Sometimes our bicycles bring us past magical places. That happened one evening as we peddled through urban Cedar Rapids. A sideways glance filled our eyes with a yard full of blooming plants. Hopping off our bikes to get a better look, we spotted six colorful chickens almost hidden within the flowers.
We were biking a section of the Great American Rail Trail that spans the United States.
The section by the flowery yard passes homes, factories, stores, and parks. Hundreds of cyclists, walkers, skateboarders and parents pushing baby carriages pass by the flower-filled yard. Some stop to admire its blooms and the colorful hens.
Intrigued, we met owners Tiffany and Aaron Robinson. They gave us a tour and shared how during COVID-19 they transformed a once mowed monoculture into a wondrous blend of gardens, pathways, and home for a six-hen flock. “I love fireflies, butterflies and chickens so I’ve worked to make our yard a welcome place for them,” explained Tiffany.
Amid the flowering plants she and Aaron built a small chicken coop and an outdoor deck/patio. “Our chickens are so dear. They came from Hoover’s Hatchery. We have Americaunas and a Silver Laced Wyandotte. Our Buff Orpington is getting so old she doesn’t lay many eggs but she’s precious,” she noted.
“I like the eggs we get from the others,” remarked Aaron.
The Robinson yard is an island of diversity and beauty amid neighboring yards that are mostly mowed lawns. Their flowers offer privacy and color to visiting children and are a perfect habitat for birds, butterflies, lightning bugs and the small flock. “Our neighbors have never objected to us having chickens. They tell us they like having them nearby, even when they cluck when laying”, she remarked.
The Robinson yard is as wondrous as it is environmentally appropriate. “Kitchen scraps go to the chickens and their droppings nourish our gardens. I even crush eggshells and add them to the garden soil,” she said.
When we asked them if they’ve lost chickens to raccoons or other predators they both responded “no,” even though raccoons, opossums, cats, and dogs live in the neighborhood. Aaron installed a light sensor activated pop hole door that closes at sunset and locks the hens in their sturdy small coop for the night. It opens around sunrise the following morning. Raccoons can’t enter. He also installed screening and heavy wire mesh to keep small and large predators out. These lucky hens spend most days in their enclosed open air run but sometimes Tiffany lets them forage on the lawn within a circle of wire mesh that is easy to move from day to day.
As we chatted, the family dog sniffed us and scampered about the yard and chickens. Dogs can be the bane of backyard flocks, but not the Robinson’s. Their well-mannered Havanese and the chickens get along peacefully.
The Robinsons prove that ecological diversity and chickens can share even a small suburban yard.