You Don’t Have To Live In Rural Areas To Have Chickens

You don’t have to live in rural areas to have chickens in Sacramento. Chickens are allowed in some subdivisions. In Elk Grove, for example, I have sold homes where they allow a few chickens for personal use but no roosters. Also, a home on a ¼ acre lot in Rancho Cordova, chickens were allowed. If you have never raised chickens, you might not be aware hens will lay eggs without a rooster.

You only need a rooster if you want to raise baby chicks. To have a rooster, you do need to live in a rural area. Roosters can sing their songs at 2 am or 3 am as they often get confused with what time it is. The rooster next door must have been eaten by a coyote as he disappeared. Thank goodness the neighbor did not go buy another rooster! That rooster started to crow at 2 am and didn’t stop until 8 am. I lost a lot of sleep and finally had to sleep with the TV on to drown out the cock-a-doodle-doo of that pesky rooster.

The hens cluck when they lay their eggs but they are not loud like a rooster. I love having chickens. There is something very fulfilling about feeding your chickens and collecting fresh eggs. There are many types of chickens and they lay different colored eggs. The chickens love leftover vegetables and bread.

Chickens need fresh water as it actually helps keep them warm. Water is especially important in the winter, not just in the summer. Freshwater, scraps and chicken feed keep the hens healthy and able to lay more eggs.

Fresh chicken scratch is made up of mostly dried corn kernels. I throw a few cups of scratch out each day as it gives the hens something to pick at. There are several varieties of chickens. If you always wanted to have a few chickens, you might check with your zoning department to confirm if you can have chickens. You don’t have to live in rural areas to have chickens. Some areas allow chickens in subdivisions. Rural real estate is not for everyone, though.

If you are interested in finding a property with the flexibility to have chickens, call Weintraub & Wallace Realtors, with RE/MAX Gold. We can be reached at 916-233-6759.

— JaCi Wallace