Do you prefer organic, vegetarian-fed, free-range eggs but don't like to pay a premium price for them? Would you like an easy, organic means of managing weeds - even the dreaded bindweed? Have you ever wished you could have your own personal, continuous supply of manure for your compost? Well, you can have all this (and more!) with a few backyard chickens. Chickens can be a wonderful addition to any backyard garden but to avoid irritating your neighbors, get hens only - no roosters! Also, if you live within city limits, be sure and check with your city zoning department to be sure that raising backyard chickens is legal in your area.

Chickens are little manure machines and will provide you with plenty of manure (a great source of nitrogen) for adding to your compost pile. It is important to compost the manure before using it to fertilize your garden, as fresh manure will burn your plants. Chickens will also help manage weeds. Chickens love to scratch, almost obsessively so! If you put up a temporary pen (a dog pen works well for this) in an area from which you want to get rid of weeds (for example, before planting a garden) and put your chickens in the penned in area, it will be weed free in no time. Chickens also love to eat weeds, so if you don't like to add weeds to your compost pile, but don't want to add them to the landfill, just toss them over into the chicken pen and they will disappear! That is also a great way to get rid of extra kitchen scraps. Be careful, though, chickens aren't discerning when it comes to diet and will happily eat your prized veggies and bedding plants (hence, the suggestion to pen them in over the weed patch).

Keep in mind, though, that we have several fox families living in the Fort Collins area that would love to make a meal of your chickens. For that reason, you will need to make sure they have a safe place to sleep at night. A small coop can be built from plywood, siding, or other similar material, along with hardware cloth or chicken wire for ventilation and added security from predators. A coop for three to four chickens should be roughly the size of a large doghouse. Several plans for chicken coops - ranging from quite simple to very fancy - can be found on the Internet. Aside from a coop to sleep in and a pen to run around in, a chicken waterer and a chicken feeder -- both available from several local feed and farm supply stores, are all you need to set up your own backyard chicken habitat. A diet of chicken pellets, supplemented with kitchen scraps and weeds, makes chickens quite inexpensive to maintain.

Just like vegetables fresh from the garden taste better than store-bought vegetables, fresh eggs from your backyard often taste better than those you can buy in the supermarket. Don't worry about having more eggs than you and your family can consume, they make great barter with the neighbors for produce and goodies. You will be surprised at how many times you will get the eggs back that you gave to a neighbor - in the form of cookies, cakes, brownies.... Egg production varies somewhat by breed and is influenced by temperature, stress, and molting; however, each hen will produce about four to six eggs per week and continue laying for several years.

But, the best reason of all to have backyard chickens it that they are FUN!! Each hen has her own personality, and most are quite quirky, making them delightful to watch.

Q: What annuals can I plant that can take dry conditions?

A: There are many annuals that require less water than a blue grass lawn once established. The following list is only a few: Spider flower (Cleome hassleriana), dusty miller (Senecio cineraria), gazania (Gazania rigens), gloriosa daisy (Rudbeckia hirta), moss rose (Portulaca grandiflora), verbena hybrids, vinca (Catharanthus roseus), zinnia (especially Zinnia angustifolia), petunia hybrids, and mealy cup sage (Salviafarinacea).

Q: Do hummingbirds like petunias? I think I see one sipping from the flowers in the evening.

A: What you are seeing is most likely the hawk moth or hummingbird moth. These large moths can be seen at dusk and dawn sipping nectar rich tubular flowers like petunias. The moths hover like the hummingbirds but are not brightly colored. The larvae of these moths are the infamous tomato and tobacco hornworms.

Q: Why is there a dark, wet stain on the trunk of my elm tree? Insects seem to be very attracted to this.

A: Your tree probably has bacterial wetwood. This condition is not uncommon in large elms and cottonwoods, as well as other trees. Wetwood may occur in the trunk, roots, and branches. It is thought to be caused by anaerobic bacteria that inhabit the non-living portions of the tree. Internal pressure from bacterial activity forces it out of cracks or wounds in the tree. Fungi, yeast and bacteria grow in this discharge making it very attractive to insects. Wetwood has no known cure and is considered a nuisance or cosmetic problem. Reduce stress to your tree especially in times of drought by providing adequate deep watering. Also, keep an eye on the structural integrity of the tree.

Q: Earwigs are collecting in the saucers of my containers and underneath the pots. How can I get rid of them?

A: Earwigs hide during the day in dark, sheltered places. At night they can feed on young plants and flowers. However, they are also predators of aphids, insect eggs, and larvae providing a natural control against garden pests. Regardless of their fearsome looking pinchers or cerci, they are not harmful to humans or animals. If the earwigs are not significantly harming your plants, leave them alone. Otherwise you can trap them by providing wet newspapers, burlap, or boards for them to hide under. Collect and relocate or destroy them. Insecticide baits and sprays are also available at your local nursery.

Improved soil fertility, structure and water-holding capacity are all benefits of earthworms in your landscape. Encourage earthworms to populate your soil by recycling grass clippings, applying organic mulch or amending the soil with compost.

If you're using an automatic sprinkler system, avoid over-watering by knowing how much water you are applying in inches, not just minutes. CSU Cooperative Extension's Fact Sheet 7.239 - Operating and Maintaining a Home Irrigation System describes how to measure precipitation rates and determine sprinkler run times.

Proper landscaping design and plant selection can help reduce the amount of energy required to maintain a comfortable living environment. Shade, wind protection and noise reduction are just a few of the benefits of good planning. To determine the best plant choices for your situation, consult your CSU Cooperative Extension County office.

The authors have received training through Colorado State University Cooperative Extension's Master Gardener program and is a Master Gardener volunteer for Larimer County.

Gardening and Insect Fact Sheets are available on-line by clicking HERE.

Return to Master Gardener Articles

This page updated:  July 20, 2004