Mail Call: September/October 2010

By Grit Staff
Published on August 10, 2010
1 / 6

We call it,
We call it, "Kirché's Lil Chicken Coop."
2 / 6

My dad, Norman Ford.
My dad, Norman Ford.
3 / 6

Gathering eggs can be something of an adventure.
Gathering eggs can be something of an adventure.
4 / 6

Kirché Taylor and her little Golden Comet, Ruby.
Kirché Taylor and her little Golden Comet, Ruby.
5 / 6

Bi-colored corns such as Providence and Incredible are just that, incredible.
Bi-colored corns such as Providence and Incredible are just that, incredible.
6 / 6

Fresh produce from your own garden tastes great and can save you money.
Fresh produce from your own garden tastes great and can save you money.

I recently purchased your magazine in an attempt to gain more knowledge on poultry. Our local newspaper ran an editorial last summer about the city ordinance on keeping chickens in the city. I have to say the newspaper article caught my interest. I love to garden and grow my own produce on a small scale, but the thought of actually being able to collect eggs from my backyard made me giddy.

I researched possible coop kits, but the more roomy models were out of my budget. Sometimes we need not look further than right in front of us. You see, my dad, Norman Ford, is an awesome carpenter. When my oldest son was 18 months old, Dad took a Little Tikes playhouse, elevated it from the ground, and built a deck, railing and stairs. That was about 10 years ago, and the boys have since outgrown this house. After making a few modifications by adding nest boxes to the house, building a 12-by-8-foot enclosure with roofing, adding vinyl flooring to the deck and house floor, and adding a reinforced fancy vinyl door, I present to you the chicken mansion. We like to call it “Kirché’s Lil Chicken Coop.”

Next we faced the challenge of finding young chickens from a trustworthy source. We did not want tiny babies, but rather 4- to 5-month-old chickens that were ready for the outdoors. Our first hen was from not-so-great conditions at a flea market. “Ruby,” the Golden Comet I am holding in the photograph below, was from an Amish farm. We have no idea how old Ruby is, but she was not producing enough for her previous owner. Ruby sleeps in the playhouse sink in the evenings. She presents me with one egg a day, and waits for me to bring her treats. As far as I am concerned, Ruby can live out her days here with me. I like to think I saved her from a certain demise.

Our other three baby girls — Velma the White Leghorn, Lady the Black Australorp and Macy the Dominique — were found by chance. My mom, Janice Ford, and I were lost on the highway looking for what turned out to be another bad poultry source and stopped at a truck stop for directions. My mom asked if they knew of anyone with chickens, and the attendant said if we left our number, there was a gentleman, an organic chicken farmer,  who came in every day like clockwork. We took a leap of faith and left our number. The farmer called that afternoon. His babies were just what we needed. He also gave us great advice on “keeping it simple.” The Internet is a great source of information, but it can also be confusing to new backyard chicken farmers. If you read or ask 10 different people a question, you could get that many answers.

I just wanted to share our experience with starting up a backyard chicken farm. Sometimes the best options are closer than you realize. I look forward to reading future issues of your publication.

Kirché Taylor

Online Store Logo
Need Help? Call 1-866-803-7096