Urban Chickens Controlling The Feed Of Your Food | Chicken Run

Urban Chickens Controlling The Feed Of Your Food


This little gem about how keeping your own urban chickens means truly knowing where your food comes from is just one of the great soundbites from the wonderful two-part video interview of the "Toronto Chicken Lady" posted by David Sheen over on the Green Apple Landscaping blog. The video interview is a followup to his earlier post on Backyard Chickens.

Since chickens are still illegal in the Torontos residential neighbourhoods, the interview subjects identity is obscured, but that doesnt hinder her from sharing tons of urban chicken wisdom from the ins-and-outs of daily urban chicken keeping to all the benefits that come from keeping hens in your backyard.

If youre thinking about keeping chickens in your own backyard (or trying to convince your partner that its a good idea, really!), you could do a lot worse than spending 15 minutes listening to the Toronto Chicken Lady talking about the benefits of raising your own hens.

I notice that shes got a partial list on her Toronto Chickens site of places where chickens are legal. Its no surprise that there are so many more places where theyre legal in the USA than in Canada, but wow, youd think our neighbors up north would be a bit more progressive on this front.

And youve heard it before, and Ill say it again: Ive started to compile a list of the exact ordinances making chickens legal over on the Urban Chickens Network Legal Resource Center where visitors can easily see the technical language employed by cities to legalize chickens. If you live in a place where chickens are legal, please add your citys name to the list so we can capture the municipal code and flesh out the resource center. Thanks!

Urban Chickens Controlling The Feed Of Your Food
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T310 Buiing Success Chicken Trailer Plans Construction | Chicken Coop B&Q

T310 Buiing Success Chicken Trailer Plans Construction


T310 - Buiing Success - Chicken Trailer Plans Construction
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Thanks for great sharing of our friends
about great building
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Detailed Plans for Construction
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Units: Inches - fractions
Principles of design:
"Sustainability"_"Insulation"_"Ventilation"_"Easy to Clean"
It can comfortably hold 25 chickens
Nest boxes for 12 hens

- Chicken Cage: 4 5 1/2" x 10
- Construction area: 6 x 10
- Total height: 11 2"
Total volume of wood: 96066 inches3 (= 55 feet3)
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T310 Buiing Success Chicken Trailer Plans Construction
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Infographic Time The Chicken Coop Checklist | Chicken Coop Game Online

Infographic Time The Chicken Coop Checklist


Many thanks to Jason Macek for sending us a link to the great chicken coop checklist infographic linked below. Building your own coop? If you follow the advice below, youll never find yourself saying, "wish Id built it that way the first time." I like the encouragement to use the deep litter method, and plenty of warnings about predator-proofing. Can you find anything missing from the list?


Infographic Time The Chicken Coop Checklist
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Feed The Wild Birds And Your Chickens This Winter | Chicken Coop Ventilation Tips

Feed The Wild Birds And Your Chickens This Winter


Squirrel-proof Edwardian bird feeder from Gardeners Supply
I have a confession to make. I feed wild birds. Yes, I know that they could be carrying avian flu and pass it on to my chickens (which is why all our bird feeders are far from the coop and run area) and that wild birds are attracted to the run area by the chicken feed (which is why I dont leave feed out overnight and our run is made of 1/2" welded wire). But I just love watching the antics of the chickadees and titmice, seeing the brilliant colors of the cardinals and bluejays and marveling at the downy woodpeckers and other varieties who come to dine at our feeders. I even love having the fat gray squirrels come by from time to time.

Most of the seeds and other things I buy to feed the wild birds are things our chickens also enjoy, so I make sure to buy enough for both. I love that these treats do double duty and I can both feed the wildlife and our chickens out of the same bag. To keep the wild birds out of our run, where they certainly would start to congregate once they found out the chickens were also enjoying tasty nuts and seeds, our run is made of  1/2" and 1" welded wire - too small for the birds to get through - and also covered on top.

Heres a handy list of some nutritious wintertime treats for both your chickens and the various types of wild birds.


Black-oil sunflower seeds are my #1 choice for bird seed. If you are only going to offer one type of seed in the winter to the birds, this should be it. Over 40 species of birds eat sunflower seeds, and your chickens will love them. The shells on the BOSS are thinner than those on the grey-stripe seeds, so theyre easier for smaller birds to handle. Highly nutritious, the seeds are more than 40% oil, making them a great source of energy.

Cracked corn is included in most bird feed mixes and is a crowd favorite, both mixed with seeds and by itself. Not very nutritious, corn does provide lots of carbs and quick energy for birds in the winter.

Dried fruit (raisins, cranberries, apples) is a nice change for birds in winter. They will love raisins or cranberries (soaking them in warm water makes them easier to eat) and even dried  or fresh apple or orange slices. Bluejays, orioles and warblers especially love fruit. Your chickens likely wont be fond of the oranges, but will enjoy the other things.


Eggshells arent just for backyard chickens. Wild birds will appreciate a helping of crushed eggshells also. Especially when it gets closer to spring, when the wild birds start laying eggs again, they benefit from the added calcium, just like your chickens do. Many plants contain calcium, which is how the wild birds normally get their ration, but putting out some crushed eggshell for them to eat as the snow starts to melt will give them a headstart on their calcium stores.

Mealworms arent just for chickens. Bluebirds in particular love them too! When the ground is frozen and the wild birds cant find bugs and worms for their protein needs, leave out some dried mealworms for them. At 53% protein and 28% fat, you cant beat that for a nourishing winter treat.

Peanuts/Peanut butter are a great choice for energy in the cold weather. Organic, unsalted natural peanut butter is best. Or leave out shelled unsalted peanuts for the birds. Our ducks especially love peanuts and will eat them shell and all.

Safflower seeds are a great choice for the wild birds because nuisance birds such as sparrows and starlings, and pesky squirrels dont seem to like them. However, safflower seed contains healthy Omega 6 fatty acids, Vitamins E and K and helps boost the immune system, so its a great treat for the chickens and song birds.


Suet is the ultimate cold weather treat. The combination of grease or oils and nut/seed proteins provides wild birds and your own flock with much-needed sustained energy. You can buy commercial suet blocks or make your own.

Thistle/Niger Seed is a big favorite of goldfinches. If you want to attract them to your yard, put out a thistle sock or feeder. And dont forget to share with your chickens. They will love munching on the thistle as well, and since its 35% fat and 18%, it will keep them warm and full of energy through the winter.

Source: University of Maine Cooperative Extension

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Feed The Wild Birds And Your Chickens This Winter
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CB100 Combo Plans Chicken Coop Plans Construction Insulated Dog House Plans Construction | Chicken Coop Vancouver Island

CB100 Combo Plans Chicken Coop Plans Construction Insulated Dog House Plans Construction


CB100 - Combo Plans - Chicken Coop Plans Construction + Insulated Dog House Plans Construction
It can comfortably hold 20 chickens
It can comfortably hold a dog

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Units: Inches - fractions
Dimensions Gross: 11 11 1/2" x 14 7" x 10 3 7/8" (height)
Construction area: 173.894 Feet ²
Ground area: 12 x 8 (= 96 Feet ²)
Dog House: 4 x 8 (= 32 Feet ²)
Chicken Coop: 6 x 8 (= 48 Feet ²)
Total volume of wood: 300378 inches3 (173 5/6 feet3)
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CB100 - Combo Plans: Chicken Coop Plans Construction
+ Insulated Dog House Plans Construction
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Building according the actual dimension
Dimensional lumber sizes:
a: 4"x4" (Nominal) = 3 1/2"x3 1/2" (Actual)
b: 2"x4" (Nominal) = 1 1/2"x3 1/2" (Actual)
c: 2"x2" (Nominal) = 1 1/2"x1 1/2" (Actual)
d: 1"x2" (Nominal) = 3/4"x1 1/2" (Actual)
f: 1"x4" (Nominal) = 3/4"x3 1/2" (Actual)
g: 1"x6" (Nominal) = 3/4"x5 1/2" (Actual)
k: 1"x1" (Nominal) = 3/4"x3/4" (Actual)
h: 1" thickness (Nominal) = 3/4" thickness (Actual)
m: 2"x8" (Nominal) = 1 1/2"x7 1/4" (Actual)
n: 1"x8" (Nominal) = 3/4"x7 1/4" (Actual)
p: 2"x6" (Nominal) = 1 1/2"x5 1/2" (Actual)
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Units: Inches - fractions
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The functional component - the build step guide - Table of Contents:
0.0 - 0.8 - Concept design
1.0 - Building the Axis and Column
2.0 - Building the Main Frame Structure
3.0 - Building the Nest boxes
4.0 - Building the Interior Wall
5.0 - Building Perches for chickens
(6.0) 7.0 - Building the Frame of the Door, Windows - Vents
8.0 - Building Vents
9.0 - Building Roof beam
10.0 - Building Fiberglass Insulation for Wall
11.0 - Building Exterior Wall
12.0 - Building the Doors and Windows
13.0 - Building RAMP
14.0 - Building completed roof
15.0 - Perspective - The building was completed
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CB100 - Combo Plans: Chicken Coop Plans Construction
+ Insulated Dog House Plans Construction
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See more   Concept Plans
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Detailed Plans for Construction
(PDF file; Excel file
Units: Inches - fractions
More than 216 drawings in this document
- printed on A4 or A3 size paper)
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- Name - The statistics table for woodworking - Excel file.rar - (excel file formate)
- Name - The statistics table for woodworking.pdf - (pdf file formate)
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CB100 - Combo Plans: Chicken Coop Plans Construction
+ Insulated Dog House Plans Construction


CB100 Combo Plans Chicken Coop Plans Construction Insulated Dog House Plans Construction
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