For the city poultry farmer, a small flock of chickens provides food and pest control as well as a natural way to dispose of leftover garden wastes.  Chickens can be fantastic weed pullers and insect eaters as they roam throughout the garden. Along with being a great asset to your garden, they also can give eggs or be kept as pets.

Before purchasing chickens read as much as you can about raising them as there is quite a few things you need to know.  Begin with good planning.  Cleanliness is the single biggest contributor to livestock health.  Be sure that the feed and watering equipment is protected from contamination and that their shelter is easy to clean.

Raising your own animals offers many rewards and is another step towards self-sufficiency.  If you have a garden, then raising chickens is also cheap.  Sacks of chicken feed are not expensive and will provide the basic nutrients that some space-restricted gardens may not be able to grow.

Chickens as pets is very rewarding aspect to the the poultry raiser.  Yes, those funny-looking birds with the scrawny necks, clawed toes and a reputation for being cowards -- as pets.  These essential animals have been misunderstood in modern culture as being weird animals and certainly not as a loyal friend.  But, once you discover your unique pet in a chicken, you'll certainly become hooked on these wonderful birds. They are not indoor pets, but are pets just the same and will bring happiness to the urban or rural farmer.

They're friendly, fluffy and they don't yowl, bite or require daily walks. They even offer you tasty little "gifts" in return for their simple care.  The best way to make a pet out of your chicken is to raise them as chicks or semi-fledglings.  Chickens like any other animal will have a different temperament when the owner shows affection and love for it. If the rooster or hen was raised by the same owner from birth, that chicken will be very different in personality than a chicken that was adopted as an adult. 

 Some roosters may or may not become troublesome when they reach sexual maturity but the hens will bond to you and become extremely loyal and affectionate. They are very easily taught to come when called and they will jump onto your lap to be cuddled like cats.  Often, at the sound of your voice, they will come running and greet you with soft whistles.

Chickens are also very vocal animals and they communicate in so many ways.  They have their own language not limited to the common clucking, cackling or crowing.  They also whistle, moan, cheep, sing, coo, and, even, "purr".  The latter sound is one that is very rare to hear in the chicken world as this happens at dusk when the chickens are all safely in their nests.  From our unscientific experience, we concluded it must be a reassurance to one another that all's well.

When most people think of chickens, the normal brown hen is the first image that comes to mind, but there are so many other colorful breeds of chickens that exist.

Practically any chicken could become a good friend as they are naturally friendly and inquisitive but fancy bantams are the best type if you are looking for a small sociable bird that will fit best with your urban backyard.  Also, Bantams are much more docile than the over bred Leghorns which are expected to only produce the maximum amount of eggs.

The range of chicken species is extremely diverse and come in gorgeous colors, feather-types and shapes.  Bantams or ‘banties’ weigh about 1/4th of a full size chicken and they are sometimes the same breed as the full-size chicken, but just much smaller and they lay smaller eggs.

Besides the impressive array of colors, speckles and lacings, some standard and bantam chickens can have feathered fluffy feet (cochins, brahmas), crested headdresses (houdans, polish), long silky, hair-like coats (silkies), skinny hairless necks (turkens), bearded (sultans), or curly feathers (frizzle cochins) and much more. 

There are many great books, magazines and internet sites that cover all the aspects of raising chickens.  Do some research about these wonderful birds and get some chicks... you won't be sorry!

NEW!   Bantam Chicken Egg Production Chart

	Front view of chicken coop / tractor.  Four nesting boxes have been fitted into the bottom half of a garage window and roosting perches lead up to the nests.  A wire screen catches the manure beneath.
	These four nesting boxes were sized to the window and the size of a bantam chicken.  Inside the garage, a small door with four plastic windows backs up the nests, allowing easy access to the eggs.
	Side view of chicken coop / tractor.  The  (5' x 7' x 5') cage made of PVC pipe and hard plastic fencing can be easily lifted and converted from a coop to a tractor, allowing the chickens to remain safe as you move them throughout the yard and from garden bed to garden bed.
	Almost completed coop with grape vines.  We have yet to build the "hen house."  The chicks haven't arrived yet, so there is really no hurry as they will be living in the house for a couple weeks.      Since we have a small yard, we choose to purchase bantam chickens as they are much smaller than regular chickens.
	They've arrived!  These cheeping, day old bantam chicks were purchased from Murray McMurray Hatchery.   They offer a free catalog which has great colored drawings of many different and exotic breeds of chickens. « baby chicken photos »
	Completed coop made out of old plywood and wire screens.  Now the chickens can be safe and cozy. The grape vines have grown and provide much needed shade during the day.   NEW « more "city chicken coop" photos »
	We use only non-medicated feed and do not use antibiotics on our chickens. Our goal is to be as natural and healthy as possible.   The chickens do an excellent job of organic bug control and produce valuable fertilizer for the garden! « more chicken photos »

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