02-22-2017 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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The Should-Dos: Recommendations for Keeping Backyard Chickens How to be a good chicken neighbor  Talk to your neighbors: Please consider talking to your neighbors before you get chickens. Most people will react positively if the conversation is started before any changes are made.  How to keep noise down: o Keep chickens in the coop until most people have woken up for the morning (make sure the temperature of the coop isn’t too cold or warm!). o Keep coop and fence/runs away from property and follow all codes/ordinances  Keep your chickens clean: o You can dispose of the feces in your garbage bin just as you do cat/dog feces/litter, compost (see link below for composting) or if your pen is large enough (~80 square feet per bird) you may not even see the feces. Remember—healthy compost does not smell. See https://www.cals.uidaho.edu/edcomm/pdf/CIS/CIS1194.pdf o It is important to keep the area that chickens are in dry and clean. Moist areas will harbor mold and can be detrimental to chicken health. The Chicken Shelter aka Coop  Location: Shelter and pen should be in an area that provides shade, sunlight, drainage, and wind protection and located in the rear yard.  Nest boxes: Minimum 1 per 3 hens  Roosts: Chickens will be stressed if they can’t roost up high at night. 3-4” flat lumber or 2” round branches, securely fixed 2-3’ off the ground & 18” from the wall. If higher, provide stairs or ladder.  Predator proof: Large rodents, weasels, fox, raccoons and opossums are abundant in the city and the shelter needs to be predator proof from dusk till dawn. Frequently inspect it for any gaps larger than 3/4” and fix.  Moisture: It is important to keep the humidity in the coop relatively low to prevent growth of mold and keep ammonia levels from manure to a minimum. Ensure there is adequate airflow in the shelter; roof/eve vents that can be opened or closed work well.  Access: You will want at least 1 human-sized door for your access.  Planning for dusk: You will need to lock the birds up before dusk so consider automatic chicken coop door or networking with neighbors.  Floor and substrate: Ideal floor is concrete (easily cleaned, dries out, etc) with substrate on top (aspen shavings, sand, etc.) but no matter what your floor and substrate are, it is important to keep both clean and dry.  Winter shelter functions: The winter and summer shelter can be the same structure but they have different function depending on the season o Electricity: is needed for supplemental heat and light (see below) o Temperature: Winter shelters should be heated to >45 degrees F in the winter to prevent frostbite, immune system suppression and comfort. Due to heating the coop, you will likely want to lock up the coop and manually let the birds out on days warmer than 45 degrees F.