DIY: backyard chickens

Thomas Kriese, Zsu Zsu in the Grass (Barred Rock hen), Wikipedia

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My relatively new next-door neighbor has started raising chickens!  It has been fun to watch them grow, interact socially (some days there's a fair amount of bickering), and make numerous breaks for freedom. Must admit, it's a little startling to catch a 7-pound Plymouth Rock hen clearing the fence out of the corner of your eye. At first there was a rooster as well, but I'm guessing the neighbors found out that zoning laws exclude roosters.  (The primary care provider is not exactly communicative.)

With the current state of supermarket meat and rising prices, raising chickens makes a lot of sense.  Recently in the news was this:  "Roosters' fertility problem hits U.S. chicken supply, lifts prices." (The fertility problem is due to genetic 'tweaking'.) Although, don't ask me to butcher and dress one.  The eggs would be nice.

On rainy days these little guys huddle together in the driest spots they can find.  They need a coop--also an enclosure they can't breach.  Next door I see uncut panels of low-grade plywood proliferating, but no structures being formed.

A list of free chicken coop plans can be found at freebies.about.com.  This portable poultry pen (PDF format) from pvcplans looks like a good solution.

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Portable Poultry Pen, pvcplans

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For ready-made, there's quite a selection at Amazon; search for "chicken coop."  The Eglu in the background of ZsuZsu's picture above is offered by Omlet (UK).

For a wealth of good information about raising and caring for chickens there's Lisa's blog, Fresh Eggs Daily. Check out her Ultimate Chicken Care Guide.

I'm hoping the chickens will be able to survive an Alaskan winter.

-- Marge