Home is where the hens are

Outdoor
Above, Rick Stanley of Chick Farm in Wells, Maine (photo by Charlie Weinmann)

Raising backyard chickens is becoming more popular around the Seacoast and beyond
by Charlie Weinmann

Ruth Sample is a mild-mannered psychology professor by day. But when she returns to her Lee home and checks in on the flock of nine hens and one rooster living in her backyard, she becomes something more.

“When I approach the barn, whether in my truck or on foot, they come running at me like I am a rock star and they are my entourage,” she said.

Sample is one of the many Seacoast residents who raise chickens in their backyards. The idea that chickens are meant to live only on farms has flown the coop — chickens can be found in backyards in big cities and small towns. For those looking to add some chickens to their home menagerie, local help is available. On Monday, April 6, poultry experts Rick and Marilyn Stanley will host a backyard chickens class at Kittery Adult Education in Kittery, Maine.

The Stanleys own Chick Farm in Wells, Maine. Marilyn’s grandparents owned the farm, and it’s where she grew up.

“I was surrounded by chickens from day one,” Marilyn said.

OUT_chicks1baby chicks at Chick Farm (photo by Charlie Weinmann)

The farm sells eggs and chickens to local restaurants. About five years ago, they bought 300 chicks with the intent of selling them to local farmers. Then they realized that raising poultry was suddenly very popular.

“We thought we would sell them 50 to 100 at a time to some farmer, but we ended up selling them to backyard chicken people,” Rick said.

It’s easy to see why backyard chickens have become a trend over the past few years. According to the Stanleys, raising chickens gets children and families up close and personal with food sources and teaches the value of livestock. Chickens provide eggs and fertilizer and help keep insects to a minimum. Rick said young couples with children will show up and buy two or six chickens to bring home to their backyard.

Sample is a typical backyard chicken owner. She started raising them in 2013, when a neighbor offered her some chickens. Her chickens live in a coop surrounded by a deer fence that helps keep predators at bay.

“We get about seven or eight eggs a day, which is great,” Sample said. “Even better is that they are great entertainment for the kids. My son spends hours designing little amusement parks for them in the orchard, and my daughter loves to snuggle them.”

OUT_Ruth-Sample's-daughter,-Hannah-Rubine_courtesy-of-Ruth-SampleRuth Sample's daughter Hannah with a chick

She says chickens have proven to be less work than most other pets — you let them out in the morning, and shut the coop door in the evening, and make sure they have feed and water. Sample said they can even be cuddly.

“They really like a little snuggle, and make the sweetest little sounds,” Sample said.

According to Rick Stanley, awareness about how chickens are treated at large-scale factory farming operations has helped convince people to raise their own chickens for eggs and meat.

“People want to grow their own food … they think more about what they’re eating than they used to,” Rick said.

The rules for raising chickens vary in each town and city, and potential chicken owners should check their local ordinances. And owning chickens isn’t without risk. Dealing with predators and keeping chickens warm during the winter months are among the challenges.

“One of the things I think people don’t realize is how dangerous dogs can be,” Marilyn said.

She and her husband have received calls from people asking for more chickens because family dogs have attacked their flock.

“We try so hard to tell people … it’s in (the dog’s) nature, they can’t help it,” Marilyn said.

Rick and Marilyn’s course focuses on egg-laying chickens and covers everything from which breeds produce which varieties of eggs to sanitation procedures and chicken health and well-being.

“In a lot of ways,” Marilyn said, “(chickens) are easier than a cat or a dog.”

Marilyn and Rick Stanley will host a backyard chickens workshop on Monday, April 6 at 6 p.m. at Kittery Adult Education at Traip Academy, 12 Williams Ave., Kittery, Maine. Admission is $15. For information, call 207-439-5896 or sign up at kittery.coursestorm.com.