Small-scale chicken farming in the backyard (Yes, it’s legal in Mountain Brook)

So you think you know what a chicken owner looks like? Well, think again.

Many of our fellow Mountain Brook neighbors are joining the growing ranks of Americans who are choosing to raise poultry in their own backyards. Some decide to get a couple of hens for the fresh eggs they provide. Others like the idea of raising chickens to teach their children where their food comes from, as well as a sense of responsibility. Still others just like being able to get eggs that come in a variety of colors.

Whatever the reason, what they are doing is quite legal here. The City of Mountain Brook does not have any ordinance that prohibits the keeping of chickens in any of our residential districts. As City Planner Dana Hazen said, the only ordinance that addresses the keeping of chickens reads, “It shall be unlawful to confine, harbor or keep on a lot, place or premises any animal or fowl that habitually, continuously or intermittently makes or emits sounds or noises of such volume, nature or extent so as to be a public nuisance by reason of being obnoxious or annoying to the ordinary persons in that neighborhood.” In short, hens are in, but roosters are out.

“This is fairly subjective and may be hard to enforce,” Hazen said, “but I advise people who call me wanting to keep chickens that if we receive complaints then we may have to enforce this provision of the municipal code. I also advise them to talk to their adjoining neighbors about their intent before installing the chickens.”

Great advice, and really, just good manners.

My own chicken adventure began last spring when we purchased a small moveable coop online and three chicks from a farmer on Craigslist. They lived under a heat lamp in the garage for a few months until the weather warmed up and they could be relocated outdoors. We became so fond of them that it was heartbreaking to one day discover we had two roosters and just one hen. A neighborhood dog snagged the hen and the roosters – and all their cock-a-doodle-doings were… relocated.

My second attempt began at Coosa Valley Milling and Hardware Company, Inc. in nearby Wilsonville, where Frank McEwen (of McEwen & Sons) sells ‘sexed’ chicks. In other words, guaranteed hens. We purchased three Ameraucanas (who lay blue-green eggs) and one Rhode Island Red (brown egg layer). These breeds are heat-tolerant and cold-hardy, making them a perfect fit for this area. We erected an inexpensive dog run around the coop, giving the hens more space and securing them from any predators. It took about six months for them to start laying, and finding that first egg felt like Christmas – or Easter – morning. We were ecstatic.

The more people I mentioned my chickens to, the more people I learned had chickens of their own. I was so eager to meet more of these folks, and they were eager to share their chicken-keeping experiences too. I recently held a “Hen Party” at my home se we could share ideas and meet one another.

We all soon learned that we arrived at this whole chicken-keeping thing from different places but wouldn’t give up the hens for anything. Cora has almost two dozen hens and plenty of happy neighbors who love to get the fresh eggs. Tamara has three hens and three dogs who live together in harmony on Old Leeds Road. Katherine just got her flock early last fall and was delighted to discover their first eggs when she and her family returned home from skiing after Christmas. Diana ordered her hens through the mail and has super-steady layers. They adore her kitchen scraps and can make short work out of any leftovers. Lisa started with a smaller coop but is blessed with a very handy husband who is building a coop from the ground up, one that will match the architecture of their cedar-shake shingle home. (I am jealous.) Jennifer’s husband built her coop too, which they call the Casa de Pollo. They spent part of their recent wedding anniversary travelling to southern Kentucky to pick up a French Maran hen who lays the most beautiful chocolate brown eggs you have ever seen. Lois inherited two hens who lived happily in the trees of her backyard. They have since passed away, but she swears she’ll start over again this spring.

At age 13 Christian wanted chickens and begged his mother to buy some. She declined, but he built his own coop in the backyard anyway. Given his level of enthusiasm, she soon gave in. Five years later, the hens are thriving and have a new predator-proof coop. When Christian leaves for college in the fall, his younger brother will take over the hens.

Christiana Roussel is a Southern food and lifestyle writer headquartered in Crestline. When not attending biscuit festivals or bourbon tastings, there are four chickens, three dogs, two children and one husband who keep her very busy. Follow her culinary endeavors on Facebook at Facebook.com/ChristianaKitchen.

Chicken Resources

Tractor Supply Company – With locations in Chelsea and Moody, you can pick up chicks this spring and everything you need to go with them, all year long. We are regular customers for the pine-bark shavings and meal worms the hens love.

Little Hardware – Frank Davies is getting more and more requests to stock poultry-related items. He started selling McEwen & Sons chicken scratch and is happy to look into ordering anything else you might need.

Coosa Valley Milling & Hardware Company, Inc. – Frank McEwen’s operation in Wilsonville sells baby chicks and anything else you might need to raise them. While you’re there, pick up some of his famous blue corn grits.

Chick Days: Raising Chickens from Hatchlings to Laying Hens by Jenna Woginrich has been my handbook. She answers every question you could have, at every stage, in a straightforward but funny way. The accompanying pictures are priceless.

Websites- A few that I recommend are mcmurrayhatchery.com, fowl.com and Heather Bullard shows off the be-all and end-all of chicken coops on her blog at heatherbullard.typepad.com.