Manny Antonacci said saving money, saving your health, saving the environment and having fun are the top four reasons to start backyard chicken farming.
“I see an increased interest (in backyard farming),” said Antonacci, a teaching assistant in wildlife biology and an urban chicken farmer. “I think the new generations are starting to realize it’s important to eat healthier and to shorten the distance between your mouth and where your food comes from.”
Chicken farming is growing in popularity among environmentally conscious students, said Alex Parvaz, a graduate student in environmental studies who started raising her own chickens after hearing about the positive health and environmental effects.
The U Farmers Market hosted a workshop about urban chicken farming Thursday. Celia Bell, who ran the workshop, detailed the chicken farming process starting with chicks and ending with hens.
Bell stressed care and responsibility to the chickens. She said there is a 5 percent death rate among chicks, and all chicken farmers eventually come to the tough decision of whether to start a chicken retirement home, or send the old hens to the chicken coop in the sky.
“What will you do when your chicken starts to lay eggs only every once in awhile?” Bell said. “You need to have a plan for what you will do (before the time comes to make the decision).”
Maddy Corey works for Wasatch Community Gardens and started raising chickens in her backyard two years ago. After organizing the first Tour de Coop, an annual tour of local backyard chicken coops, she decided to start farming.
“Ninety percent of people don’t have problems with their neighbors,” said Corey. “Check with your neighbors first. Share your eggs. Don’t get a rooster.”
Salt Lake City does not allow roosters for backyard farming. City law prohibits the housing of chickens within city limits without a permit. A one-year permit costs $5 per chicken, up to $40 per year. The maximum number of chickens allowed within the city is 25 per household without a commercial permit.
Animal Services can perform complaint-driven or spontaneous inspections on chicken coops within the city, which happened to Antonacci.
“I had a rooster and the coop was not far enough away from my house. The officer said really all they care about is that the chickens are well taken care of,” Antonacci said.
Proper care for backyard chickens consists of fresh water, enough food, perches for the chickens to roost, room to dig and move freely and a clean, predator-proof coop.
The eggs from locally farmed, organic chickens have less cholesterol and significantly more nutrition than the eggs bought in stores, Antonacci said.
“Americans are known as a society that doesn’t eat very healthy. They have the highest percentage of obese people,” he said. “The chickens from the store get industrial and chemical feed. Those chickens don’t get space to move around. They get a 15 inch by 15 inch square just barely enough to stand up, turn around and sit back down. That affects the eggs.”
i.bravo@chronicle.utah.edu
The Daily Utah Chronicle > News
Urban chicken farming growing in popularity
Published: Monday, October 6, 2008
Updated: Monday, October 6, 2008
 "Photo: Lucas Isley")
Lucas Isley
Manny Antonacci, a teaching assistant for wildlife biology, handles one of his Red Indian Jungle Fowl roosters during a workshop on urban chicken farming at the farmers market on Thursday.
5 comments
Ella
I should preface this by saying that I am a former hippie, who once lived in a coop. I am all for getting back to the land, saving our environment, etc. I have always been a conscientious recycler, etc. So this summer, when our neighbors got chickens, we at first thought the whole idea charming. Even being roused awake by the early-morning hen-laying noises were "cute" -- for the first few days. Two months later and I am at the end of my rope. The hens cluck at all hours of the day. The neighbors themselves are out all day, as both work outside the home, so they have no idea how noisy the chickens are. I work out of my home; we live in a temperate area, and I and like to keep my windows open. I finally got up the nerve to ever-so-politely broach the issue with the neighbors. Their response: a delivery of 4 eggs! Sorry, but I find this very inconsiderate in a residential area. Arrogant, in fact -- not advising one's neighbors about their plans to have chickens, and not doing anything about the annoyance caused by the chickens' noisiness is the height of self-centeredness, imo. If we had a dog who barked all the time, we'd be required to train the dog and/or keep it indoors. Chicken-raising does not work in urban settings.
Lives Next to Chickens
If you are thinking about getting chickens, and you live in the city on a small plot of land, please keep in mind your neighbors. Chickens are noisy, smelly animals that do not mix well with small plots of land. Our neighbors have chickens on 0.10 acres. We have to constantly hear them (including when they accidently get a rooster and don't want to get rid of it) and it's tough to use our patio because of the smell. I am all about lessening the impact on our environment and eating more natural foods, but if you live IN a city, this may not be the best places for chickens.
Lives Next to Chickens
If you are thinking about getting chickens, and you live in the city on a small plot of land, please keep in mind your neighbors. Chickens are noisy, smelly animals that do not mix well with small plots of land. Our neighbors have chickens on 0.10 acres. We have to constantly hear them (including when they accidently get a rooster and don't want to get rid of it) and it's tough to use our patio because of the smell. I am all about lessening the impact on our environment and eating more natural foods, but if you live IN a city, this may not be the best places for chickens.
steve
do you slaughter them?
Fabio Ferrari
This is very interesting. Unfortunately, backyard farming is not possible in Manhattan, where I live, but whenever I can, I try to shorten the distance between food source and my mouth (as Manny puts it) by trying to "buy local". I'm glad we have farmers markets here too (Union Square being probably the most popular one) where farmers from the surrounding regions bring to the city not just their fresh produce and other healthy products, but a sense of pride in their work (something a "Progresso" can, just quite can't do). Every time I buy something, I know that my money is not going to fatten some CEO's bank account, but it's going to reward the hard work of the people who are standing right in front of me--not someone thousands of miles away whom I'll never have the chance to say "thanks" to and perhaps strike a conversation with.
