Urban Survival – A Primer for Raising Chickens

There are more Urban Dwellers raising Chickens now more than ever before. Can’t tell if this is in response to the bad economy; or, people wanting fresh organic eggs; or, people just practicing for when only what they grow or raise is only what they eat.

Chickens are easy and inexpensive to raise compared to other livestock such as goats, sheep or cows. With a small Chicken coop, they take up very little room, maybe even as small as 12 square feet for a flock of four.

Fresh eggs would be not only good food, but a great barter item. With a Rooster you can breed hens for more chicks or for a barter item. We think much of our Survival suppers will be eggs and rice, squash and eggs, etc.

On the average, 4 hens will give you 2, maybe 3 eggs a day. Most hens start to lay around 4-6 months of age, however for many reasons, mainly time of year and temperature), they may stop laying eggs until warmer weather come

You’ll need a Chicken Coop. You can build your own or can visit our friends at the Chicken Coop Source for many different models depending upon what you want and how much you can spend. Consider about 3 square feet per Chicken.

We have one inner city co-worker who raises six Chickens, and it seems like he always has eggs, and he has nothing but a small, patio rock backyard. It can be done.

You’ll need an easy way to clean. One common method is to move the chicken coop to a new area in order to fertilize new areas every week or two. You can also use pine shavings, pine needles, crushed up bark and the alike.

The easiest and best feed is complete feeds which provide all the protein, carbs and fats (energy) as well as vitamins and minerals necessary for proper growth, egg production, and health of the birds. The Chickens will need fresh water as well.

Other foods could be bugs, worms, vegetables, corn, wheat, cereal, oats, cut grass, coarse ground seeds and bread.

Common commercial foods are Purina Flock Raiser, Blue Seal Chick n’ Game Bird Feed, Grower Crumbles or Bird Starter,

A 50 lbs bag of feed will last four Chickens about 3 months, maybe longer if you supplement their diet with other feeds.

We think a regular sized Urban back yard is an easy fit for several Chickens and the Urban Survivalist should consider adding the procurement of Chickens and a Chicken Coop, if not immediately, then on your Survival tasks list as indicators build towards a collapse.