My Little Urban Farmstead: Raising Chickens and Gardening in the City

I would like to show you around my little backyard homestead.

Growing up in Ohio I was always used to putting in the garden around early April and almost ignoring it while still getting a good crop of vegetables. I've struggled with having a productive garden here in Texas for the last couple of years and I think it's mainly because I start my garden too late in the season. The plants don't have a good start before the heat sets in. This is the earliest I've ever planted a garden. It's in the spot where my original chicken coop used to be for the last few years so it's quite fertile. I'm feeling hopeful that this year I'll be able to harvest plenty to feed my son and me, and maybe even a little extra to share.

I planted tomatoes, romanesco (if you don't know what this is, Google it. It is beautiful), lettuce, carrots, zucchini, cucumbers, dill, basil, spinach, thyme, and beets. I always plant marigolds to repel pests. The dill usually gets sacrificed to caterpillars. Five days from now I should have little sprouts coming up from the seeds I planted. I never cease feeling excitement and wonder at the little sprouts pushing up towards the sky. Life renewed.

My old coop was a disaster and I worried nightly about predators getting in. One night a young opossum did get in and cornered one of my hens. Luckily I woke up to hear the screams my poor frightened girl was making. If you ever hear a chicken scream in fright you will never forget it. I ran out barefoot, scooped her up, and herded everyone into the kitchen where they spent the night. Everyone has kept chickens in their kitchen, right?

The new coop is much nicer, but it was quite the challenge...

I was excited to be the first in line when this coop came up as a freebie on a chicken group I'm in. The catch was I had to move it. The original person who was supposed to move it for me had a nice trailer and all of the equipment to properly move a building this size but he backed out last minute. I posted on Craigslist and found someone else who promised he could move the coop on the back of his truck. Moving day came and he was late meeting me at the site to pick it up. When he finally showed up he's driving an older pickup with a small bed. I had a bad feeling.

I wish I'd saved the photo of the coop loaded onto his truck. It looked like Beverly Hillbillies moving into town. It was a disaster waiting to happen, but he and his partner insisted that they didn't need to take it apart to move it. It didn't sit properly on the bed of the truck and it towered over the road. We didn't even get a half mile down the road when the wind caught the door and whipped it off, sending it flying directly at me and my son who were following in my Jeep. By sheer luck, it didn't hit us or anyone else and instead shattered all over the road. They had failed to properly tie down the door. I was a nervous mess the rest of the way home. 

Somehow we made it the 30-minute drive to my house. We passed a police officer and it was with great relief he didn't pull them over for having an improper load. I explain to them where I want it to go. They unloaded it at the side of the house but insisted they couldn't get it to the back yard because of a low hanging tree. By this time I was done with them, so I told them to just go and I'd figure out something on my own. I might have muttered a few curse words under my breath as they left. 

The coop sat there with the roof off and no door, totally useless to me, for four months. I had to stare at its behemoth teal form every time I stood at the kitchen sink. It was with the gracious help of a friend that it was moved in to place and the door another friend gifted me installed. If it wasn't for his help I'd probably still be staring at the darn thing out my window. Now that it is all set up where it is supposed to be and my chickens are all settled in, this hippy girl is happy. I have four hens contently roosting in the coop and now that the days are longer all four are gifting me daily eggs. 

As I told my friend, I'm quite content being the neighborhood crazy chicken lady.

Keeping Backyard Chickens Cool in the Summer Heat

It's hot in Texas. Really hot. Our high today was 99 degrees Fahrenheit with a heat index set on broil. People are talking about baking cookies on the pavement. We are still in June, people. We still have to get through July and August. This just might be a long hot summer.

The heat can be especially dangerous for your backyard flock, but there are several ways you can help your chickens stay cool.

1. Add ice to their water. I freeze a large block of ice and plop it into their water when the temperature starts to rise. Who doesn't like a nice, cool drink of ice water on a hot day? I know I do.
2. My chickens love cold watermelon. Watermelon is great for keeping them hydrated in addition to  cooling them off. You can also feed them frozen corn, peas, or blueberries. But provide these as treats, not as replacements for their feed.
3. Make sure their coop is well ventilated. If air is unable to freely circulate, the coop is going to be miserably hot. Add a fan for extra air flow, if needed. Just make sure the fan is properly secured so your chickens don't get hurt and make sure any electric cords are safely plugged in and away from any water or fire hazards. 
4. Spray down a dirt patch where they can take a mud bath and cool off. I'm thinking I'm going to try this with my girls this week. 
5. Make sure they have plenty of shade. My coop is under a tree and stays mostly shaded all day. I also free range my hens. On hot days they usually hide in the overgrown shrubs under the trees on the side of my house. 
6. Provide electrolytes. Mix 1 cup of water with 2 teaspoons sugar, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon baking soda. Provide 1 cup electrolytes to one gallon of water. If your hens appear stressed from the heat, give it to them full strength.
7. Freeze bottles of water and place near nesting boxes. 
8. Mist down the chicken coop or run. 
9. Partially fill a small kiddie pool with cool water. You don't want to lose any chickens from drowning so only fill it about an inch or two. 
10. Have several sources of water for drinking available. I have dog bowls and a large plastic dish tub I fill up and leave in several places so they have easy access to water.

12 Reasons To Raise Backyard Chickens

My computer is down right now, so I am attempting to post directly from my tablet. Not good on the eyes! Or maybe it's just middle age. Regardless, If you have been thinking about getting chickens, but have been on the fence, I want to share with you why you should dive right in to the world of back yard chickens. We have had our two chickens, Padme and Princess Leia, for a year now, and they have given us much more than eggs. I guarantee that the work you will put into caring for them is worth it.

Here are my 12 reasons why you should have a back yard flock:

1. It is a great lesson for you and your children to help care for them. 
2. Your children will learn that their eggs come from an animal, and not the grocery store.
3. You will have greater control of your food source.
4. You will know that the chickens who produced your eggs were treated well.
5. You will have fresh eggs to barter or gift to friends and neighbors. 
6. You can't get any fresher than collecting the eggs for your breakfast that morning.
7. You will become an expert in all things chicken related.
8. They are quite lovable and have distinct personalities.
9. Seeing chickens strutting around the back yard will have you smiling.
10. You will discover a whole new world of like minded people who also raise chickens.
11. Depending on the breed you choose, you can have green, blue, brown, and speckled eggs.
12. While they might not have the most beautiful bird call, waking up to hear the sound of them clucking will fill you with joy.

Before you do go out and buy some chickens, however, make sure you are familiar with your town or city's ordinances regarding back yard livestock. Here in San Antonio we are allowed three chickens without getting a special permit, but some subdivisions have HOA's that don't allow them. I am lucky to live in an older neighborhood where city rules apply. 

Fair warning, however. Once you have chickens, you will start thinking about raising chicks and hatching eggs. You will go to the feed store in the spring and have to fight off the urge to buy chicks. You will start dreaming about a bigger back yard or a little piece of land in the country. You will get coop envy looking at other people's coops. But, seriously, raising back yard chickens is wonderful. One day I will have that little piece of land in the country so Padme and Princess can have a whole flock of companions and I can be a crazy chicken lady.