The Gateway Animal to Farming

Birds have really been our gateway animal into farming. If you want to dabble, test the waters, or see if urban or cottage farming is for you, then try some birds. They are literally easier to care for than dogs, and you get a physically nourishing benefit not available from most pets.

Sunny and our first chickens

About four years ago we bought 15 Sex Link, beautiful, black chickens with a metallic green shimmer. We bought them full grown from a small farmer and landscaper in Johnstown, named Cory. He gets about 700 chicks of a variety of chickens, turkey, and ducks every winter. This gives them the 20 weeks necessary to grow to laying age by early summer. He sells them and enough locally made feed to supply himself with free chickens, turkeys, and feed for the year. Sadly, the USDA came and tested his feed a couple years ago, found one nutrient off by 1%, and fined him a large enough amount to make him stop selling feed. A few hundred dollars is a drop in a bucket to a large corporate feed supplier, but drives the smaller, local farmer out of business. It took me until two months ago to find locally made feed for my chickens.

Some of our first chicks

Those first 15 chickens stayed with us until we had to move back to the city for a few years. We rehomed them with some friends just outside of town. That next winter we delved into getting them as chicks. We ordered them from Meyers Hatchery here in Ohio. I think we ordered seven and lost the two Americauna, “Easter Eggers”, as chicks. Raising chicks has been a fundamental experience for our children. Learning about new life, the source of your breakfast, feeding and care, and responsibility. But also the completion of the circle of life, and its necessity in that circle. I would estimate their acceptance and understanding of loss of life will be well advanced. This gives me some solace that they will have more compassion and courage when the day comes that they lose a long time pet or family member. It is a somber subject, and I do not wish to dwell, but our culture has a peculiar difficulty discussing and understanding such an intimate part of the circle of life. 

A-frame coops made by my brother, Dave

When those chickens stopped laying, we had them processed for future chicken salad and chicken and dumplings. We were almost immediately gifted four full grown layers, and recently gifted those to our new housemate when we moved out here. The current layers we have out here we ordered back in mid-January. We only lost one as a chick out of 24, which is a pretty good ratio, and directly related to our increased knowledge over the years. We brought them out to the land here when they were only nine weeks old, in late March. We were coming out part time, every other day, to give them food and water. Eventually by May we had moved out full time and were relying on a neighbor's dog, Sydney, to keep away predators. One night she didn't show up, and we lost three chickens. Miraculously, the next day we were able to borrow my brother's family dog, Charlie. We had also been looking for a Collie or Pyrenees to grow up with animals, but didn't have the funds to make it happen. The same day we got Charlie, we happened upon an older lady in an apartment with no yard and a Collie/Pyrenees mix puppie in need of a farm. Roxy had officially joined us in our adventure. Now, a month and a half later we also found Abel, a one year old Pyrenees, that has allowed us to return Charlie to my brother and his family. We haven't lost any more chickens.

Abel and June

The interconnected nature of a diverse farm is only beginning to reveal itself to us. I am sure we will be humbled by numerous interdependencies as we move forward.

We just dove into the world of turkeys last week. Wish us luck as I hear they are tougher to keep alive. We got five chicks from a local hatchery, called Our Family Hatchery, not two miles away in Trinway. I spoke with Brent about the small operation brooding chickens, turkeys, guinea hens, pheasant, and duck. I may try to purchase some of his meat chickens until we can raise some of our own.