A growing number of chickens have made their way into the backyards of New Jersey’s residential areas, and they don’t plan on crossing roads any time soon.
Julia Leung, a speech therapist pathologist living in Monroe Township is one of the state’s proud backyard chicken owners. She explains that her husband had the idea to raise chickens after discovering that they were “excellent at getting rid of ticks in the backyard.”
She adds that the chickens also help cut down on food waste, saying “They’ll eat anything, and everything. Rice, bread, vegetables that go bad. They’ll even eat chicken- but we haven’t done that, that’s kind of nasty.”
Aside from the fresh eggs and the tick maintenance that the chickens provide, Leung states that the animals are simply “a different type of pet,” adding that, “They’re very friendly and very smart- smarter than you would actually imagine. They’re very entertaining and social.”
Kyle Messatzzia, who has experience working on farms and often cares for his mother’s thirty chickens, also recommends that anyone who is considering adopting chicks of their own “have the space for it, because if you have free range chickens you definitely want to try to block them off from your main living area since they can get messy.”
In fact, according to Clabornfarms.com the recommended square footage per chicken can range between 4-8 feet depending on a variety of factors such as breed, age, and whether the chickens are free range or not.
The maintenance aside, both Messatzzia and Leung agree that the hardest task in raising chickens is in making sure that they are safe from nearby predators.
Leung advises new owners to, “make sure that the home setting is very, very, very, very safe because it’s a nightmare coming out to a dead chicken- that’s number one, to make sure your chickens are safe.”
One tip discovered by Messatzzia, aside from his mother’s “prison-like coop,” is the use of motion-sensored lights. He states that “it startles predators and makes them think that something is nearby, so they run off.”
However, problems don’t always come from outside the nest. Leung’s chickens got close to killing the rooster. She says, “we haven’t been able to fertilize any of the eggs yet because they do not accept mating with the rooster…They’re a bunch of lesbians. They do not like that rooster.”
For those sold on the idea of raising chickens of their own, they should first check their township’s regulations.
Leung says, “You do have to check with your town that chickens are legal on your land. Certain townships don’t allow them, and some just don’t allow roosters.”
If your property is approved for chickens, you can get them locally or even order them through the mail. One popular online source for live poultry is Murray McMurray Hatchery. You can put chicks right in your cart like ordering from Amazon. A puffy headed Buff Laced Polish hen chick will run you about $6 while a run of the mill “heavy” bread to eat is currently about $2.50.
Ultimately, while it’s not all sunny side up in the world of backyard chickens, New Jersey’s residents who do undertake it can expect fresh eggs and lively personalities.
