Feathered friends visit Mt. Lebanon Public Library for ‘Backyard Chickens’ program
Neither cluck nor caw nor cackle stayed Krista Martin and Liesa Stiller from completion of their appointed round: telling all about chickens.
The two officers of the Uniontown Poultry Association visited Mt. Lebanon Public Library for the July 12 installment of the library’s summer Urban Homesteading series of programs, providing information on sustainable living techniques.
For “Backyard Chickens,” Martin and Stiller – they’re sisters – brought four of the birds to get to know the 30 or so people in attendance, and vice versa. Despite the occasional avian interruption, the presenters covered two-plus hours’ worth of basics for prospective chicken raisers.
“This does give you an idea of what the different sizes are,” Martin said about the feathered quartet, ranging from a full-grown-but-petite bantam named Annie to the relatively buxom Ladybug. “So if you’re thinking, how many chickens do I want, it will depend on the breed and it will depend on whether you get bantams or regular size, which is sometimes called standard or large fowl.”
Bulk, or lack thereof, is only one consideration.
“Once you decide to get chickens, your first inquiry is going to have to be, what do I want them for? Am I going for beauty? Am I going for utility? Or am I going for the pet? Because chickens can serve all of those functions,” Martin, a West Pike Run Township resident, explained.
As far as poultry pulchritude, some breeds definitely are known for their looks. For example, Annie and the larger Phyllis, also present at the program, are of the Polish or Poland variety, known for a bouffant crest of feathers and V-shaped comb.
Those who are looking for utility might be served best by the Leghorn, as long as its first name isn’t Foghorn.
“They lay an egg a day, like clockwork,” Stiller said. “They are egg-laying machines. They’re the big white eggs you see at the grocery store.”
Not all of them are that color, of course. There’s the example of Martin’s Americana chicken named Baby.
“She just laid her first egg, which I brought with me so I could show you guys, because it’s green,” Martin said, doing so to the general astonishment of those in attendance. “That’s one of the things about this particular breed, is that they will lay green or blue eggs.”
Whatever the egg color, Stiller recommended buying pullets, females less than a year old, at the point lay, meaning they are ready to start producing.
As for males, buyer beware: Even where chickens are permitted in suburban settings, that usually doesn’t apply to roosters.
“We strongly advocate responsible poultry keeping,” Stiller, a Carmichaels resident, explained. “That’s why we recommend that you go to a breeder or somebody like that who is able to ‘sex’ the birds before you get them, so you get exactly what you’re supposed to be getting, and you’re not stuck getting rid of a rooster.”
As far as costs, pullets at point of lay might go for somewhere between $8 and $15, or perhaps a lot less. Or more.
“Often they’re free,” Martin said, then admitted: “The most I ever spent for a chicken was $140.”
To which Stiller inquired, “And how long did he live, Kris?”
To which Martin replied, “Three days. And the $140 did not include the trip out to the eastern shore of Maryland and the stay overnight at the Holiday Inn, and all my gas and meals.”
Knowing all of that might be beneficial for Matt and Ashley Vercauteren, Bridgeville residents who attended the program.
“We’re thinking about moving, and we would like to get chickens,” Matt said, explaining that the birds are forbidden in their current hometown. “I like the idea of being able to gather eggs and have fresh omelets.”
For more information about the Uniontown Poultry Association, the largest such group in southwestern Pennsylvania, visit http://www.uniontownpoultry.com/.