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3 Steps To Raising Your Own Chickens

Raising city chickens, 101.

mccall

Apr 29, 2019

Troy University

200

McCall Donoho

City chickens are becoming more and more popular as the self-sustainable lifestyle is prominent in today's culture. Of course, people are drawn to raising city chickens, or any chickens, for different reasons.

As I am vegan, I have no interest in eating eggs. However, in the last year, I have transitioned my dog to mainly a Paleo diet — he usually eats rice or quinoa with an assortment of veggies and organic (hunted, fished, or farm-raised) meat and eggs. As I do not hunt, fish, or raise animals for their meat, I pretty much rely on other sources for my dog's food. Of course, I could buy these items from the grocery store, but as a vegan, I do not want to support the meat processing industry and the companies that factory-produce meat.

SO! All of that goes to say, I decided to get chickens — for their company, for their eggs to feed my pup, and for their cuteness.

Here's how to get started raising your own chickens in the city!

1. Obtain the chicks (and other stuff)

This step is entirely important! First of all, you probably want all hens if you're raising for egg-purposes. I just went to the local Tractor Supply and one of the sales associates helped me get everything together. You need a place to put them inside (I borrowed a friends dog crate), pine shavings, a heat lamp, a feeder and water bucket, food, and the chicks.

2. Set it all up

This step took about an hour for me — you don't want the chicks to be too close to where you eat (because salmonella), they have to be kept between 90-95 degrees Fahrenheit (decreasing by 5 degrees Fahrenheit each week) but they can't be too close to the heat lamp itself, and they're super cute it's easy to get distracted.

3. Maintenance

It's honestly so easy!

They need fresh water at least every day — I opt for twice each day, if possible.

As I said before, the temperature can decrease by 5 degrees each week until they are fully grown/move into an outside coop.

Their feeder needs to be filled up...not even regularly. I bought a pretty large feeder so I dump a bunch in there and they're usually good for at least a few weeks.

They enjoy eating bugs; I try to take them into the backyard for playtime in the sun at least once a day, depending on the weather. Supposedly, they are ready to move outside into a coop after you have had them for one or two months. I have had my chicks for about a month and they are not ready so I will update along this journey.

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This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.

Lifestyle

Cool Off with These 8 Beers!

North Carolina State University

1213

Summer is hot and humid, and it's almost like summer was made specifically to drink the refreshing, cold, crisp wonderful, delicious, nutritious nectar of the gods. Which is none other than beer; wonderful cold beer. With summer playing peek-a-boo around the corner while we finish up this semester, it's time to discuss the only important part of summer. And if you haven't already guessed, it's beer. There are few things I take more seriously than my beer, in order are: sports... and beer. Here are my favorite summer brews:

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beer

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3 Steps To Raising Your Own Chickens

Raising city chickens, 101.

1. Obtain the chicks (and other stuff)

2. Set it all up

3. Maintenance

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Appreciation for some of life's most discredited pleasures.

1. Sun showers

2. Smiles

3. Tight hugs

4. Discovering new foods you like.

5. Laying in bed after a long day.

6. And being completely relaxed

7. "This reminded me of you"

8. Breakfast foods

9. Over-sized clothes

10. Contagious laughs

11. Car rides with that one person

12. Random (I miss you/ I love you) texts

13. The city at night

14. Surprises

15. Blanket cocoons

16. Good hair days

17. Really good coffee

18. Days where you're in a good mood naturally and for no particular reason

19. Conquering a fear

20. When they give you a lot of guac at Chipotle

21. Being so comfortable with someone that you can literally talk about anything

22. Home-cooked meals

23. Tattoo stories

24. Leaves changing color in fall

25. Butterflies in your stomach

26. Peanut butter & jelly sandwiches

27. When you can't stop laughing

Cool Off with These 8 Beers!

Coors Light Summer Brew:

Leinenkugel Summer Shandy

Leinenkugel Sunset Wheat

Want to know more about beer?

Sam Adams Summer Ale

Hell or High Watermelon

Blue Moon Summer Honey

LandShark Lager

Corona

75 degrees and sunny, plus, no humidity. I mean do I really need to say more?

Perfect Weather

You'll get an effortless tan

You can exercise with a view

You don't have to worry about bug bites

In n Out all day, every day

We have outdoor concerts

We live where people vacation

Because let's be honest, we all use lyrics.

1. “Don’t get too close, it’s dark inside. It's where my demons hide.”

2. “Tonight, we are young.”

3. “Cuz I may be bad, but I’m perfectly good at it.”

4. “Tell me how they got that pretty little face on that pretty little frame.”

5. “I can’t wait to fall in love with you, you can’t wait to fall in love with me.”

6. “Sweatpants, hair tied, chillin with no makeup on.”

7. “Why you so obsessed with me?”

8. “We ain’t ever getting older.”

9. “I didn’t know that I was starving until I tasted you.”

10. “Didn’t they tell you I’m a savage?"

11. “I’m gonna make you miss me.”

12. "Cheers to the freakin weekend.”

13. “Love’s a game. Wanna play?”

14. “You don’t know about me, but I bet you want to.”

15. “Let’s set each other’s lonely nights, Be each other’s paradise.”

16. “Trippin’ on skies, sippin’ waterfalls."

17. “Wish we could turn back time, to the good old days.”

18. “But you will remember me for centuries.”

19. “Something about you makes me feel like a dangerous woman."

20. “Don’t act like it’s a bad thing to fall in love with me.”

21. “Darling, I’m a nightmare dressed like a daydream.”

22. “Find me where the wild things are.”

23. “I’m high on lovin’ you.”

24. “If you’re gonna be somebody’s heartbreak, somebody’s mistake, if you’re gonna be somebody’s first time, somebody’s last time, be mine.”

25. “Don’t be afraid to take the road less traveled on.”

Everything Bruce says in his classic rock songs.

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1. "Talk about a dream
Try to make it real
You wake up in the night
With a fear so real
Spend your life waiting
For a moment that just don't come
Well don't waste your time waiting." (Badlands)