Heather Horst is a gardener and beekeeper and wants to nourish herself out of her own backyard. “Eggs are the highest protein crop I could grow,” she says.
Horst was one of those who met with members of the city council, the city attorney and the building department in the quest to legalize raising poultry in Goshen, IN, and in 2014 was the first person in the city to receive a license. Initially she purchased a coop and laying hens on Craigslist but has since raised several flocks from chicks.
Over the past few years, urban chicken-raising in Indiana has been approved for Goshen, Mishawaka and South Bend, as well as for unincorporated areas of St. Joseph County. Osceola, Roseland, New Carlisle, Walkerton, North Liberty and Lakeville all adhere to St. Joseph County’s ordinance, with its own application procedure for permits.
Horst, a massage therapist and holistic nurse, says, “I wanted to have a relationship with my food. When I collect the eggs, I can thank the hens personally. Every day I make sure they have food and water and appreciation. They don’t take a lot of work, just a little attention a few times a day.
“I like to hear their little chicken voices. They can’t tell me they’re content, but when I hear their vocalizations and see them moving freely, they sure seem happy. I’m so pleased that we were able to get the city council to take a chance on this, and that the experiment has gone so well.”
She wants people to know you don’t need a rooster to get eggs. Roosters, whose crowing can be heard for miles, are forbidden in cities except in areas with agricultural zoning.
Horst expects to have eggs from her current flock of hens when they’re about 6 months old. “In time to make a pumpkin custard for Thanksgiving,” she says.
Trudi and Nick Donovan and their children Sawyer, 5, and Rosalie, 3, live in a 140-year-old Italianate farmhouse in Granger, IN. Nick recently built (using reclaimed materials) a sizable chicken coop attached to one end of the barn, thought to be original to the property.
The predator-proof coop includes interior space and a shady screened outdoor run, as well as a vestibule used to store feed and supplies. In the vestibule, a drop-down door allows access to the nest boxes for egg collection. “I got a lot of ideas from Pinterest,” says Trudi, whom Nick describes as the mastermind of the project. The chickens are sometimes allowed to range freely in the yard to peck at bugs and weeds if someone is home to supervise—and to keep an eye out for chicken predators, from dogs and cats to raccoons.
Trudi brought plenty of skills to the project: She graduated from Indiana University with a Bachelor of Science in biology and worked for three years as a zookeeper at Potawatomi Zoo, where she managed the chicken flock.
Since the Donovans knew they only wanted hens, they purchased day-old, female chicks from mypetchicken.com, which offers chicks, hatching eggs, chicken coops and supplies, as well as free “how-to” information. The chicks, which hatched in February, were kept warm in their basement over the winter.
The Donovans’ flock includes a variety of breeds, including several Easter Eggers (which lay pink, blue and green eggs), two Barred Rocks and a Speckled Sussex. One hen began laying at around 16 weeks, and most of the flock is now producing eggs. When all are laying, Trudi expects to collect eight to 10 eggs per day. “I bake and cook, and we donate them to friends and family,” Trudi says.
Care of the flock is not time-consuming. Trudi cleans the coop thoroughly once a week, and the hens’ food and water is changed every other day or every third day.
The chickens the Donovans keep are less tolerant of heat than cold. When it’s hot she gives them frozen ice treats made with vegetables. Their body temperature is higher than ours, and they’re fine in cold weather, she adds. “They fluff their feathers and huddle together.”
If you’re considering raising chickens, it’s important to observe basic rules for animal care. “Don’t let children kiss or snuggle the chickens, and wash hands with soap and water after touching them. Take it seriously,” advises Trudi.
Hens’ egg production falls off after two or three years, but chickens can live eight years or more. “Some people cull and use them for meat,” Trudi says. “We plan to keep them as pets. They’re members of the family.”
Interested in raising chickens? Here are some good resources to get you started:
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