If you've been to Triple Oaks, chances are that you've run into our chickens around the nursery. A flock of chickens is an asset to any garden and an even bigger asset to a nursery. Pest control, free fertilizer and delicious eggs are the three main benefits of a flock, but you'll find that chickens also provide some entertainment with their antics. A quick visit with a flock of chickens will shed light into the origin of countless phrases such as "henpecked", "pecking order", "cooped up" and "cocky." While my memories of growing up at Triple Oaks are full of chicken encounters (among my first memories is a savage Rooster attack that in adult life has fueled my love for Coq au Vin), I really didn't get to know them well until I had a flock of my own. Several years later, I would recommend chickens to just about anyone with a decent sized yard and a little bit of time. Chickens are very easy to keep, and it is easy to give them a happy life. Birds in commercial settings, even "free range" or "cage free" simply do not produce the same quality of egg, and they certainly aren't as happy as backyard birds raised with proper care. Sadly, many municipalities in NJ have outdated or just plain silly laws regarding chickens, so please check your local regulations before getting your birds.
Shelter
The first step on the road to chickendom is to plan your space. Chickens can and do survive in very confined areas but they're much happier with a bit of room to roam. In our Colorado coop and run we have 19 chickens who live in an indoor/outdoor coop/run which is about 15x20 outside (roofed) and 5x8' inside. This allows us to maintain a safe space for the chickens. We let the birds free range when we're at home, but if we're away they stay in to be protected from predators.
The Coop
The coop should be sturdy, draft free, ventilated and have a raised place for the chickens to roost (they love to roost high up). While some people use branches for this, we find that using a flat surfaced board like a 2x6 or 2x4 allows the chickens to have their feet flat and under their bodies on cold nights. There is a lot of debate on the use of heat lamps, but for me, even with our cold Colorado winters, the thought of putting electricity in a dry box full of straw just seems like asking for a fire. In the absense of heat, they will develop all the feathers necessary to keep them warm through the winter, as long as they are in a draft free location. Consider the Chickadee on your bird feeder in January. He survived the cold night without a coop, and he has far fewer feathers than a chicken. The important parts are keeping the humidity down (ventilation) and the draft at a minimum. The coop should have nesting boxes built at least 12x12" where the chickens can lay eggs. It helps to have a few boxes in case chickens lay at the same time, but we find that often the hens will all lay in the same box. For the outside of the run, you will want fencing that prevents entry from any animal. Skunks can wiggle through the tiniest hole in a fence, and I'm pretty sure Raccoons can even pick locks. If you are in an area with bears, I would highly recommend an electric fence.
Predators
Never discount the ingenuity of predators. In NJ there are Raccoons, Skunks, Foxes, Hawks, and in some parts Coyotes and even Bears. There is not a meat eating predator on Earth that doesn't love chicken, and all of these animals will go to great lengths to get ahold of some. It is better to overbuild your coop and run than to wake up to a scene out of a horror movie.
Food and Water
In the run we keep their food in a large feeder and water in a 5 gallon bucket with 5 beak-activated nipples around the bottom. This set up allows us to be away from home for a few days knowing that our birds are well fed and watered. A lid on both prevents the chickens from knocking it over, or contaminating the inside. We keep the food and water in the outdoor part of the run to discourage mice and other critters from trying to get in as well as prevent spills. Dry chickens are happy chickens. Along with layer feed (or starter feed for young birds), we supplement their diet with "scratch" which is a mixture of seeds and cracked corn. We also give them oyster shell to help them develop healthy, thick egg shells. Chickens will eat just about anything leftover from your kitchen. Scraps of vegetables, leftover meals, bits of bread... all devoured in minutes! I think I can safely say there are few things as amusing as a flock of chickens fighting over a bowl of spaghetti. If you have the option and space to let the chickens free range, it will cut down on your food bill because they prefer to eat things in the natural world such as bugs, worms, and even the occasional reptile or mouse (I've seen both!) A diverse, natural diet makes those magical farm fresh eggs that stand out so much from their commercial counterparts.
Eggs
This is the good part. Most chickens start to lay eggs anywhere from 4 to 6 months old depending on their breed. In their first year they seem to lay non stop, really producing an abundance of eggs. For the next few years this continues albeit at a slower rate. Around 4 or 5 years old they taper off, but still do a great job producing fertizlier and eating pests. The eggs will be the best you've ever eaten.
Roosters
Another subject of heated debate is whether or not the flock benefits from the presense of a rooster. Having had roosters and then not, we have noticed that out birds are defintely friendlier toward us when there is no rooster around. A rooster can and will protect the flock from predators, and a good one will find treats for the ladies. When you buy your chicks you can get "straight run" which is a grab bag, you might end up with roosters. You can also buy poullets, which are sexed and generally all hens (although mistakes are made and the occasional rooster slips in). In many towns people are allowed to have chickens but roosters are expressly forbidden due to noise.
Fertilizer
Chicken manure is packed full of nutrients that plants love. While Nitrogen is the highest, it contains ample phosphorus and potassium as well. [1] The only problem is that with so much nitrogen, chicken manure is simply to "hot" to use on plants and must be composted for at least 6 months. Our set up for its collection is really quite simple. Under the roosts, but above the nesting boxes, we have installed "poop planks" which are just old pieces of plywood installed in such a way that as the manure falls at night, it is all neatly contained in one area. We use a scraper and a bucket to remove it daily and place in a compost pile that is supplemented with straw (old bedding from the run), vegetable scraps, and yard waste. When properly maintained, a pile like this turns into black gold within a year. Keeping the chicken coop and run clean is essential to the health of your flock and should be done regularly. Your garden and birds will thank you.
Meat Birds
While we generally only raise chickens for eggs, if you do raise them for meat you will have the same increase in quality as with the eggs, not to mention happy, healthy chickens who have what my farmer friends like to call "one bad day." Raising meat birds typically only takes a few months, but there is quite a bit of work between the chicken in the yard and the chicken on your plate. There are many resources available online, including some at the bottom of this article, which detail these processes. Every animal born will die, it is up to you how yours live in the time between.
Chickens are an excellent addition to any garden and really pay for themselves with the wonderful eggs they produce, the natural pest control and the abundance of fertilizer. While a walk in many places in NJ will get you covered in ticks, I dare you to try to find one at Triple Oaks. The ticks have moved on to greener, or at least less chickeny, pastures.