I’ve always wanted chickens.
But there’s one small problem—we live in a city.
Now, before you picture a bustling metropolis like New York or Chicago, let me clarify. Our "city" is technically one of the smallest in the country. You can walk from one end to the other in under 15 minutes. There are a few local businesses, but it’s more of a small town than a city. In fact, our property used to have a barn on it—back when farming was still common here. That’s how rural it used to be.
But times have changed. With city ordinances in place, agricultural animals like chickens aren't allowed.
That didn’t stop me from dreaming, though. When we bought our off-grid property, I knew the chance to finally raise chickens was much closer. But in the first year, we were too busy clearing trails and exploring to even think about animals. Year two? I was focused on building up the garden.
Then came the egg shortage.
Suddenly, raising chickens went from a "someday" dream to something much more urgent. I’ve always been into self-sufficiency—I can my own garden produce, buy in bulk, and prefer knowing where my food comes from. So, when I found myself deciding between spending $20 on a case of 90 eggs (the best deal I could find) or sacrificing a chunk of my grocery budget, I thought: This is the year.
The Quest for Chicks: Easier Said Than Done
As soon as I saw those "Chick Days" signs in early spring, I sprang into action. I began gathering supplies—just a little at a time. A small waterer here, a feeder and a heat lamp there. I bought a bag of chick feed, some bedding... Easy enough, right?
But finding chicks? That was the hard part.
All the years
I wasn’t looking, farm stores seemed to have chicks in abundance. But this year? Delayed shipments due to cold weather. By the time they started shipping, everything was sold out instantly. My kids even called stores daily asking, “Do you have chicks yet?”
Finally, after checking my local stores with no luck, I called one a bit farther away. And guess what? They had chicks in stock!
The Great Chick Decision
When I arrived, I had two options: sexed Wyandottes or unsexed Rhode Island Reds.
The Wyandottes were a deep, dark brown with a couple of lighter stripes on their backs. The Rhode Island Reds, however, were the classic yellow chicks you see in Easter ads—fluffy little bundles of cuteness. Should I get six of each?
But wait—what if all six Rhode Island Reds turned out to be roosters?
As I stood there, staring at over a hundred tiny chicks, I asked an employee how to tell the difference. She mentioned some old wives’ tales—dangling them upside down, wing patterns, all sorts of tricks. But none were foolproof.
Just as I was weighing my options, another woman walked up, pointed to the Wyandottes, and said, “I’ll take 20 of those.”
That was it for me. I had to make a decision fast before she scooped them all up. I’m not a gambler, and I didn’t want to end up with five roosters to cull. So, I decided on 10 sexed Wyandottes and 2 unsexed Rhode Island Reds.
The Big Reveal
When my kids came home from school that day, they were beyond thrilled. I hadn’t told them I’d found chicks, so I let the sound of peeping in the house do the talking. Cue squeals, excitement, and lots of baby chick snuggles.
A few days later, we noticed something odd.
“One of these things is not like the other…”
It turned out our 10 Wyandottes weren’t all Wyandottes. There was one chick with a fluffy white belly, a grey-and-black back, and black feet—like a baby penguin. He quickly became everyone’s favorite. Easy to spot in the brooder, easy to snuggle. We affectionately named him Jack Black. I warned the kids that Jack might be a hen, but they didn’t care. Jack Black it was, no matter what.
As the weeks went by, we used the "wing shape" method to sex the chicks. Sure enough, the Rhode Island Reds were one rooster and one hen. So glad I didn’t get six of them! I applied the same technique to Jack Black, and it became clear: Jack was indeed a Jack.
The City Chicken Dilemma
Now, you might be wondering: Didn’t you say you can’t have chickens at home? And doesn’t your other property still need a lot of work? Don’t chicks need heat lamps?
Yes. Yes. And yes.
For the first few weeks, most people raise chicks indoors. So, the brooder lived in my office for a couple of weeks. As they grew, we moved them into the coop in our garage with a heat lamp. Once they were big enough to go without the heat, we moved them to the property.
Bringing these chicks home wasn’t just about adding a few cute animals to our life—it was the first step toward a dream I’ve had for years. Sure, it wasn’t perfect. We were still living in the city, and the chicks needed to stay at the property. But in that moment, with the chicks chirping in the brooder and my kids sneaking in for "just one more snuggle," none of that mattered.
We were doing it.
The flock was growing, and so was our adventure.
Stay Tuned for Part Two
Next up? Moving the coop, setting up a safe run, and figuring out how to make it all work on land that’s wild, off-grid, and full of potential.
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