Chicken Power on the Farm
by Evan Snow

Today was a good day on the farm. Twenty-five new baby chicks arrived here. There are four new breeds to add to the four breeds that we already have. This time we made sure to order some hens that we know will be good mothers so that we can start to raise our own chicks. These chickens are the second generation of birds to arrive here since my stay at the Seeds of Change farm started last April. I came here from Virginia as an intern with little experience and a strong interest in sustainable agriculture. The first generation of chickens was the beginning of my summer internship project last season. That project has been continuing and growing ever since.

Last year, I started with twenty-eight baby chicks and built them a chicken tractor to live in for the summer. They grew up strong and just as they started laying eggs, they moved into their winter home, a straw bale chicken coop. They are still producing lots of delicious eggs and are eager to get back to working in the fields. We raise our chickens in a rotational grazing system using solar-powered electric netting and a chicken coop on wheels. They are moved periodically throughout our fields and orchard, and provide us with multiple functions. They scratch for food and in the process lightly cultivate the soil; they eat weeds, seeds, and insects; they fertilize the soil; and they lay eggs for us to eat. Chickens are easy to take care of and even if you just have a small garden they can still be very helpful as part of a backyard food system.

An individual chicken requires minimal shelter space so it is easy to start small and work your way up, or to start small and stay small. Improvised shelters work well because chickens are adaptable, and, provided a few basic necessities, they will thrive in a variety of environments. Before you start raising chickens, assess the threat of predators in your area and make sure the chickens will be secure before they move into your garden. This is especially important if you only have a few birds because one attack could decimate your chicken flock. Make sure that the perimeter of your garden is secure to protect against dogs and coyotes but also to give the chickens cover from birds of prey. This can come in the form of small trees and shrubs or man-made structures.

To focus the efforts of your chickens where you want them, there are multiple strategies. You can make or buy portable fencing to section off parts of your garden that you want to protect from the chickens. It is also very easy to build a small chicken tractor. This method will keep them better protected and maximize the effectiveness of a small group of chickens. Chicken Tractor by Andy Lee and Pat Foreman is a good place to start and gives lots of good information on topics including raising baby chicks and building simple chicken tractors. Also, by providing your chickens with plenty of delicious green stuff to eat that isn’t your vegetables, you can help keep them happy and out of the plants you are growing for food. Plant cover crops in an area for them to eat and give them your food scraps and the weeds you pull. Try to minimize their intake of purchased chicken feed by feeding them from the land they live on. This also makes for much more delicious and nutritious eggs.

Once you complete the initial set-up of your chicken shelter and are through with raising the baby chicks, they require minimal daily chores and will make a great addition to your land regardless of whether you have an acre or 100 acres. The same principles will apply as the size of your flock increases. The best way to learn is try it for yourself, and with chickens you are destined to have a successful and rewarding investment.

Evan Snow
Seeds of Change Change Research Farm Intern

Photo Cation: (1) This adorable chick will quickly grow and join the flock of adult birds who provide many functions for our Farm. (2) Feeding excess or waste vegetable matter to chickens yields eggs that taste great and are more nutritious than those from grain-fed birds.