Chickens coops popping up in urban areas

Shauny Cooley’s backyard is somewhat typical for a house on Galveston’s West End, except for the portable chicken coop resembling a miniature version of the house, right down to the paint and shingles.

There also is a chicken toy, festooned with a bell and filled with garden scraps, batted about cheerfully by three very happy hens.

“It’s been an interesting adventure,” Cooley, a curriculum coordinator at Oppe Elementary School, said. Her family, including husband, Jamie Schubert, a wetlands biologist, and children Violet, 8, and Cypress, 4, is among a growing trend of folks flocking to raise backyard chickens.

They raise them for the fresh eggs and the taste of old-time farming values, mixed with environmental mandates.

“I just enjoy seeing my kids take care of something and knowing we’re trying to do something better for the planet by having them (the chickens),” said Cooley, who grew up on a farm in Oklahoma. “It’s setting a good example, showing kids you can make a difference.”

The family started its backyard venture in May with Barred rock chicks. The goal was fresh, salmonella-free eggs, but family members also gained feathered friends in the process.

“You get something back,” Cooley said. “You’re going to get eggs, but you also get all this joy of these birds at the same time.”

Galveston artist Maggie Fuller named one of her hens after a favorite great-aunt. When she calls “Margaret,” the small hen comes running, along with Buck Buck the rooster and Little Head, the other small hen.

“I enjoy having them peck around my backyard and make their little noises,” said Fuller, who shares eggs with neighbors and friends. “They’re like pets that respond to you; actually, they respond better than my dog does.”

Santa Fe Master Gardener Bob McPherson calls his backyard flock, “My girls,” and enjoys feeding them an occasional spaghetti or lasagna treat. The eight Rhode Island Reds are partial to anything with tomato sauce, and they like to argue about the portions.

“They have personalities and they’re fun to watch,” said McPherson, a retired lawyer who has raised backyard chickens since the 1970s. “They puff their chests out; they strut. It’s great entertainment.”

McPherson’s “girls” provide an average of three dozen eggs a week.

“It’s a nice, dark orange yolk,” he said. “I think they have a better flavor; it’s a better egg for you.”

He predicts more backyards will become pecking grounds.

“Next to gardening, I think backyard poultry is becoming one of the more popular pastimes in the United States,” he said.

Dr. John F. “Fred” Thomas, University of Texas Medical Branch director of Community-based Mental Health Services in the Office of Health Policy and Legislative Affairs, has four hens in his backyard. His family enjoys the eggs, the entertainment and the teachable moments.

“They are a wonderful lesson in responsibility and reaping what you sow,” said Thomas, whose daughters help feed and care for the hens.

“They (the hens) give back something tangible that is dependent on how they are treated, how they are fed, that their water is clean and maintained, and that they feel safe.”

Cooley plans to add three more hens to her flock on the West End.

“I just enjoy seeing my kids with them. They are amazing gentle creatures.”

Galveston County Extension Agent Phoenix Rogers works with families interested in backyard chicken farming.

“It’s a great recreational activity to get the kids, the grandchildren involved in,” she said. “It’s great to maintain that link between urban America and our nation’s farming heritage.”

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Expert Advice

Master Gardener Bob McPherson of Santa Fe advises:

• Backyard chickens provide fresh eggs and fertilizer, and eat many pests, including mosquitoes and roaches.

• Research and select the breed you want, and the size you want. He recommends hens, not roosters, which are more contentious and noisy.

• Plan for a flock that fits your yard and your schedule, and for a coop large enough to accommodate the flock. You’ll also need to provide a young chick brooder for the first 60 days or so — a cardboard box or small animal cage and some kind of warming lamp.

• Chicken coops can be purchased or built. Some are portable (called “chicken tractors”) and can be moved around the yard to spread the fertilizer around.

• Chicks can be ordered online, over the phone, or picked up in person at hatcheries.

• Check with city government officials on regulations — you might need to purchase a permit. The city of Galveston restricts backyard chickens to properties west of 99th Street and requires a permit.

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Rules In Cities

Galveston’s backyard chicken ordinance might be up for discussion soon. City Council member Elizabeth Beeton has heard from several residents hoping the city will consider changing its restrictions.

“I plan to bring it forward,” said Beeton “It’s really just a matter of educating the council and the public about the issues and how it’s working for other cities.”

She noted some cities host backyard tours, allowing residents to show off innovative chicken coop architecture.

Possible proposed changes for Galveston’s ordinance would include allowing poultry east of 99th Street, mandating a maximum of 10 fowl, no roosters within city limits, and requiring hens to be 25 feet from any residence.

“It’s a good hands-on learning experience for children to be able to raise chickens and eggs,” said Beeton, who does not live in an area where backyard chickens are allowed. If the ordinance were changed to include her residence, “I would consider it,” she said. “I’ve bought locally produced eggs. They do taste better and they’re healthier.”

La Marque

Sec. 8-8. Keeping animals and fowl within 100 feet of an occupied building under certain conditions prohibited.

It shall be unlawful for any person to maintain or keep any animal or fowl within 100 feet of an occupied building in such a manner as to create noise or conditions of sanitation which are offensive, disturbing or annoying to persons of normal sensibilities, or in a manner which unreasonably interferes with such person’s normal habits and mode of living.

Santa Fe

All stables, pens, houses, and yards used for the keeping of animals or fowl within the City shall be kept in a clean sanitary condition. All such stables, pens, houses, and yards shall be located at least one hundred feet (100’) from any residence not occupied by the owner of such animals or fowl, except that it shall be unlawful to keep swine within five hundred feet (500’) of any residence not occupied by the owners of such swine; provided, however, it shall not be considered a violation of this Section if the owner of such animals or fowl obtain written permission of the owner(s) of the residence(s) located within the distance requirement.

(Ordinance No. 13-2004 of May 27, 2004)

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Information

• http://urbanchickens.org

• www.mypetchicken.com

• Galveston County Extension Office publication “The Small Laying Flock” (PS 5.250), available at the extension office 281-534-3413, or at https://agrilifebookstore.org.