Backyard Chickens

A few years ago, Mr. Sense and I were engaged and excitedly planning our future together. We drove past a realtor’s “Open House” sign one Sunday afternoon. With nothing on our agenda for the day, we decided to stop by. The property was just outside the city limits and included a couple acres of land, filled with fruit trees and smaller workshop like buildings. The house was full of the kind of old house character marks I love– clawfoot tubs, a laundry chute, wallpaper, and a butler’s pantry. 

We were enchanted. 

We weren’t really looking to buy a new place; the house I had bought before we were dating had plenty of space for the two of us. Kid Sense and Boy Sense weren’t even in our imagination yet. Plus, the asking price was just a bit out of our comfort zone. 

But it was beautiful. We talked it over, got pre-approved for a mortgage (the bank, of course, felt the house was easily within our budget!), and made an offer that worked for our budget. 

To make a long story short, we didn’t get the house. The seller was set on the price, and we didn’t want to start out our marriage house-poor. But the experience had planted a seed in Mr. Sense’s brain. 

While all the negotiating was taking place, Mr. Sense started dreaming about homesteading. He baked bread, created a giant compost bucket, and read about cheese-making and canning. But the thing he was most enthusiastic about was backyard chickens. And even when we ended up buying a house right downtown with neighbors who didn’t seem like they’d like us bringing in teenagers and chickens, he kept hoping we’d find a way to make it happen. He constantly reminded me that the city actually allows backyard chickens, with certain restrictions. 

Mr. Sense’s big break came unexpectedly when my parents moved to the area last year. Their new home was out in the county. The huge backyard even had a large fenced in area that the previous owners used as a dog kennel. And my parents were alright with us using the space for chickens as long as they wouldn’t be responsible for the day-to-day work. 

Our chicken coop

Once we had the go-ahead from our potential chicken landlords, we got to work procuring the stuff we would need. We cleared a bunch of overgrown brush out of the old dog kennel. Mr. Sense and Kid wrapped the fence with hardware cloth to keep hawks and other predators out. Mr. Sense knew someone from church who was raising chicks, so we got on the list to pick up a few birds when they were hardy enough to live outside. We found someone selling homemade chicken coops on Facebook marketplace. We ordered a feeding and watering system. 

I’m sure the guy selling us the chickens was amused at our timid attempts to get the birds in a cardboard box to transport them to their new home. The chickens recognized our amateur status and tried to steer clear of us. But before long, they settled in and started getting excited when we approached them, because it usually meant treats!

We’re now a few months in, and three of our four chickens are laying eggs (we’re still hopeful about the last deadbeat bird!). The eggs are delicious and Mr. Sense incorporates more eggs into his cooking now that we have a consistent supply coming in. The kids handle cleaning the coop every week or two and we save any scraps of food that go unused to bring the chickens. Having chickens virtually eliminates food waste because they are content to gobble up whatever is looking a little aged in our fridge. They are particularly fond of strawberry tops and anything with seeds, like the inside of bell peppers. When we really want to spoil them, we throw in a handful of plain oats. 

At this point, it would be a real stretch to consider the chickens a frugal choice because the upfront cost of the coop and other supplies was a lot more than the value of the eggs collected so far. These costs will be distributed over time, and hopefully our chickens have a lot of laying ahead of them. They’re fun and low maintenance, and we find the quality of the eggs to be much better than the regular grocery store fare, so it’s worthwhile for us. 

If you’re considering adding a few chickens to your own backyard, I’d say: Go for it!

A giant egg we got this week, next to a normal egg.