Home to Roost Helping city folks raise chickens!

BOOKS

• Storey’s Guide to Raising Chickens by Gail Damerow: An in-depth guide for folks just starting to raise chickens
• Chicken Coops by Judy Pangman: 45 coop designs for city, country, and small- and large-scale farms
• The Chicken Health Handbook by Gail Damerow: For the larger scale, experienced chicken raiser
• The Small-Scale Poultry Flock by Harvey Ussery: Great book that works with the birds’ natural behaviors
• City Chicks: Keeping Micro-flocks of Chickens as Garden Helpers, Compost Makers, Bio-recyclers, and Local Food Producers by Patricia Foreman
• Wisdom for Hen Keepers by Chris Graham (and edited for a North American audience by yours truly): A book with short tips that are organized topically
• Chicken Coops for Dummies by Rob Ludlow et al.: Helpful tips, hints, and instructions to make your own hen Hilton

SUPPLIES/CHICKS IN CHICAGO

• The Feed Store, Harlem and 55, chicks and supplies
• Christy Webber Landscapes Farm and Garden Center organic chicken feed and coop paraphernalia
• Check Farm and Fleet and Tractor Supply stores in the area
• Belmont Feed and Seed, 3036 W. Belmont, Chicago, chicks and supplies
• My Pet Chicken*
• McMurray Hatchery*
• Planer shavings: contact Jim Kakavas, 773-746-8001, jkakavas AT yahoo dot com

*NOTE: These companies send chicks through the mail. Mail ordering chicks can be stressful for the birds. You will get “filler” chicks that may be roosters. Shipments can also get lost in the mail.

COMMUNITY

Chicago Chicken Enthusiasts Google Group: Chicago’s premiere community of chicken owners

Home to Roost’s Facebook page: A growing community of Home to Roost clients

CERTIFIED AVIAN VETS

Tell them I sent you! Home to Roost endorses these practices in the Chicagoland area. 

• Drs. Abete and Yang (and formerly Dr. Peter Sakas), Niles,  Niles Animal Hospital
• Dr. Susan Horton, Skokie, Chicago Exotics
• Dr. Byron de la Navarre, Chicago, Animal House of Chicago
• Drs. Ness, Crum, and Nye, Lisle, Ness Exotic Wellness Center
• Dr. Parr, Glenwood Village Pet Hospital
• Dr. Zachary Kline, Lombard Veterinary Hospital
• Veterinary Emergency Group, Chicago – Emergency care only. They do not have an avian vet on staff, but can stabilize a chicken and treat symptoms until the bird can be seen by an avian vet at another practice.

CHICKEN SITTERS

Need a hand while you’re out of town? Here is a list of folks who are interested in offering this service.

NOTE: Home to Roost does not endorse or screen chicken sitters and can take no responsibility for quality of care. See my post suggesting chicken sitting for some ideas of how you might choose a chicken sitter.

• Sarah Batka: saritapie@gmail.com. Available in Beverly, Mt. Greenwood, Blue Island, Morgan Park, West Pullman
• Carrie: culturperc at me dot com
• Kristan Green: anasaula@hotmail.com
• Morgan Holtz: morgalee@gmail.com, available in DuPage County and western suburbs like Oak Park, River Forest, Des Plaines, Rosemont and Schaumburg.

CHICKEN RESCUE

If you find a chicken and need to find a home for it, contact farms and animal rescues in rural areas. Remember to make a donation. Here are a few for starters. Contact me if you need more ideas:

• Chicago Chicken Rescue: A new not-for-profit organization that takes various domesticated animals and assists with placement.
• Chicago Roo Crew: specializes in roosters
• Erin’s Farm

Have a favorite resource or an update to this list? Post a comment below!