Facts About Raising Chickens in the City

Photo by Sidney Pearce on Unsplash

• People love chickens and want to see to it that they are treated humanely while others want to raise backyard chickens to maintain some sense of sustainability. and still others just want chickens as pets. Many people are amazed at how smart and friendly pet chickens can be and want to raise them in their own backyards.  Raising chickens is a great educational  and fun experience for children and adults alike. There is even a nursing home that allows residents to have a chicken coop and chickens on their property. Residents say the chickens give them interesting things to do, a sense of responsibility, and are fun to be around. With the salmonella scare and news about the mistreatment of chickens on factory farms quickly spreading across the nation, more people are considering raising chickens in the city. Fast becoming more than a trend, city council members are starting to 'bend' the rules in cities all over the United States and in other countries, due to the heavy pressure of urban chicken owners who prefer to raise their own chickens for fresh eggs or as pets.

There are many benefits to raising your own chickens such as:

• Farm fresh eggs daily 
• Less chance of  Salmonella, pathogens and other contaminants
• Low maintenance
• Make great outdoor pets
  
• Less factory farming
  
• Chickens eat unwanted insects
  
• Less pollution
• Great fertilizer for your garden and yard
  
• Saves money on waste management costs in city landfills

---

Featured Video: How to Raise Chicken in the City in 5 Easy Steps

Bee Ayer raises chickens in New York City. If you like the video and would like to see more from Get Down Farm you can connect with them here:
Website: http://www.getdown.farm
​Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GetDownFarm/

---

Before You Decide to Get "Urban Backyard" Chickens Do This...

Do your research. First, check your local city ordinances to make sure that you are allowed to have chickens before you buy them. Most cities do allow chickens in your backyard but many still consider them as livestock and not pets and refer to both hens and roosters as chickens. Some cities do not allow roosters but do allow hens and some cities allow both. Many cities also have a required distance that your chickens have to be located so many feet away from your neighbors residences. If you city only allows hens you may wish to skip buying baby chicks and get a couple point of lay hens to avoid ending up with several roosters because baby chicks are not always sexed accurately and Bantam chicks are usually not sexed (See sexing chickens). If you can have a rooster, only get one because roosters tend to fight with each other if there are not enough hens. Research everything you can find on the internet and in books about raising chickens and finding the right breed of chickens.

---

Memory Verse

But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, John 1:12   

---

References:
1. ​City Chickens Pictures | Download Free Images on Unsplash. (2018). Unsplash.com. Retrieved 12 September 2018, from https://unsplash.com/search/photos/city-chickens
2. ​Chickens foraging on the farm photo by Kim Gorga (@kimgorga) on Unsplash. (2018). Unsplash.com. Retrieved 12 September 2018, from https://unsplash.com/photos/bMgHCvB2AXA
3. ​How to Raise Chickens in the City in 5 Easy Steps. (2018). YouTube. Retrieved 12 September 2018, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wqbaWsA7Rkk