To Cluck or Not? pt. 2
One step closer to some good ole Rhode Island Reds!
In the last article I talked about wanting chickens in our small city. My partner was and still is against the idea, but I am slowly chipping away into persuading him. So we are back to the drawing board.
I know I don’t want to get chicks and raise them, because, well, that’s a lot. Keeping them indoors under a brooding light, acclimating them to the coop, and, caring for them 6 months or longer before we get eggs — that is just too long. Summer would be over, and we would be chanting the Words of House Stark: Winter is coming.
I’ve heard it’s possible to go to local farmers and ask if they will sell chicks to you, or look on craigslist, but I wanted to look at all other options first. My coworker told me about Chicken Rentals. There’s even one outside of Chicago. They are based in the south suburbs, rent to Chicagoans for a fee, and the renters are able to keep the hens all summer. If you want to purchase the hens, you pay a bit more and they are yours forever. Coop, hens, everything. If you choose not to buy, they will tag your hens and you have the option of getting the same hens the following spring. I’m quite a ways out of the city, so I wondered if they would serve my area. I emailed them — and TURNS OUT THEY DO! This might be just the option I need to get my partner on board!
For more background, we aren’t looking to have more than four hens; I’m thinking we will most likely start with two. We have had several discussions over the week, especially around answering most of his major concerns.
The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step. — Lao Tzu
We should just wait: Why wait, when we can start NOW? The journey starts with the first step.
Being in law school, I don’t want the responsibility of taking care of living beings other than our dog: Fair concern. That’s why we are a partnership. I’ll be doing 98% of the heavy lifting for this endeavor. I’ve done the research, and you can participate when you want.
Who will take care of them if/when we go out of town? Again, fair concern. I have already spoken to a few of our friends who would love to let the chickens out of the coop, into the run and water them the two times we are planning on being out of town this summer. Especially if they get some cash and free eggs.
I don’t want to take care of them when you travel for work. I’m normally out of town 1–2 days per week, and this would add less than 10 minutes to his morning and evening routines. I think once we get attuned to the small amount of maintenance, he’ll notice how little care they need, and won’t mind if I need to be out of town more than a couple of days.
I don’t want to clean up after them. I’ll take care of all of the cleaning. Cleaning is actually easier than we think. Laying fresh chips week after week, and cleaning the coop every 6–8 weeks, setting that aside to dry, then composting. Some people only clean out their coops 2–3 times per year.
Miles (our dog) will want to eat them. Miles will be more scared of the chickens than anything, and they will be inside of the run. They would eat him before he would even try.
“They are too loud” We aren’t allowed to have roosters.
“How will you take care of them in the winter?” We will cross that bridge this fall when we start to prepare for winter, but mostly we will have a light/heater to keep them warm. Good news, we can keep them though the fall!
Luckily, I’ve started to get my partner on board with some of the pros: Amazing eggs, the bonus of nitrogen for compost, and the plus of not having to care for them over winter. No problem there!
Let the convincing continue…
