Chickens are relatively easy and fun to keep. And if you didn’t know, it is perfectly legal to keep a certain number of chickens in a backyard within the city limits; no roosters, however, are allowed—in the city. Chickens are terrific for a number of reasons, including the most obvious that they can provide food. But, chickens can be terrific little garden helpers as well. Enclose several chickens around a turned-over garden bed and then watch them clean it out for you; chickens will quickly eradicate any garden pests and will even eat away the old growth. If your garden beds are enclosed—if not then it’s easy to do so with posted chicken wire—the chickens can be allowed free range during the day to clean out the backyard; oftentimes, a troupe of backyard chickens can all but annihilate a pesky grasshopper problem.
Build or Buy a Coup
A chicken coup is not overly difficult to build, but if you don’t want to build one then your local farm and ranch store should have an option—they will also, in the spring months, have chicks available. The Internet is loaded with plans to build chicken coups. You can build coups from the most expensive and elaborate—your chickens, however, won’t know the difference—to the most basic. A coup should protect the chickens from possible harm from predators and protect them from inclement weather. Also remember that chickens do go to the bathroom often, and the interior of the coup should be built so that you can capably clean its interior, and its floor—dirt floors and concrete floors work really well. Coups built on wheels (check the plans available on the Internet) are great for bigger backyards, because the coup can be moved from spot to spot, never building up and overly saturated patches of yard with chicken feces—remember, however, that chickens do smell, and they have dirty tendencies.
Rocky Mountain Compost can help you with any pet bedding—nesting areas. Also, remember, that while your chickens will provide you with a little compost, Rocky Mountain Compost is ready to supply you this spring season with the bulk of your compost/soil needs.
