home > article > Chickens in the Burbs
Masher
Chickens in the Burbs
- by Laura, May 18, 2008
Location: Montclair, NJ. An expensive, crowded, upscale brain-powered burb, a mere 12 miles outside of NYC. In other words… Not the kind of place you usually find women raising a flock of chickens.
But here we are in the backyard of Grace Chow Grund--on a perfect suburban block—amidst fourteen hens in a chicken run positioned at the far end of her flower- and vegetable-filled lot.
The question is, of course, why? Why have chickens in suburbia?
“I keep them for three reasons,” replies Grace.
“The first reason is for the eggs of course. We get 9 to 11 on a good day.”
“The second reason is that they’re extremely funny. Whenever you’re in a bad mood, just come out here and watch them. They’re very silly--and not very smart. Our family has lots of chicken jokes.’
The third reason is my passion for sustainable living. They eat all my vegetable scraps--they eat pasta and bread and salad--everything. I make hardly any garbage. Their manure gets aged for compost and makes beautiful flowers and vegetables. We can all live peaceably in the world. You don’t need fourteen chickens to do it. We can all find a way to slow down and be mindful. The chickens do this for me.”
Grace makes it look so easy and wonderful that before I know it, I’m asking her about where I can get a chicken coop and some Blue Araucanas of my own. Oh those fresh eggs are so appealing. But wait...what about the gross parts? I had a lot of questions for Grace. Here’s my Q& A--gathered while sons number 1 and 2 (ages 7 and 12) stared enraptured at the clucking girls and begged for a flock of their own.
LS: “Do you get rats?”
GG: “Yes, of course. Rats have been on the earth longer than we have. When I have to, I use poison. That’s one nonorganic thing I do. But we also have hawks come by and help.
LS: Did you grow up doing this?
GG: It’s familiar to me. I began my life in Malaysian where lots of people have chickens.
LS: Is this legal? Do your neighbors mind?
GG: In our town, we’re allowed to keep up to 25. I’m well under the limit. As to the neighbors, we asked them first.
LS How did you get started?
GG: There was a guy I knew who had chickens and I admired them, so I started with three. Then I made a big leap and ordered 15 through the mail.
LS: How much does it cost to feed them?
GG: Probably about $50 bucks of chicken feed a month.
LS: Do you have predators?
GG: Racoons are my number-one predator. I’ve got a pesky one right now who’s determined to reduce my flock. At night, I get the girls into the coop and lock them in where they’re safe. But sometimes, when they’re still out, a raccoon will get a bird. You come out and find some feathers and maybe a few bones.”
LS: Is it gross to clean out the chicken coop?
GG: ....
LS: Are other families doing this in our town?
GG: I’d guess about ten.
LS: What does your husband think of this?
GG: He kind of lets me be. He grew up on a farm, so he sees this all differently. They’re not pets.
By the way, Grace’s commitment to sustainable living is bigger than chickens. You can often find her at her shop Terra Tea Salon and Fair Trade Eco Market “>Terra Tea Salon and Fair Trade Eco Market on Church Street in Montclair, NJ.
To find out about Laura's search for a long lost family recipe, click [