There’s a trend in Montrose and surrounding communities you may have actually noticed. Backyard chickens are proliferating.
They come in all shapes and sizes, but most of all, they pay for their keep by producing fresh eggs. Some lay brown, others white, and others even lay “Easter egg” colored blue and green shaded eggs.
The popularity of raising backyard chickens is a growing phenomenon. It has actually been happening for years, but keeps getting stronger as more and more consumers want to know just what they are eating. It’s sort of an outgrowth of the popularity of growing your own food in backyard gardens.
Here in Montrose it is legal to keep as several hens as you like in your backyard coop. No roosters, however. For some the crowing is a nuisance, others relish the sound, but not in the city limits please. And, you must make sure you clean up the mess chickens make, so there are no offensive odors, said Officer Mike Duncan of Montrose Animal Control.
Joyce Hardman of Murdock’s retail store on Townsend says each year the number of chicks sold in the Spring grow and in 2016 the Montrose store sold from 8 – 10,000 chicks of all kinds for either neophyte chicken lovers or those replacing older hens. “Most people do it because they want the fresh eggs,” Hardman said. “But we do sell a lot of meat birds too.”
Those getting chicks often say they want nice birds, ones that will be gentle along with their children and good egg layers, she said.
“Here in Montrose this has actually been a popular thing for a number of years,” she said. Those thinking of starting a backyard flock may have actually to wait until next Spring to get chicks; Murdock’s (the largest supplier in Montrose) sells them from mid-February to the first of May. You can additionally buy chicks and other poultry from the Producer’s COOP in Montrose or Olathe.
Right now anyone who got chicks this Spring will have actually young birds growing, called pullets. Hens need to grow to from 5 – 6 months old before they begin producing, and often lay for about 3 years before slowing down. “People often replace their laying hens every 3 years or so,” she said. Chickens can live to about 10 years old.
To have actually good tame pets, she said, it is important to handle them gently and often when they are chicks. Those buying chicks from retailers like Murdoch’s or from hatcheries usually do not have actually to worry about getting roosters in their purchase, as the chicks are sexed at the hatchery. “They do a pretty god job. I have actually to order roosters if people want them,” Hardman said.
Not all of the sales at the store are small numbers, she said, “I’ve had orders of 40-50 at a time from those replacing a lot of older hens.”
Murdoch’s hands out a flyer giving you a list of what is needed to get started along with your own chickens.
Join the Urban Chicken Movement lists these items:
Housing and stock tanks
Heat lamps and heat bulbs
Shavings (pine preferred)
Automatic egg turners and incubators
To keep the chickens healthy you have actually to be careful what you feed them, often it’s recommended you start the chicks out on medicated chick feed and clean, fresh water. The pullets aren’t ready to eat laying feed, which contains special minerals, until they are about ready to lay, she said. When they are very young, until about 2 months old, it’s important to keep them in a warm environment and check the temperature regularly along with a thermometer — keeping them from 80 – 90 degrees.
Other concerns after putting them outside in a coop, is to keep them in a safe environment from predators along with strong houses/coops and fencing. In the Montrose area those animals who love to kill and eat chickens are raccoons, foxes, coyotes, minks; and skunks like to eat the eggs. Chickens that “free range” in the daytime should be protected from roving predators and safely in their coop for the night.
Keeping the area clean is important to stop disease and reduce smells from the area.
Local retailers have actually manuals and materials available for novice chicken keepers and Hardman said you can additionally get vital information from hatcheries.
“Murray McMurray Hatchery has actually some good information,” she said. Another source of information on the web is http://ift.tt/JLsfXr.
To show the popularity of raising backyard chickens, the website Backyard Chickens has actually signed up 280,000 members since its start in 2000.
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