13 Apr
Don’t miss out! Sign up NOW to learn how to care for your chicks and adult hens. This class is for both beginners and those who’ve had chickens for a while. $15 for 2 hours chook-full of great info!
Sign up on Gathr by Friday, 4-14-23, at noon central time!
30 Mar
Here are a few tips for your new chicks!
28 Mar
I’m excited to be presenting this class on April 29, at 2:00 p.m. – 3:30 p.m. with Prairie Food Co-Op, For more information, including how to purchase tickets to this event, click here.
This class is a slightly scaled down version of my popular 2-hr basic chicken-keep class. It’s designed for curious folks who are considering getting chickens, as well as for those who already have their own birds. Learn how to find local laws, choose and raise chicks, care for adult birds, and more.
16 Mar
Photo courtesy of Sandy Alguire
The urban agriculture movement includes everything from gardens to goats, with chickens in between. If you’re thinking about getting chickens, you’ll want to keep in mind of a few things in advance.
1) Chicks require special care. Baby chicks need appropriate warmth, shelter and diet if they are not with a hen who can protect them and show them the ropes.
2) You’ll get fewer eggs as your hens get older. A hen’s ability to lay peaks at the end of her second year. After age two, she’ll lay fewer eggs per week. Chickens can live to be as many as 10 years old, so consider this in your plans. Are these birds pets who will give you eggs steadily for a few years? Or are they egg-laying machines that will be turned into soup when their laying slows down?
3) Chickens are different from cats and dogs. Birds and mammals are different in the ways they approach the world. For example:
4) The pecking order is an important reality. Chickens naturally rank themselves in a hierarchy to determine who is the alpha hen. If you introduce new birds to an existing flock, you may not only introduce disease, but you may also disrupt the pecking order, which can result in death for the newcomer.
5) A quality, secure coop is important. Chickens are susceptible to predators such as raccoons, hawks and coyotes. Do your research to determine how best to protect them. You should have a safe, sturdy coop ready well before your chicks are ready to move into it. You should lock your birds in the coop at dusk and let them out first thing in the morning.
6) Chickens are a daily commitment. Again, chickens are different from dogs and cats; you cannot provide extra food and water for your birds and go out of town for several days. Plan to feed, water, and gather eggs both morning and evening and find a chicken sitter if you go on vacation.
7) Diet is important. There are several different formulations of feed, each for different stages in a chicken’s life: chick starter, chick grower, and laying formula. Chickens can eat kitchen scraps, but a properly formulated feed should be the primary source of nutrition. I recommend providing supplemental calcium for laying hens and it’s important to note that treats like scratch and meal worms can cause birds to become fat, leading to laying problems and other health issues.
8) You are the first line of defense for your birds’ health. Birds hide signs of illness so it will be very important to know what is normal for your chickens: weight; food/water intake; respiration; social, sleep, and grooming habits; etc.
9) Chicken owners are chicken ambassadors. If you get chickens, you join the ranks of a group of people who are trying something new. With that privilege comes responsibility: to represent yourself and your fellow chicken keepers well to your community. Therefore, it’s important to educate yourself about chickens by taking a class (Home to Roost Urban Chicken Consulting offers several per year, as well as in-home consultations), reading quality materials (see the Resources tab on the blog Home to Roost Urban Chicken Consulting blog), and visiting the coops of successful chicken keepers. You can also join online forums, such as the Chicago Chicken Enthusiasts Google Group.
9 Mar
I’m offering my popular Basic Backyard Chicken Keeping class ONLINE on April 15, 2023, 10 AM – 12 PM central time. Click here to register by noon April 14.
Join Chicago-based chicken consultant Jennifer Murtoff of Home to Roost LLC for this popular 2-hr class. For curious folks who are considering getting chickens, as well as for those who already have their own birds. Learn how to find local laws, choose and raise chicks, and care for adult birds.
NOTE: This class was developed for the Chicagoland area, which has cold winters and warm summers. Don’t forget, you must register by noon on April 14, 2023.
NOTE: The instructor is not a veterinarian. See all class offerings at here.
27 Feb
Join me and Maria the chicken for a chicken-keeping class on March 1, 2023, from 5:30 to 7:30 at the Fossil Ridge Public Library, 386 W Kennedy Rd, Braidwood, IL 60408.
We’ll talk about choosing breeds, chick care, care of adult birds, legal considerations, and other important topics!
Register here: https://fossilridge.evanced.info/signup/EventDetails?EventId=643&backTo=Calendar&startDate=2023/03/01
17 Feb
Join Dr. Julie Gauthier, DVM, Assistant Director for Poultry Health at USDA, and other poultry health experts for a webinar and live question and answer session. As part of APHIS’ Bird Health Awareness Week, Dr. Gauthier will host a discussion about what avian influenza is, how it impacts different segments of the poultry industry and the surrounding communities, and respond to the most frequent questions asked by poultry owners.
17 Jan
Are you a chicken owner who is also an attorney and/or CPA? Chicago Chicken Enthusiasts is looking for someone to advise on or help with setting up a 501(c)3 and other matters related to our community.
If you’re interested, reach out to me by making a comment below or on using the Contact tab and let me know where your experience lies.
17 Jan
Chicago Chicken Enthusiasts is looking for help with reworking our existing website (a Google site, https://sites.google.com/site/chicagochickenenthusi/home.)
If you have expertise in this area, we’d love your advice (and possibly some hands-on assistance) with
-Rebuilding the site
-Making it mobile friendly
-Choosing a platform (WordPress, Weebly, Squarespace?)
-Investigating options/pricing (domain, email, site, storage)
If you’re interested, reach out to me by making a comment below or on using the Contact tab and let me know where your experience lies.
MANY THANKS!
15 Jan
Come out for the following classes taught by Home to Roost at local libraries. Learn about choosing and caring for chicks, keeping adult birds, building a coop, and legal considerations.
Jan. 25, Weds., 6-8 pm, St. Charles Public Library
March 1, Weds., 5-730 pm, Fossil Ridge Public Library
May 20, Sat.,1-3 pm, Darien Public Library
June 10, Sat.,1-3 pm, Westmont Public Library
I look forward to seeing you!
When building a coop for your hens, it is important to choose a design with the right dimensions, features, and materials. Get all this information on the Chicken Coop Spec Sheet, now available from Home to Roost! Purchase on PayPal using the button below.
NOTE: I will e-mail you the spec sheet after I receive your payment. Your e-mail address will automatically be included in the notification I receive from PayPal.
Home to Roost 