Question & Answer
Q: Chickens... Really?
A: So, you might ask, “why would a bunch of urban teenagers want to spend time with chickens?" We have lots of reasons: they are beautiful and friendly; they have helped to teach us responsibility in a fun way; they provide us with healthy, organic eggs; they help manage the food scraps from our lunch rooms: they provide us with compost for our gardens; and they have amazing personalities that make us laugh.
Q: Can I even have chickens?
A: Before you consider chickens seriously, check with your city government to see what kind of ordinances they have regarding poultry as pets. In most places, you will have to apply for a permit that allows you to keep farm animals, including chickens. For example, in order to get a permit from the city of Maplewood, MO, you must follow these rules:
“The chickens or ducks must be adequately confined within a yard or other place surrounded by wire netting or other fence as a provision to prevent their escape therefrom. The pen shall be maintained in a safe and sanitary condition. Any manure or other discharges from the chickens or ducks shall be collected and properly removed from the premises or tilled into the soil on the premises promptly and regularly to prevent the spreading of offensive smells or diseases.” - Maplewood City (Ord. No. 5525 (6-3), 6-9-2009)
Most cities also prohibit the possession of roosters, and they might have laws restricting the number of chickens. For example, in Maplewood, we had to get special exemption as a school to keep more than six chickens. Many cities also have strict laws to insure chickens don’t become a nuisance. If shelters for the chickens became a hazard or a nuisance, the government of your city will issue fines.
Q: Will Chickens be beneficial for my garden?
A: Chickens eat almost anything you eat. Leftovers are like chocolate to them. Once inside the chicken, the process begins...and the output is all green! These scraps actually make the eggs healthier and tastier. You are what your chickens eat! Take a close look at a chicken’s foot and you will see a perfect garden tool. Chickens scratch and dig and turn over the soil in our garden or anywhere they are allowed to frolic. Chicken poop is a garden gold. Although it isn’t at its best applied fresh, mixed in the compost bin with the used straw, it becomes amazing fertilizer on our gardens. Mosquitoes, spiders, beetles, and all kinds of other critters find their way into our chickens’ beaks. This keeps gardens clean of pests without requiring us to use chemical pesticides.
Q: What's the process of feeding your chicken?
A: We check to make sure that our chickens have food and water both in the morning and evening. We clean the containers each day and once a week the senior steward washes them with a mixture of water with a little bleach to disinfect it. Then the waterer is thoroughly flushed out with water. We feed our chickens pellets that do not contain any animal protein. We also give them a little bit of cracked corn as a special treat. We mix oyster shell into their food to provide them the necessary calcium to lay eggs and have a separate container for grit. Our chickens really love table scraps, especially fruit, cereal, and greens. Sharing these treats can be fun, but there are a few things you definitely shouldn’t feed your chickens. For example avocado, coriander, elderberries, honeysuckle, lily of the valley, hydrangea, parsley, tobacco, potato shoots, morning glories, and fava or runner beans are considered unsafe foods for chickens. Find more resources on safe snacks for your chickens at here.