Pets most fowl: Raising backyard chickens
Chickens belonging to the Marchewka family gather in the run.
Jon Andreassi/Observer-Reporter
Haley Steere’s chickens Hedwig and Buckbeak exit their coop, the “Hen Den.”
Kristan Marchewka, who runs Roos & Bawks consultants, is always willing to help people set up their own backyard chicken farms, similar to hers, shown here.
Courtesy of Debra Betters
Two of Debra Betters’ chickens stand on a picnic table.
Courtesy of Debra Betters
Debra Betters’ chicken coop at her Mount Pleasant home.
Buckbeak and Headwig enjoy breadcrumbs on a sunny day.
Kristan Marchewka speaks to a crowd at the Peters Township Public Library earlier this month about the basics of raising backyard chickens.
The price of eggs got you down?
Though buying a flock of feathered friends is hardly an immediate solution to $4 for a dozen eggs, owners of “backyard chickens” have found a lot of reasons to love their birds beyond free food.
Kristan Marchewka lives in Eighty Four with her family, and has become a local guide to raising chickens since starting with 16 chicks of her own in 2017.
“It was because our daughter wanted them. We had no idea how amazing they were actually going to be,” Marchewka said.
Marchewka runs Roos & Bawks Consultants through donations, and is willing to help anyone who wants to start their own backyard chicken farm.
She notes, however, if you are mostly interested in the eggs, the upfront cost means it is unlikely you’ll start saving money quickly.
“Economic wise, it would be quite a while,” Marchewka said. “I think it would take a couple years before you see any return on investment.”
Marchewka estimates that new chicken owners will spend at least $300 on a coop and another $150 to build the run. With six to eight hens, she says you may spend about $300 on chicken feed annually, depending on the type of feed.
She stressed the importance of being prepared for the arrival of your chicks. Marchewka said she did a lot of research beforehand, but still made mistakes – one being that they did not have a coop ready for when the chicks grew up, which they do quickly.
“Three to four weeks, those little buggers were flying all over the place in our house,” Marchewka said. “We didn’t know anyone else who had chickens at the time, so we were brand new.”
Also important is being aware of your municipality’s zoning ordinances. In Peters Township, where Marchewka recently drew a large crowd at the public library to review the basics of raising chicks, residents in the rural or low-density residential districts are permitted up to six hens – no roosters – on a property 10 acres or less in size.
The rules vary from place to place.
In Fayette County, many residents live with few restrictions on how many chickens they can keep.
With the exception of 11 municipalities, most of the zoning in Fayette is governed at the county level. Sara Harvey, the director of planning, zoning and community development in Fayette County, said there only a couple requirements of chicken owners.
“Chickens are only permitted in the A-1, agricultural-rural zoning district. You must have a minimum lot size of 80,000 square feet,” Harvey said.
She added that a majority of the county is zoned A-1. Another regulation: Any structure for housing the chickens must be at least 150 feet away from any property line. However, residents are not held to a maximum number of chickens they can keep.
“We don’t have a limit like that,” Harvey said.
South Union Township is one Fayette County community that handles its own zoning. Township Supervisor Bob Schiffbauer said they have had more residents expressing interest in raising chickens in recent years.
“It does seem like it’s becoming more popular,” Schiffbauer said. “I think as long as the economy and prices of things continue to increase, we’ll probably see more of this.”
The main restriction in South Union is that chickens cannot be free-range and must be kept in a pen at all times.
“There are no limitations on the number or restrictions, other than having them kept in a pen,” Schiffbauer said.
Haley Steere keeps two chickens at her home in North Strabane Township, where zoning regulations allow for four hens per acre of property. Like Peters Township, no roosters are allowed.
Steere grew up on a small Canonsburg farm with many animals, including chickens, and recently moved back to the area from Missouri.
“I wanted chickens. That was one of the first things that I really wanted to do,” Steere said.
Now, Hedwig and Buckbeak live in the “Hen Den,” and enjoy roaming Steere’s acre of property.
Steere enjoys having a steady stream of fresh eggs, but mostly sees her birds as pets.
“They’re just fun. They’re fun to have. They eat the bugs in the backyard. I hate ticks, so they go after the ticks really well,” Steere said.
Ultimately, Steere says they don’t save much with their pair of hens.
“I’m sure in the long run we pay more to have them, but they’re more pets anyway and they just now and then give back to us,” Steere said.
In Mount Pleasant Township, Debra Betters fell victim to “chicken math.”
Betters, a retired nurse, got six chicks at the onset of the pandemic. Like Marchewka, she was new to raising chickens.
“Chicken math” is a strange phenomenon among chicken owners, where “just a few” chicks grow at an exponential rate.
“I started with six. Then I bought another six. Then another six,” Betters said.
Betters now has 24 chickens, and is able to provide her neighbors and family with free eggs.
She acknowledges that failing to account for “chicken math” was her biggest mistake as a new owner, as she needed to expand the size of the coop.
“Get a large coop. Get the largest run and the largest coop you can get. Because chicken math matters,” Betters said.
Betters also views her flock as pets.
“They’ll come over and sit by you, and start purring. They are very, very friendly. They follow me everywhere,” Betters said.
That’s why Marchewka has taken to calling chickens “feather puppies.” Marchewka said it’s not uncommon for chickens to be affectionate, and come to their people for hugs and jump into their laps.
“They are surprising. They are curious. When they are happy, and have a happy home, they will lay more,” Marchewka said. “We can’t believe their personalities. They are not just a food. They actually make a pretty cool pet, if you don’t want a pet in the house.”