t believe it.  Was this legal?  Were they using it for a pet?  Were they planning on eating the eggs or kill it for meat? Come to find out, it is in fact legal to have chickens in the city of Chicago and there is no limit to number and roosters are not prohibited, as long as you do not use them for slaughter.  More and more city folks are raising backyard chickens and taking advantage of their “farm” fresh eggs, keeping them as pets, turning table scraps into nutrients for your garden and even reducing pests. Plus they are great for soil and can be a lawn mower if you are careful.  If you reside outside Chicago city limits, please be sure to check with your local officials. Eggs from free-range hens raised on pasture have:

  • 1⁄3 less cholesterol
  • 1/4 less saturated fat
  • 2⁄3 more vitamin A
  • 2 times more omega-3 fatty acids
  • 3 times more vitamin E
  • 7 times more beta carotene

Steps to Owning Chickens

We’d like to thank Backyard Chicken and the Chicago Chicken Enthusiast Group and its members for most of this information!

1. Determine whether you have the proper space and commitment

Like any other pet, you’ll need enough space for them and also the time and energy to not only love and reap the rewards, but also to clean and care of the chickens.  The amount of space per chicken varies depending on who you talk to, but you’ll want to make sure you have at least 2 sq. ft. per chicken in the coop, and 8 sq. ft. per chicken in the run.

2. Double check your city ordinance

Chicago allows chickens as long as you are not raising them for slaughter.  If you live outside of Chicago, your ordinance and zoning laws may be different.  To check your town, click HERE.

3. Plan the Shelter (coop) and Run

Whether you decide to buy a coop or build one using your own plans or pre-existing plans, you’ll need to consider the amount of space needed per chicken along with other considerations like, ease of cleaning, nesting boxes (1 box for every 4 chickens), perches, whether or not you are going to wire it for electricity and access to the run.

For the run, you will want to allow for at least 8 sq. feet per chicken and make sure it’s fenced in using chicken wire, to prevent predators from getting in.  Keep in mind you will need to be able to get into the coop to clean and collect eggs.  And remember, shelter should be able to withstand the hot Chicago summers and cold winters.

4. Decide on what breed of chicken you want and how many you want

There are many things to consider when thinking about what kind of breed you’d like.  What’s their egg color?  Do they do well in confinement?  Are they good layers?  Are they friendly?  Will they do well with Chicago’s cold winters and hot summers?  Are they quiet?  You can check out this breed chart.  Wyandottes, Sussex and New Hampshire Reds and Buff Orpingtons should do well in Chicago backyards.  The number of eggs a chicken will lay also depends on the breed, so think about how many eggs per week you’ll be able to use before purchasing your chicks.

5. Purchase your chicks and supplies

There are several places you can purchase chicks.

  • Nature’s Hatchery – This hatchery is located in Naperville, IL and will allow local pick up on hatch day. They will also ship you a minimum of three birds – though it charges a premium per bird on small orders. Their season is from March through September.
  • Abendroth Hatchery, Waterloo Wisconsin – Sells a variety of chicks via mail. Also sells adult ready-to-lay hens. 920-478-2053
  • Freedom Organix, Harvard IL – 847-910-1160, Sells fertile eggs for hatching in the spring. Will ship USPS. Variety of chicken breeds.
  • MyPetChicken.com – Sells and ships day-old chicks in orders as small as three. Also sells feed, supplies, and coops.

6. Raise your chicks (from backyardchicken.com)

You will first need a brooder, which can be as simple as a sturdy cardboard box or a small animal cage like one you’d use for rabbits.  Chicks should be kept indoors until they have their feathers (about 5-8 weeks). The size of the brooder depends on how many chicks you have and the chicks should have enough room to move around, and to lay down and sleep. You also need to have enough space in it for a waterer and a feeder.You’ll want to line the brooder with a layer of pine shavings or newspaper, which should be changed every couple of days.  Never allowed to remain damp – cleanliness is VERY important at this stage. Baby chicks are prone to a number of diseases, most of which can be avoided with proper sanitation.

The temperature of the brooder should be 90 to 100 deg. for the first week, decreasing 5 deg. per week.  A 100 watt bulb pointing in one corner (not the whole brooder) works well and a thermometer in the brooder can be helpful.  You can also tell if the temperature is too high by how the chicks behave.  If they are panting or huddling in corners away from the light, they are too hot.  If they huddle together in a ball under the light, they are too cold.  You can adjust the temperature by changing the distance of the light (or change the wattage of the bulb).

Chicks start out by eating “crumbles” which is a complete food that comes in either a medicated or medicated form.  Even baby chicks will naturally scratch at their food, so a feeder that (more or less) keeps the food in one place is good.  Click HERE for baby chick supplies.  Clean, fresh water must ALWAYS be available to your chicks. Get at least a medium size waterer, because chicks drink a LOT of water. They also poop everywhere including right into their water; clean the waterer at least once a day (depending on how crowded it is, even twice a day).

Play with your chicks when they are young to get the use to being around people and section off a small area in your yard where the chicks can explore, scratch, etc.  Make sure you can catch them when it’s time to come in!

Finally, once feathered, the chicks will be ready to move to the coop!

7. Keep it Clean

Once every week or so clean out the coop.  Be sure to wipe down the perches, and scrub down their feeders and thoroughly clean their nest boxes.  Keeping their environment clean will also keep your neighbors from complaining.

8. Keep and Eye on Them

Keep an eye on your girls.  You’ll want to watch their behavior, as this can be a good indicator whether their needs are being met.  Are they huddling together in one spot?  This could mean the coop is to drafty and chilly.

Winter Care

Thanks to resources like the Chicago Chicken Enthusiasts Group and an article from Backyard Poultry, this section should give you a good idea of how to prepare your chickens for Chicago winters.

All chickens need is a quality diet, fresh water daily, shelter to get out of the elements, and wide roosts. What they do not need is a heated environment, or to be cooped inside [in a hen house or pen] all winter and most breeds are quite tolerant of the cold, actually having a harder time with heat.

A couple of areas to watch out for are the chicken’s combs, wattles and toes, as they are subject to frostbite. You can spread Vaseline on the wattles and combs regularly to prevent this, or you can dub those fleshy parts (cut them off permanently).  Roosts are critical to keep chickens’ toes from freezing. The roosts provided need to be out of wood or other natural material that doesn’t conduct cold like plastic or metal. They also need to be wide so when birds are roosting they can tuck their toes under their feathers. Nothing less than 1.5 inches wide, like the narrow edge of a 2×4. Make sure that the roost is at a height and spacing such that your chickens like to use it.Some breeds of birds have smaller combs and wattles and may be a better choice for our climate.

No major adjustments should have to be made to your coop for winter months.  Make sure that the shelter or coop is well ventilated – having fresh air year round in important, but especially in the winter months when the chickens are more confined.  Also keep in mind that hens stop laying eggs in the winter because of the shortened daylight hours, not because of the cold.  When the number of lighted hours fall below 14, hens typically stop laying until spring.  The easiest way to keep the birds in lay is to supply extra lighting during the wintertime. This is easy to do by using a domestic-type timer that can be set for early morning and later in the evening. By using false lighting you are creating a longer day for the chicken and should guarantee continued egg production even throughout the winter months.

If the snow gets deep, shovel a path/yard for roaming around, and also consider a wood chip layer for them to walk on (will become excellent compost source!)

Freezing weather obviously brings the frozen waterer problems. This means that you have to be constantly on hand to ensure a good frequent supply of water. In most cases just breaking the surface ice is enough for the birds to be allowed to drink. You can get electrically heated waterers OR a hard rubber horse dish – can be hit with a hammer or stomped on to break out the frozen water. If birds are near the house, put the water in a sheltered location where it’s less likely to freeze.

The bottom line is, caring for chickens during the cold Chicago months only requires a few extra steps, as chickens are quite resilient creatures.

End of Life

Chickens can live up to 10 years, depending on the breed.  If you have or get chickens, just like any pet, you will have to one day, deal with their death.  According to several posts on the Chicago Chicken Enthusiasts Group, the best thing to do is call your vet or call  311 and ask for Rodent Control and have your chicken picked up.

Additional Chicago Resources

If you’re interested in learning more about raising chickens yourself or would like to learn more about raising backyard chickens, you can visit the following websites! To find out all of the local issues and join an active list, sign up for Chicago Chicken Enthusiast’s Google Group.

Let us know what we’re missing by visiting our forum or by contacting us!

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