Backyard ChickensWhy and How?

Kirk PayneRochester Public School Science Teacher

Quarry Hill Nature Center Naturalist

Why?• Keeping a few backyard chickens is

relatively easy, inexpensive, educational and fun.

• Chickens are a “green” pet, recycling many kitchen/table scraps and yard waste into fresh eggs and fertilizer.

• A few backyard hens can provide city kids and their families with a bit of the food production/farm experience that is so much less accessible today.

A farm flock and a few hens are not the same “animal”!

Males are noisy, can be quite aggressive

No Roosters Necessary

A few hens produce little noise, little odor, and can become quite tame.

Health Concerns?

• Barring the occurrence of Bird Flu on this continent, three hens pose little health risk to you and your family. Certainly they pose much less risk compared to common pets like dogs and cats. Though there are parasites and diseases that can affect chickens, these are unusual in well cared for birds. In my many years of keeping chickens, I have never experienced a serious problem.

How: Rochester’s Chicken Ordinance

• 113A. CHICKENS

• 113A.01. Chickens Limited. It is unlawful for any person to keep or harbor chickens on any

premises unless issued a permit to do so as provided in this chapter or except as

specifically allowed under section 62.148. No permit shall be issued for the keeping or

harboring of more than three hen chickens on any premises. No permit shall be issued for

the keeping of any rooster chicken on any premises.

• 113A.011. Definitions. The term “Chicken Coop” means a structure for housing chickens

made of wood or other similar materials that provides shelter from the elements. The term

“Chicken Run” means an enclosed outside yard for keeping chickens. The term “Premises”

means any platted lot or group of contiguous lots, parcels or tracts of Land.

Ordinance Examples from MN -- Blaine, MN. Domestic farm animals, including cattle, horses, sheep, goats and

chickens are only permitted in Agricultural (AG) and Farm Residential (FR) zoning districts. -- Edina, MN. Chickens not allowed. + Elk River, MN. Elk River defines an ‘animal’ as a dog, cat, or other animal which is harbored, fed, or kept by any person. No dog, cat, or other animal shall be allowed by its owner to run at large. + Minneapolis, MN. Unlimited. Applicant needs consent from 80 percent of neighbors within 100 feet of real estate. Chickens must be penned. -- Plymouth, MN. The City of Plymouth does not allow chickens in residential zoning districts. + Rosemount, MN. You can have up to 3 hens, no roosters. You must get written permission from all the neighbors whose yards border yours. You must keep them in a coop between 12 and 24 inches above ground and the legs of the coop must be sunk in cement footers. And there is a $25 annual fee to keep chickens. + St. Paul, MN. Can have one chicken without a permit, but more than one require permission from 75% of neighbors 150 ft. around, or proof you have no neighbors for 150 feet. No roosters, and no selling eggs without a permit.

History of Chickens in Rochester

Beginning in 1992, residents of Rochester could obtain a permit to keep up to three hens in an outdoor coop and run. Prior to this, keeping chickens had been illegal for many decades.

The first animal related ordinance in the early days of Rochester stated, “Residents are no longer allowed to let their bulls run free.”

Summer 1991

Rochester Chicken Permit• 113A.02. Permit. No person shall maintain a chicken coop and run unless they have

been granted a permit by the common council. The permit shall be subject to all

terms and conditions of this chapter and any additional conditions deemed necessary

by the council to protect the public health, safety and welfare. The necessary permit

applications are available in the City Clerk’s Office. Included with the completed

application must be a scaled diagram that indicates the location of any chicken coop

and run, and the approximate size and distance from adjoining structures and

property lines. A permit for the keeping of chickens may be revoked or suspended by

the council for any violation of chapter 113A following written notice and a public

hearing. A fee of $20.00 will be charged for each permit which shall expire on

December 31st of the second year of the permit.

Chickens Must be Confined• 113A.03. Confinement. Every person who owns, controls, keeps maintains or harbors hen chickens must keep them confined at all times while in the city in a chicken

coop and chicken run. Any coop and run shall be screened with a solid fence or landscaped buffer with a minimum height of four feet. • Any coop and run shall be at least 25 feet from any residential structure on any other

premises.

• 113A.04. Chicken Coops. Subdivision 1. All chicken coops and runs must be

located at least 25 feet from any dwelling on any other premises. All chicken coops must meet the requirements of the building and zoning codes, must not exceed ten square feet

per chicken and must not exceed six feet in total height. • Attached fenced-in chicken runs must not exceed 20 square feet per chicken and must not

exceed six feet in total height.

• Chicken runs may be enclosed with wood and/or woven wire materials, and allow chickens to contact the ground.

• Chicken feed and manure must be kept in rodent and raccoon proof containers

and must not be placed in yard compost piles.

Elevated Coops are Easiest• Subd. 2. Chicken coops must either be:

• (A). Elevated with a clear open space of at least 24 inches between theground surface and framing/floor of the cooper; or

• (B) The coop floor, foundation and footings must be constructed usingrodent resistant concrete construction.

• 113A.05. Conditions. No person who owns, keeps or harbors hen chickens to permitthe premises where the hen chickens are kept to be or remain in an unhealthy, unsanitary ornoxious condition or to permit the premises to be in such condition that noxious odors arecarried to adjacent public or private property. Any chicken coop and run authorized by permitunder this chapter may be inspected at any reasonable time by a city animal control officer orother agent of the city.

• 113A.06. Violations. Any person who keeps or harbors chickens in the city limits ofRochester without obtaining or maintaining a current permit or after a permit has beensuspended or revoked by council action shall be guilty of a petty misdemeanor.

The Coop continued…• Must either be elevated 24 inches off the ground or have a substantial concrete

foundation and floor. These requirements are related to predator and rodent concerns.

• Must be located at least 25 feet from any residential structure. • Coop and run must be screened with a solid fence or landscape buffer that is at least

4 feet high.

• Coop cannot be larger than 30 square feet.

• Run cannot be larger than 60 square feet.

• Overall structure cannot exceed 6 feet in height.

• Consider having a closeable chicken entrance door in the coop for added security.

A Few Coop Examples

Coop available at Fleet Farm

Would require the substantial concrete footings, rodent guard and floor described in the ordinance. Must be less than 6 feet tall and no more than 30 square feet in size.

Simpler and smaller elevated designSubmerged wood base fairly predator-proof; chicken wire adequately anchored would stand up to most predators. Using a heavier gauge wire would provide added protection. Elevated design requires no concrete floor or footings.

A-frame style coopWalk-in convenience, shade available beneath coop, run could be expanded, portable nature makes it less predator proof but handy as a chicken “mower.”

Modified doghouse coopSmall and more suitable for 1 or two hens. Coop would have to be elevated at least 24 inches. Small and low profile run less ‘user friendly’ for you.

Cory Rubin working on his coop in NW Rochester. Spring of 08

Cory, Lucy and Maggie ready for chickens. Mom Jennifer behind the camera.

Urban Chickens in the Netherlands

Petting Zoo Next Door to Dutch Retirement Apartments

Additional Coop Details• Light and ventilation are important. With less than 14 hours of light exposure, hens

will slow and potentially stop egg production. If you want eggs consistently, you’ll need to supplement their light. Use a timer and adjust for about 15 hours of total light

• Chickens like to roost off the ground. A 2x2 with rounded edges mounted 18 inches from the wall works well. Provide about a foot of roost length per bird and elevate the roost 10 - 20 inches.

• Wood shavings or ground corn cob work well as coop floor litter. 4 – 6 inches of litter will absorb droppings. The chickens will stir it. Depending on the size of your coop, cleaning out used litter may only be necessary a few times per year.

• Bag the soiled litter for garbage pick-up or store it in a galvanized metal trash can for tilling into your garden spring and fall. Legally, you cannot add it to a compost pile.

Clean the coop in the spring and fall. I use a solution of ¼ cup borax per gal. of water

The Run• Chickens love to scratch in the ground and will be happier and healthier with access

to fresh air and sunshine.• Include a “dusting” area. • Fence with chicken or woven wire at least 4 feet high. Roofing the run provides more

protection.• A buried wire floor (at least 6 inches deep) boosts security.• We lost a hen to a predator on 10th Ave NE. An opossum dug under the run fence

and entered the coop door which had not been closed that night. • The chickens will remove all the sod in a stationary run. Leaves and grass clippings

work well as run “litter.” • Late in the day the hens will “go to roost.” I try to close the coop door each night for

added security.

Food and Water• Commercial Layer Ration should be available to the hens continuously. A 50 pound

bag will last several months depending on what else you are feeding the hens. 50 pounds of non-organic feed at Collins or Fleet Farm costs about $10 - $12. Organic feed is available at Oak Center General Store for about twice the price. Free-standing or wall mounted feeders are available at the stores mentioned above. Fish and Pets carries chicken supplies, including small coops. Store feed in a galvanized trash can. Elevated feeders are best to prevent hens from scratching out and wasting feed.

• Offer table scraps (including crushed egg shells) and other food items in the run. I recommend containing them in something. I use a rubber feed bowl. Whatever is left can be periodically transferred to your garbage or compost pile.

• Grit and oyster shell are less necessary if using a commercial feed and if hens have access to soil. Both are cheap, less than $10 for 50 lb bags which will last 3 hens many years. I do not use grit or oyster shell.

• Your hens need free access to food and water every day. I offer them feed in their coop out of the weather and water in their run. In the winter, I use a bird bath heater in a rubber feed bowl as a water source.

Eggs• Hens usually start laying at about 6 months of age.

• Production slows after 3-4 years.

• Hens stop laying during moult, when “setting” and some individuals are simply more regular layers.

• Can freeze eggs by scrambling and adding 1 tsp honey or ½ tsp salt per cup to keep the yolk from getting pasty. Freeze in an ice-cube tray and then store in bags or containers.

• Egg shells come in white, light/medium/dark brown and blue-green depending on the breed of chicken.

• I recommend sharing your extra eggs with neighbors and friends. They are always

well received, especially now that farm fresh eggs have increased in price.

Recommended BreedsI have had good luck over the years with Rocks, Reds, Leghorns, Wyandottes, Orpingtons, Australorps, and Aracaunas. The larger standard breed versions are more durable in our climate than the smaller bantam varieties.

Where To Get Chickens• It can be fun to have three different breeds so you can easily tell the hens apart. Our

first three urban hens were Snow White, a Leghorn that laid white eggs; Henrietta, a Rhode Island Red that laid brown eggs; and Henny Penny, an Aracauna that laid blue-green eggs.

• There are a number of hatcheries that sell day-old chicks and ship them through the mail. I’ve had good luck with the Decorah Hatchery (406 W. Water St • Decorah, IA 52101 • 563-382-4103 • decorahhatchery@gmail.com. The problem for urban chicken farmers is that hatcheries typically sell and ship minimum numbers of chicks, often no fewer than 25 for about $25. Some hatcheries will sell pullets (nearly mature hens), but you have to pick them up.

• Many rural kids raise chickens for 4-H and, especially after summer fair time, have birds to sell. Depending on the breed, an average price might be about $5 per hen. Contact the 4-H office or attend the county fair to make some contacts.

• A few times over the years, I’ve driven up to farm homes where chickens were visible from the road and asked to buy a few birds.

• I often incubate some eggs in the spring and have given chicks away in the past.

A few references• http://www.backyardchickens.com/• http://ohioline.osu.edu/vme-fact/0011.html• The Chicken Book

by Page Smith and Charles Daniel• Chickens In Your Backyard

by Rick and Gail Luttmann• Cory & Jennifer Rubin, PhD (cjrubin@charter.net)