Deitra : I'm new to your newsletter! Love it! I was reading the article concerning the hawk attack....I have had some serious problems with this also! Hawks are terrified of crows! You can use crow decoys on your coop that will scare them away! It has worked for me. I've been raising backyard chickens and Guineas for five years now....pretty much by trial and error, but I have learned so much and love my birds! Thanks for all the great info you provide! Deitra

John : Re: Treats for chickens. My chickens love Cantaloupe seeds, rinds and watermelon rinds. John Kuhl

Nicole : Hi Gina, as always, I thoroughly enjoy your newsletters every time and I don't even have chickens yet! I am trying to be very thoughtful and intentional before I do. With that being said, are there any city folk who work full time and have a few chickens? I would worry about them being out unattended in the yard whilst I am away during the day, and I worry, that being kept in a pen is no quality life for a chicken. Should I wait until retirement (20 more years at least) for chickens when I could spend more time watching over them? Also, we have a pond in our yard, so drowning is a concern. (two corgis and two cats as well) Any words of wisdom?

My Reply : The minimum run space commonly quoted is 10 square feet per chicken. They could survive on less but also would probably enjoy more space if it was available to them. If they don't have a chance to free range much, or at all, more would be better than less and would also make keeping things reasonably sanitary a bit easier as a smaller area would build up mess quickly. Unless they are in a secure enclosure it would most likely be just a matter of time before something got them if leaving them unattended in a yard. A secure enclosure would probably include wire over the top and also wire going down several inches underground (to stop diggers). It would also need to include sheltered areas from strong winds and heavy rain and sun. Chickens don't need huge amounts of time to care for them - if you are quite 'hands on' with them then perhaps a minimum of 10 minutes two or three times a day to let them out / lock them in, collect eggs, keep an eye on their health and check on their feed / water and clean up a bit. There are labour saving devices such as automatic waterers, feeders and coop door openers which could possibly reduce that time but it would be a shame to miss out on the pleasure of spending time with them, chatting and enjoying their company