Neighbors Help Make Backyard Flocks Possible

Occasionally a friend visits us at Winding Pathways  He’s a retired professor of ornithology…a bird guy The first thing he does is “go visit our girls” These girls are our backyard chicken flock

 

Our chickens are attractions that entice friends here and are ambassadors of positive neighbor relations Our hens give us eggs while showing visitors how well these fascinating food producing animals fit into modern lives and suburban backyards

 

We live in an urban world A couple of generations ago most Americans grew up on farms or in small rural towns Although they now live in a modern suburb they

Urban Chickens

Families frustrated by ordinances banning backyard chickens might be astonished to learn that flocks legally thrive in the Big Apple, America’s largest city   Many New Yorkers tend chickens both in backyards and community gardens, encouraged and helped by the New York Chicken Guy, Greg Anderson   

 

“Chickens have always been allowed in the City  Years ago the State Department of Health declared  that chickens and rabbits are pets This means the citizens of New York City can keep them as long as they are clean and safe  Unfortunately roosters aren’t included since their crowing can reach

Adventures in Ordinance Change

During the past few years thousands of American families have started a backyard chicken flock Bringing a breakfast’s worth of fresh eggs into the house is as prideful and delicious as growing and enjoying home grown vegetables

 

Gardening is legal and encouraged everywhere But sadly, many towns have enacted ordinances banning chickens inside city limits Positive change is sweeping the nation   Town and city councils everywhere recognize that many citizens want to legally keep a small flock They are learning that it can be done without causing problems So, many towns have changed anti chicken ordinances to allow families to

Gifting Baby Chicks for Easter

Easter is hands down, one of my favorite holidays I love this time of year Everything is fresh and new and has a feeling of new life With new life, comes new excitement in the coop! I am taking this year off on adding to my flock However, I was just in our local Runnings and was admiring the cute baby chicks I may or may not spend a lot of time there just looking at all the wonderful breeds coming in from

What Raising Chickens Has Taught Our Kids

I have been sitting here contemplating where to even start with this blog We have been raising backyard chickens on and off for the last 15 years I honestly have a long list of all the wonderful and also hard lessons our backyard adventure has taught us Who knew that what started out as a way to get good quality eggs would turn into this!?!

How to Clean Your Chicken Coop Only 2 Times a Year

Spring is in the air! We are looking forward to longer days and warmer temperatures around here! The girls are starting to pick up in their egg production and the long winter days are coming to an end

I often get asked how many times I clean our chicken coop per year Since we utilize the

Raising Backyard Chickens: What I Wished I Would Have Known

I am so excited to write this blog! We have been raising backyard chickens on and off for the last 15 years So, naturally, we’ve learned some of the do’s and don’ts of raising backyard chickens While the list could be quite long, I’m going to give you the top 3 things I wished I would have known when first starting out on our backyard chicken adventure!

How to Keep Up with Chickens During the Holidays

Chickens can demand a good bit of your time, especially if you have a lot of them  As someone who has always had chickens, I know how much work they can be  But, I’m also a busy mom to three kids and I love to travel, which means that I had to learn how to manage my chickens effectively, even when I’m not around  The holiday season is much like traveling- you may be home more, but in between family dinners and shopping for gifts, your time to care for your chickens is going to be limited  Here are

How to Sell Your Backyard Chicken Eggs

Most backyard chicken keepers keep just enough chickens to supply eggs for their families However, there are a good number of us who fell victim to chicken math and have a much larger flock than we first planned With 40 chickens, I have more than enough eggs to feed our family and then some! So, what do we do with our extra eggs? We sometimes gift them and sometimes sell them It’s an easy way to make a couple extra bucks and is a fun little business

Biosecurity Tips for Backyard Chickens

When I started back up with raising my current flock (I took a couple years off), I was pretty set on only having 6 chickens Now, fast forward almost 3 years and my flock is up to 40! Hahaha! If you know what chicken math is, that’s why!

I am part of a number of backyard chicken groups on social media and it seems there are always people selling or giving away chickens or looking to