How to Raise Pet Chickens in the City

Check your city or town's laws regarding poultry. Many cities and towns allow limited numbers of poultry to be raised in domestic settings. If your city or town does not allow chickens, consider lobbying to have the law changed. A couple from Madison, Wisconsin did just that in 2004 -- after realizing the chickens they owned were technically illegal. While many areas allow chickens to be kept for egg production, few allow chickens to be slaughtered on domestic premises. Check your local laws if you will ultimately be using your flock as meat.

Choose a spot in your garden where the chickens can live relatively undisturbed. You can buy small chicken coops intended for domestic use, but these limit your chickens' ability to move around and will need to be cleaned daily to avoid built-up droppings and the resulting ammonia. If possible, designate part of your yard to raising chickens. Make sure it is an area away from any predators -- like your dogs, or those of your neighbors -- and is also protected from the elements.

Prepare the area. The simplest way to deal with chicken droppings is to have a deep-litter system in place, and to have a non-movable coop for your chickens to live in. Have a local carpenter build a coop for your chickens, or build one yourself. The size of the coop will depend on the size of the flock you intend to keep. Prepare the deep-litter system by digging up the earth in the area to a depth of about 12 inches, and mixing the earth with high-carbon materials including leaves and sawdust. The chickens will mix their droppings with the high-carbon materials while scratching and pecking. The droppings will readily decompose, meaning you will only have to add more high-carbon materials to the litter a few times a year. Once the area begins smelling like ammonia, you must add more fresh material. You will need to clean out the whole system about once a year, but what you shovel out is compost you can use in your garden.

Secure the area. You will need to install a barrier about 18 inches deep into the ground to prevent digging predators from having access to your chickens. This barrier can be made from metal roofing, and must be installed all the way around the area you have selected for your chickens. You must also install fencing -- this can be anything from simple chicken wire to electric net fencing. While the latter sounds cruel, it emits a very low voltage that keeps your chickens in their home -- and predators out. Fencing must be installed all the way around the area you have selected for your chickens.

Choose a breed that will thrive in your area, and buy only hens. Despite what you might think, you do not need a rooster to keep hens laying. Hens will lay eggs all spring and summer, and some will lay eggs year-round -- if you don't have a rooster, the eggs will simply be infertile (you won't be able to hatch chickens from them). Look for hardy breeds with pleasant temperaments, such as the Plymouth Rock or Buff Orpington varieties. These kinds of chickens are known as "dual-purpose" chickens, which means they can be raised for egg production or meat production. Hardy breeds can be kept outdoors year-round to a temperature of about -10 degrees. If it gets colder than that in your area, you may have to build an insulated roost and install heat lamps. Keep your flock to one breed only, as certain breeds are more aggressive and will harm less aggressive animals.

Use your chickens' natural diet to your benefit in your garden, and also provide them with fresh food. Let your chickens into your garden, and they will devour pests and improve the soil's quality. Chickens will eat insects, slugs and snails -- and all that scratching and pecking gets their droppings into the soil and enriches it. Secure them in the area with electric net fencing, and don't allow them to stay in one area too long or they will destroy your plants. Chickens are grazers and will eat wild seeds, leaves and grass cuttings as well as insects and snails. Avoid commercially-prepared feeds if possible, and feed your chickens a mix of fresh seeds and cuttings from your garden. Worms used for vermicomposting can be fed to chickens, as can kelp meal and whole corn. If your garden is relatively insect-free, you can buy mealworms and crickets at most pet stores -- these can be sprinkled with vitamin-rich powder to add nutrients to your chickens' diet.

Enjoy your eggs. Many chicken varieties will lay one egg about every other day. If you have a neighbor who isn't thrilled with your chickens, share your eggs and he will probably be won over. Eggs may have to be cleaned lightly before use -- use a half and half mixture of water and vinegar to spot-clean shells. Do not immerse the eggs in vinegar, as it will weaken the shells and leave the eggs susceptible to bacteria and infection.