Keeping chickens in Atlanta - our CityChick chicken keeper spotlight!
One of the best kept secrets about Atlanta is that its home to an amazing community of backyard chicken keepers. There was a time that if you had chickens in Atlanta, you were seen as that "quirky" neighbor. The popularity of backyard chickens has exploded over the past couple of years and now those quirky neighbors are seen as the "cool kids" on the block. CityChick is proud to feature some of Atlanta's amazing backyard chicken keepers with our chicken keeper spotlight!
This month's chicken keeper is an animal lover at heart with four dogs and a beautiful flock of chickens! She's got some great advice for anyone that is new to keeping chickens so please help me welcome our newest spotlighted chicken keeper!
This month's chicken keeper is an animal lover at heart with four dogs and a beautiful flock of chickens! She's got some great advice for anyone that is new to keeping chickens so please help me welcome our newest spotlighted chicken keeper!
Say hello to Bree!
(Bree with her beautiful flock of chickens)
(Bree with her beautiful flock of chickens)Tell us about yourself!
I was born and raised in Hawaii and have been living in Atlanta since 1997. The husband and I are both public school teachers in the area and recently bought a home in the Sylvan Hills area of SW Atlanta. We share our home with 4 dogs (Java, Cole, Liam & Buford) & our backyard chickens.
(Dolly decided a flower pot would make a great dust bathing area!)
How long have you been keeping chickens?
I started with backyard chickens in April of 2021.
How did you get started in chickens?
Funny story- we ended buying our home from close friends, Bill & Rob, who decided that mountain living in Jasper was for them. They ended up getting chickens and kept sharing how much fun they were. Fast forward to April and they convinced me to take 3 of their flock and loaned me a starter coop. Those 3 chickens started the journey to where I am now, less than a year later.
(Recycled tires make a GREAT way to provide a dust bath in the coop)
How many chickens do you have?
I have a total of 14 chickens, but 4 are "foster" chickens that will return to their owner in March. I prefer to try different breeds and have the following as our chickens: Copper (Cream legbar), Ivory (Lavendar Marans), Kinlee (Deathlayer), Raven (Olive Egger), KFC (light Brahma), Shimmer (salmon favorelles), Ester (Dominique), Butter (Salmon Favorelles), Asher (Blue Marans), Maze (Black Copper Marans). The 4 fosters are: Big Bertha & Dolly (buff orpingtons), Ember & Blackbeard (Easter Eggers). I have plans to add 4 more pullets in the Spring- a Cochin, blue laced red Wyandotte, Ameracauna & Pearl Legbar.
(Copper, the beautiful Ceam Legbar hen!)
What's your favorite thing about keeping chickens?
How do I narrow it down? I love learning their personalities within the flock. I consider it a win when they start to trust me enough to eat grubs out of my hand, or jump on my lap for snacks. It's been wonderful seeing 8 week old pullets develop into layers and co-mingle in with the older hens. I have found that watching my chickens be chickens is the perfect relaxation at the end of a school day.
How do I narrow it down? I love learning their personalities within the flock. I consider it a win when they start to trust me enough to eat grubs out of my hand, or jump on my lap for snacks. It's been wonderful seeing 8 week old pullets develop into layers and co-mingle in with the older hens. I have found that watching my chickens be chickens is the perfect relaxation at the end of a school day.
(Is it possible to hold a chicken and not smile?)What is your favorite product(s) from CityChick that help with your flock?
CityChick has been so helpful for me. I love their bedding choices- either the hemp or flax shive is perfect for the deep litter method I use in the hutch. I also get their grit and oyster shells from CityChick, along with food. My girls have tried most of the food choices and done well with all of them. I especially appreciate the delivery service to our door and my dogs appreciate the cookies left for them.
(See those paver stones? They help keep predators out)What advice would you give to any new chicken keeper?
The most important piece of advice is predator proofing your coop. I purchase a Wayne's Coop with hardware cloth all around it. But, I didn't stop there- the coop was built on top of a hardware cloth ground with a skirt going further out. Additionally, 12x12 pavers go around the perimeter of the coop. The second piece of advice is to find a vet that treats chickens before you NEED to find a vet that treats chickens. Lastly, chicken math is real and there's no cure!
Thank you so much to Bree for sharing your chicken keeping story with the community!
Know of someone that keeps chickens in Atlanta that would like to be featured? Let us know at email@CityChickAtl.com! We're always looking for great backyard chicken keepers!
Need backyard chicken supplies delivered to your door? Check out our amazing collection of feed, chicken treats, bedding and more by clicking here.
Need backyard chicken supplies delivered to your door? Check out our amazing collection of feed, chicken treats, bedding and more by clicking here.
