| contemplative and cooperative, chickens have many attributes that benefit an urban condition:
+ they are easy to contain, manage and handle safely
+ they begin to produce fresh eggs at a year old
+ chickens provide a rich fertilizer for the garden + they are excellent roach removal program + chickens are also very willing to clear & eat weeds
In the city of Albuquerque, chickens are in fact legal.For specifics, www.urbanchickens.org lists ordinances on this page for your reference. Requirements for are very basic, though some households will build more elaborate coops for the fun of it. A clean space is very important to the health of your birds. So, a design focused on easy maintenance can also provide excellent conditions for their comfort. If you have a vegetable garden, it will be necessary to restrict chickens from roaming at-will. They will appreciate your garden, but create chaos. During the winter season, chickens can survive our mild winters with the simplest of supplies. Placement of the hen house on a southern exposure, and a space to stretch their legs in the sun, will make cold temperatures less of an issue. But it is very important to keep your hens out of the chill and sometimes damp wind. An enclosed, protected hen house can be designed for any urban area, but must be suited to your backyard.
Gardeners'Guild has been assisting families introduce chickens to their outer spaces for more than four years. In the many homes now husbanding chickens, a simple plan in consideration of convenience and other garden needs is the tool that helps folks set up their area. Email or drop by the GG headquarters during regular hours (see bottom of page) to learn more. Another Albuquerque organization: urbanchickens.org/ is "dedicated to promoting backyard chickens in urban residential landscapes". This group will have workshops and host good, clear information on their website. Find coop designs and chicken care assistance, written by those who know.
|