"She Knows That Food Comes from Somewhere": The Joy of Backyard Chickens

I've been curious for quite a while about backyard chickens. Reading Barefoot Books' new release Millie's Chickens has only increased that curiosity. It's also made me realize how many people I know who have backyard chickens, including my friend Genevieve Hill-Thomas. Genevieve was kind enough to let me visit her chicken coop and talk to her about how their family raises their chickens.

Genevieve and her husband Stanton have raised chickens in their urban backyard for over seven years. Genevieve jokes that the reason they got chickens is that Stanton "hates to waste food." In addition to chicken feed, the chickens are happy to have vegetable scraps and dinner scraps. "It's a way to recycle your food," she says. Genevieve also enjoys continuing the farming tradition that was part of her family's history.

The Thomas' daughter is one year old, and the chickens like to follow her around to see if she's dropped any food. "When she sees chickens on a show like Baby Einstein, she'll shriek, because that's the real world for her," Genevieve told me. Each morning during breakfast, her daughter sits in her high chair by the back door so she can watch the chickens. The birds often come up to the back porch, as if they want to see what the baby is eating!

Each night at dinner, their daughter is able to enjoy a fresh egg. "She's knows that food comes from somewhere besides a baby food pouch," her mother shared. As she gets older, the Thomases plan for her to have some kind of responsibility for helping with the chickens.

If you're thinking of raising chickens, yourself, Genevieve has the following advice:

• Keep in mind that chickens are dirty, but they're also easy to take care of.
• Take the time to build a coop that's big, sturdy, and heavy. Some commercial coops that are available may not give chickens enough space, especially if you have more than one or two.
• You do not have to gather the eggs right away. As long as you haven't washed them, they still have a protective coating that can allow you to collect them once every couple of days. (Once the eggs have been washed, you do need to refrigerate them right away.)
• Tree cover can help disguise your chickens from hawks who are looking for a meal.
• Having a pond and a large feeder can keep your chickens fed and watered for several days if you need to go out of town.

Want to learn even more about backyard chickens? Millie's Chickens is bursting with educational endnotes about backyard chickens and eggs.

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