I remember when we first became interested in a homesteading lifestyle. I thought that living in the city would prevent our family from getting back to our roots of growing and producing our own food. So I longed for the day that we could “move to some acreage” to plant a garden and own livestock. I didn’t realize, however, that my tiny backyard was the perfect training ground for learning how to be more self-reliant on a beginner’s scale.
The Rules for Chickens within City Limits
Producing our own food became as simple as raising a small flock of backyard chickens. Many cities will allow a few hens to provide a family with enough eggs for their own consumption. In fact, Oklahoma City allows residents to raise up to six chickens. Because hens are generally quiet, they will not bother the neighbors. Roosters, however, are not permitted due to their well-known early morning wake-up calls.
Chickens for Egg Production
I have found that chickens are perfect for small-scale backyard food production. In general, my hens began to lay around five months of age and give us one egg five to six times a week until they were around three years old. When the egg production slowed down, we learned that our chickens needed to be replaced with a fresh flock, leaving the hens to become a meat source for our family.
Chickens as a Meat Source
In our house, that means I go run errands, while my sweet husband butchers and bags the chicken for future use. I come back to a freezer full of meat that is much higher quality than the grocery store provides. If you are of the less squeamish variety, there are lots of videos available about how to butcher your chickens at home.
Keeping the Hens Safe
To keep your flock safe from neighborhood predators, you will need a coop or chicken pen. I prefer a small “chicken tractor” that allows me to move my flock around my yard. The coup, laying boxes, and wire run are all attached to small wheels with an open bottom that allows the birds to walk on the grass. This design places your chickens on fresh pasture every time you roll their pen to a new area. Chicken tractors are readily available to purchase at many farm supply stores. If you are handy with power tools, you can find directions for building a tractor on the internet.
Where To Get Your Own Chickens
Every spring, day-old chicks are sold at the local farm stores. Or you can order them from an online catalog and have them mailed to you. I love going to the post office and hearing all the little shipping boxes making peeping sounds. If you don’t feel up to raising the birds from chicks, you can purchase older birds at farm auctions and get a jumpstart on egg production time.
Chicken Feeding and Care
Your birds will need clean water, usually from either a plastic or galvanized chicken waterer. These allow gravity to feed the water while keeping it clean. They will also need a daily ration of laying pellets that can be placed in a feeder or spread on the ground. Lastly, place some straw in the laying boxes. Then you’ll be ready to start collecting fresh farm eggs right from your backyard.
About the Eggs
Fresh eggs often come in from the coup a little dirty. I gently wipe them off with a dry paper towel, leaving the invisible ‘bloom’ on the outside of the shell. This protects the egg and allows it to sit on my counter without fear of spoiling. When I wash my eggs, plain water works best. I avoid any products like cleaners or bleach that will soak into the porous holes of the shell and possibly contaminate the egg. After washing off the bloom, I store my eggs in the refrigerator.
Farm eggs will look different than grocery store eggs in multiple ways. When your birds start to lay, their eggs will be tiny pullet eggs for a few weeks. As the birds mature, so will their egg size. Some birds will occasionally lay double-yolk eggs in huge shells. Depending on the variety of chickens you purchase, your eggshells will range from blue, brown, speckled, and occasionally white. The outer shell doesn’t affect the flavor of the yolks.
Farm eggs are also known for their intensely bright orange yolks that stand up round when cracked. Allowing your birds to graze on fresh grass and scrounge for bugs affects the rich coloring of the yolks. In comparison, grocery store hens are raised in cages and fed only chicken feed. This leaves them with a pale yellow, often flat yolk.
Raising chickens is an inexpensive and nutritional way to stretch your family’s grocery budget. It can also ensure you have a reliable food source as well as a great family pastime.
