For years now, an ever-growing number of city dwellers have opted out of traditional cat and dog companions and instead opened their townhomes and humble abodes to less-conventional creatures: chickens. Whether the goal has been self-sufficiency — it’s nice to have a private supply of eggs on hand when other New Yorkers are wondering why the shelves at Trader Joe’s are wiped clean — or to bring a slice of the bucolic lifestyle to the city, the trend of raising chickens in NYC has become a widespread norm in the city’s evolving trend of urban homesteading. But that’s not to suggest it is not without its difficulties. Before you think about embarking on an urban chicken adventure of your own, here are a few tips and pointers from some people who have been there and are doing that.

know the law

First things first, it’s important to know the laws and regulations associated with keeping chickens in the city. For example, while you’re allowed to raise hens (female chickens) in New York City, raising roosters (male chickens) is illegal. And while there’s no cap on the number of hens that you’re allowed to raise in the city, “nuisance conditions” — foul odors, flies, noisiness, etc. — are also illegal, and are likely to become more of an issue when you’re dealing with a greater number of chickens. Breaking either of these laws could lead to a whopping fine up to $2000.

know how to choose the right breed

When you’re planning on raising a chicken in New York, it’s important to go for breeds that are more capable of withstanding the cold winter months. Generally speaking, these will be bigger birds, but will have smaller combs, which reduces the risk of frostbite. “Road Island Reds, Barred Rocks, Americaunas, and Buff Orpingtons are examples of breeds that are hardy in winter and summer,” says Maggie Arlotta, 60, who began raising chickens at her home in Tottenville, Staten Island back in 2008, when her brother gave her five bantam pullets (these are smaller chickens) of various breeds.

know how to set up your space

Once you’ve got the basics down, you’ll want to assess the space that you have and figure out how to set it up for the arrival of your birds. For starters, it’s generally recommended that you have about 16– 20 square feet of space per bird, but Arlotta notes that a 40 square foot ground area is usually okay for 3–4 chickens. You’ll then want that space to contain a coop (the enclosed space in which the chickens will live) and an attached run (the “open air” area in which chickens can roam). Arlotta adds that it’s important to have about 12 inches of “perch space” for each bird to sleep well at night, and to have an area where chickens can scratch the ground during the day, which is crucial to keeping them happy and healthy. 

For your enclosures, you’ll want to make sure to focus on the proper materials and setup to keep predators away from your chickens. An example would be opting for hardware cloth instead of chicken wire on the sides of your run. “Raccoons will get through all other chicken wire,” says Arlotta, “and rats will dig underground, so using a perimeter of wire cloth underneath a coop is also important. You also have to be sure to put food away at night so as not to attract scavengers, like feral cats, hawks, or dogs.”

know how to winterize

Even if you’ve done your research and gotten chickens that are better suited for cold climates, you’ll still want to winterize your coop when temperatures start dropping. “A coop must have ventilation holes along the eves to keep your coop dry and allow moisture to escape during cold months,” says Arlotta. “Birds throw a lot of heat, and it needs to go someplace or they could get frostbite on their combs and wattles. Absolutely no drafts can reach them while they roost at night.”

She adds that a properly built coop will make it unnecessary to consider any kind of additional heat use, which some chicken pros believe is unhealthy for the chickens.

know the cost

Chicks won’t set you back too much, as you can generally expect to pay around $5 or less per bird. That said, the biggest costs that you’re going to face when you decide to raise chickens are the coop and the feed. “The average cost for a coop with a run is probably around $800,” says Dave Wong, 52, whose family has been raising four chickens in Greenpoint, Brooklyn since last spring. “You could probably make your own for a lot less; about $200. But you’d have to be handy with woodwork.”

As for feed, Wong mentions that he buys 50-lb. bags of feed that usually go for between $16-$25 each. “A 50lb. bag will last a little under a month for my four chickens, which isn’t that bad.” He adds that chickens will eat just about anything, though, and that his family has largely started giving their food scraps to the chickens instead of composting, which they used to do regularly. “That can be an effective way to cut food costs for the chicken, too.”

know the community

Familiarizing yourself with other city dwellers who raise chickens is a valuable way to learn more about the undertaking before you get started and every step of the way after that. “I network with a group of friends I've made over my eight years of raising chickens. We have all learned and grown with each other's helping hands and had a lot of fun while doing it,” says Arlotta, who recommends a website called Backyard Chickens, as well as Meetup, for meeting and interacting with other “chickeners,” as she calls them. She notes that Backyard Chickens has far more going on daily, while Meetup is more useful for finding helpful workshops. “I also subscribe to a great magazine called ‘The Chicken Whisperer,’” she says, “and that is a nice way to see different breeds, and to learn about housing and health issues.”