Home to Roost Helping city folks raise chickens!

Other coop owners have shared their Windy City Coop Tour photos with us, displaying their fabulous coops and birds! Here are some highlights:

Elizabeth of Chicago says: “I have learned a lot in past years from going to the coup tour. It’s fun to see everyone’s set-ups. This is the first year we hosted and it was rewarding having people come through. I think the general consensus is that we have some spectacularly spoiled hens.”

No wonder, given that they have a chicken stroller! Elizabeth’s husband Art made the stroller, which has a yellow plastic bin for chicken snacks and a hole in the clear plastic panel for the chicken to poke its head through. Sounds like a fun way to give your hens a change of scenery (and show off your flock to the neighbors) when you go out for a walk.

Melissa in Darien, IL enjoyed giving tours of her totally redesigned and improved coop to visitors who ventured out to the Southwest suburb. “This was our second year being a host of the windy city coop tour,” she said. “We have young boys who really love showing the guests around the coop and how they collect the eggs every day. They even enjoyed showing off some of the essential chicken health care items we keep on hand in case any of our hens get injured… We really enjoyed sharing our knowledge and hearing from other chicken enthusiasts alike.”

What a beautiful coop. We especially love the landscaping in front of the run!

As you probably know by now, I spent my Saturday at a coop with 25 chickens, located in the backyard of a Chicago bungalow.

Tim the owner said “I get to share my chickens and my garden with others… it’s pretty great! This year a young woman came by to say Hi and report on some asters and goldenrod I dug up for her garden last year. They’re doing great! Another woman will come by soon to dig up some Althea – Rose of Sharon for her garden.”

Tim has an eco-yard for his 25 chickens, who were roaming around providing photo ops for the many visitors who came to see his coop. One of the most photogenic was Buffy the rooster, who can be seen strutting his stuff in the photo below:

All day Saturday visitors came through, ranging from toddlers to senior citizens. I can’t resist sharing this video of two kids who were having a great time during the Coop Tour, following the hens who were wandering around the yard. I showed them the different feather types on a chicken’s wing and gave them some grain for the chickens. Children and chickens get along so well!

I spent Saturday talking to folks about chicken keeping, ably assisted by the 25 chickens roaming around the Coop Tour location where I was stationed! We had lots of visitors, ranging from toddlers to senior citizens. I was there mainly to answer questions, but I went into Chicken Consultant mode when I noticed one of the roosters had a foot injury.

One of the scales on the rooster’s foot had lifted up and was bleeding. That can happen with these feather-footed varieties! I treated the wound by stopping the bleeding with a little cornstarch and pressure. Missy the rooster was happy to be released and get back to his hens.

A group of Spanish-speaking visitors stopped by, and I answered their questions about the coop and translated while Tim, the coop owner, talked about the chickens’ love for blueberries:

I’m so glad that I got to combine two of my favorite things, chickens and speaking Spanish! Yes, the chickens at this site really love their blueberries. We watched them jump for their favorite treat when Tim called each chicken over by name!

A yard with 25 chickens provides endless entertainment. The birds dustbathe, sun themselves, engage in chicken play, and announce the momentous occasion of egg laying. The three roosters made a raucous chorus at 8:30 in the morning and crowed occasionally throughout the day. This Chicago bungalow has a small farm in the backyard, with beehives on the roof. It’s amazing to see what is possible in a smallish backyard when you are really comitted to urban agriculture, or at least to the joy of chickens!