Hens in the 'hood
Urban chicken project takes off
By Jennifer Dodd
Hens in the Hood is a government sponsored program with a simple aim. Its goal is to help eight young people gain work skills and experience through a community project testing the viability of having hens in urban Powell River. Created and run through local skills and employment provider Career Link, Hens in the 'hood was the brainchild of program director Lyn Adamson, a local with a keen eye and a passion for food security.
Starting in late June the group did a lot of work in a very short period of time. First they appeared in front of city hall seeking permission for ten test-sites. Next they started to learn all they could about raising and caring for hens and began to design and build a chicken coop they felt reflected best standards. Afterward they worked hard to pull together diverse community members to form a steering committee to guide them forward. Ever since they have been working hard at building and installing coops and runs for the test-sites approved by city hall.
Now the eight participants are looking at work experience placements in the community. Their hope is to take everything they've learned and put it forward into their future before them.
This past month, my family has been learning the basics of chicken husbandry through the Hens in the 'hood urban chicken project. We're one of nine lucky homes in Powell River to have the opportunity to demonstrate to city council the benefits and potential challenges of allowing a few hens to be kept and cared for within city limits. When I learned of the project, I immediately jumped in headfirst to make sure that it happened, while my wonderfully practical husband Kevin asked all of the important questions and expressed concerns. Once we agreed that it would be a fun and educational opportunity for our family, I started learning everything that I could about growing phenomenon of backyard urban chickens.
With the consent of close neighbours and a coop built by the Hens in the 'hood staff, a few weeks later we were the proud owners of four brown pullets. My daughter, having just turned four, approved of this decision and promptly named the hens as any preschooler would. We can now recognize Bailey, Pepper, Orange and Plum and are learning each of their little quirks. Plum is the runt, the only one that won't be held and the producer of the largest and lightest eggs. Pepper is the largest hen, has the smallest wattle (or chin as according to Avari) and the easiest to catch to hold. Bailey and Orange can be told apart so far by the intensity of their wattle colour.
So far, we've collected close to three dozen eggs. The pullets are just old enough to start laying and I suspect that the little speckled egg we found in the nest this evening is a first for one of the hens. We can expect to collect about two dozen eggs a week by the time spring rolls around next year. Plum lays large cream coloured eggs daily, and the others lay smaller speckled dark brown eggs.
Surprisingly enough, eggs are not our primary motivation for wanting to raise hens. Avari has an egg allergy and as such, Kevin and I have most likely only eaten a dozen eggs in the past year. Instead, she helps me feed and water the chickens in the morning and collect the eggs. If she wants to enterprise her egg collecting in the future, it will be encouraged but right now they have been offered to family, friends and the workers who are renovating our kitchen. The care of the hens has been surprisingly easy, and the manure and bedding that we take out of the coop and run daily is added to the compost. It will be ready to use on the garden next spring. The hens put themselves to bed on their roost in the coop every evening just before sunset, and we lock them up at night to protect them against any potential predators. Bears, cougars and raccoons are a very real risk in our community, and definitely a concern for anyone considering owning chickens. Our pen has a wire roof, and welded wire has been dug deep in the ground. We make sure that the hens are locked up every evening, and that any kitchen scraps have been cleaned out of the run.
Living in a residential area, we won't have the opportunity to raise a little hobby farm like I dream of (I've wanted to be Laura Ingalls since I was eight years old), but with urban gardening and movements like Hens in the Hood, I can expose my family to a little slice of rural life.
