This episode is an encore showing of one of our most popular episodes ever.
Chickens are a joy to incorporate into any backyard (or frontyard) setting
Raising chickens might be worth it for the entertainment value alone. Yet whether kept for eggs, meat, or just as pets, chickens are a fun addition to the yard. When we aired Episode 115 Living Homegrown Fresh in Season One, one element of the show that resonated with our viewers more than we expected was Theresa’s city chickens. Charlotte the Polish hen nearly stole the spotlight, and let’s just say we won’t be surprised if she gets her own show.
In this episode, Theresa and Joe talk about how anyone can get started with raising chickens, which includes checking your local ordinances, a little research into breeds, where to get chicks and how to care for them, building or buying a coop, and what it takes to care for your chickens. Chef Nathan cooks up delicious, fresh eggs three ways: fancy shirred eggs for brunch, quick scrambled eggs, and perfectly “over medium” fried eggs.
For more information:
- Fresh Eggs Daily-A very popular website for learning more
- Another popular website for backyard chicken information: backyardchickens.com
- Our own Doug Scott’s great eBook on keeping chickens. Get it for free!
- Building Chicken Coops For Dummies
book by our own Todd Brock
- American Livestock Breed Conservancy (ALBC)
- My Pet Chicken is the site Joe mentions that sells as few as 3 chicks at a time
- Sand Hill Preservation Center – Heirloom seeds AND poultry breeds!
- The HenCam.com
- “Henside the Beltline” Chicken Coop Tour, Raleigh, NC
- GardenFowl.com – Seattle Area Chicken Coop Tours
- Theresa’s chicken coop is from GreenChickenCoop.com
- Chef Nathan recipes from this episode, Eggs Three Ways
- Joe Lamp’l blog post Sometimes You Need to Ruffle a Few Feathers
- Joe’s fancy red coop details with all the bells and whistles
- The Chicken Whisperer with Andy Schneider – online radio show
*Unfortunately, since this show aired, The City Chicken is no longer available. Google your local county laws about keeping chickens in your backyards.
*Links related to books and merchandise are affiliate links
About GGWTV
Growing A Greener World is a national gardening series on Public Television that features organic gardening, green living and farm to table cooking. Each episode focuses on compelling and inspirational people making a difference through gardening. This gardening series covers everything from edible gardening and sustainable agriculture to seasonal cooking and preserving the harvest.
Great episode! I really liked the simple coup you built on the show. Where can I find plans for that?
The link to the book (which includes the plans for this coop) is in the show notes for this episode Daniel. Since we don’t have rights to the plan, the best we can do is refer you to Todd Brock’s book; Building Chicken Coops for Dummies.
How do u keep chickens during the winter months
If you are in the South (NC here) keeping chickens is not a big deal as we have fairly milder winters than those up North. The main thing is a drafter coop. Burlap over exposed windows or sides or at least around the roosting area keeps drafts to a minimum but still allows good air circulation. If you are further North or we have a more severe winter than usual adding a light in the coop is a good idea. It doesn’t have to be a heat lamp unless temps are constantly below 0. Keep water from freezing and even add warm water so when they do take a drink it is not too cold for them. Chickens can go outside during winter and even forage around in the snow but make sure they can come back inside the coop at will.
Nice
Great episode! So glad you decided to bring this episode back for an encore. Thanks for including my website as a resource, I’m always happy to find new readers as passionate about backyard chickens as I am. I love your show!
Hi Lisa. Well, great shows deserve great resources, right? Our viewers are passionate about the subjects we cover and love knowing where to go for more, and reliable information. Your site was an easy suggestion. Keep up the good work on your end!