Chickens in Your Backyard

How would you like to have some chickens in your backyard? Lots of good, really good, eggs, and bug-eaters to boot! My husband, Dave, just found the law for Clovis, CA, that states what we can and cannot have---and we can have chickens! But, first you need to research it out. Keeping chickens is not like having a cat or dog, they need a little more care. Don't get me wrong, chickens don't take much time, but they cannot be neglected. I had chickens years ago when we lived on 2 acres, and they were so fun! I had the room and I had a converted play-house (I had boys that didn't need a play-house) where the chickens slept. I had opossums get into the hen house and kill chickens; I have a opossum that visits my backyard nightly here in urban Clovis, so I know my little hen house will have to be sturdy to protect the "girls". Soon, after I have picked the spot in my backyard where the hens will live, and I have built their house, then I will bring in some hens. I will probably go with banty hens, 2 or 3, because I really don't need big hens right now. If you raise your hens, you can tame them to like sitting in your lap and being petted like a cat. They can be trained to swing on a dowel swing, just like a parakeet! Hens are fun to watch as they scratch and hunt for bugs and weed seeds. NOTICE: I said, "scratch"--- they scratch to find the bugs and weed seeds. This means if they get into your garden, they will scratch the heck out of it! You can build a small movable pen for the hens, so that they can be moved to different places in your yard where you want the bugs and weed seeds cleaned out. They will be happier and healthier for it, too! And, the eggs will taste better!

To keep the hen house and hen yard from smelling, just keep a thick layer (12" give or take) of hay (it has seeds that the hens love) or straw (cheaper, not so many seeds) over the floor of the house and the ground. At night sprinkle some cracked corn ("chicken scratch") in the hen house and the hens will scratch for it, mixing in their manure and such, eliminating the odor. I used to do this and cleaned it out once a year---great for the garden! Never had an odor. In the hen yard the hens will create a spot for their dust baths. You can throw weeds into their pen, which they will eat with delight, and oh, how they love tomato worms!

The Clovis, CA, regulations, #6.1.306, for keeping birds: "Notwithstanding anything to the contrary to this chapter, the noncommercial keeping of chickens (not including roosters), ducks, pigeons, squabs, keel, or small game birds as a hobby or pet may be allowed upon the obtainment of an annual permit from the Senior Animal Control Officer. A permit may be obtained only if the following criteria are satisfied: (a) The adjoining neighbors have given their signed approval. If approval is withdrawn by a neighbor, the permit shall terminate within thirty (30) days; (b) The birds are maintained in a clean, sanitary condition, free from obnoxious smells and substances; and (c) The maximum number of birds shall be ten (10) in number for parcels sixteen thousand (16,000) square feet or less and twenty (20) in number for parcels over sixteen thousand ( 16,000) square feet."