11 things she learned about chickens

• Baby chicks need to be kept indoors until they are several weeks old, and some breeds don’t start laying eggs for months.

• Chickens can live up to 15 years.

• Each chicken has its own personality.

• They make a loud clucking noise when they lay an egg, usually in the morning.

• Frozen corn kernels make a nice treat on a hot day.

• Predators are a continual threat; It’s not “if” you’ll lose a bird, but “when.”

• If your chickens become ill or injured, you’ll need a veterinarian who cares for chickens. Not all do.

• Chickens require occasional bathing, using dish soap and thick gloves in a utility sink.

• Fresh, unwashed eggs do not need to be refrigerated for up to two weeks because they are covered with a protective layer of protein from the hen’s body that seals the otherwise porous shell. Once that “egg bloom” is washed away, the eggs must be refrigerated. In general, hold off washing fresh eggs until just before you eat them. A wash consists of a rinse and rub under warm water.

• Chicken poop makes great fertilizer, but only after it has composted for a year.

• Check whether your municipality allows backyard chickens before following in Flatau’s footsteps. She says to sample the backyard chicken lifestyle, consider renting chickens for a season first.

*A word from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Do not snuggle or kiss your chickens. Even clean, healthy chickens can carry salmonella germs, which spread easily to anything in the areas where poultry live and roam.