It seems like East Dallas has come full circle, at least in one aspect. Back when the neighborhoods were newly developed, raising chickens in the backyard was commonplace. And once again, owning small flocks of laying hens is trendy, and many backyards are featuring fancy chicken coops alongside the swimming pool.
These “urban” chickens get their share of attention, too. Local organizations like The Dallas Back-Yard Poultry Meet-Up Group gather and share information on the care and raising of chickens. Annual tours like East Dallas’ "A Peep At The Coops" give wannabe chicken enthusiasts an idea of what is involved in housing chickens.
In addition to being a hobby, with proper care and guidance, raising chickens can be a wonderful learning experience for children. Some area schools, like Stonewall Jackson Elementary, have added a coop to the schoolyard as part of their outdoor learning center.
Sunny Courtwright is a fifth grader at St. John’s Episcopal School. Like most kids these days, Sunny has a busy schedule between school, piano, tap and riding lessons. She likes to read, paint, swim and be outdoors. When she’s in the backyard of her home, she is often tending and caring for her chickens.
What sparked Sunny’s interest in raising chickens? A wild chicken moved into the backyard of the family’s Lakewood home, chose a spot to roost and laid her eggs. Without a proper coop, she was accidentally frightened away. Sunny said, “Mom and I were sad.”
For Sunny’s birthday, the family visited Roach Feed Store in Garland, and Sunny got two baby chickens: an Ancona and a Silver Lace.
The Ancona, a breed of chicken from Italy, is noted for its ability to produce large white eggs. The Silver Lace breed is known for being incredibly friendly, and combined with its easy maintainability, it’s a favorite with those new to raising chickens. The Silver Lace breed produces brown or tinted eggs.
The chicken coop is located in a shaded corner of the backyard and was designed to blend with the landscape. A small mobile pen can be moved about the yard, allowing the chickens to sun and still be protected.
“We have a mini coop, where they sleep and lay their eggs, and another coop that gives them lots of space for running around and getting exercise,” said Sunny. “We feed them organic chicken feed and fruit and veggie scraps. We clean their coop, re-fill their water and feeder and collect their eggs.”
Collecting eggs sounds like the fun part, and Sunny confirmed what lots of folks say about backyard eggs: “fresh eggs taste better than store-bought."
Besides the family’s treat of having fresh eggs for breakfast, Sunny and her mom, Jeannie, enjoy cooking together. They often use the eggs they have gathered in recipes like the one below for popovers—a family favorite.
Part of the fun of any farm is sharing the bounty, and lucky friends and neighbors often receive a carton of fresh eggs hand-labeled “Bodacious Back-Yard Babes.”
Everyone loves a happy ending to a story, and guess what? Shortly after the big East Dallas hailstorm, the wild chicken that had laid her eggs in Sunny's backyard returned. She appeared weather-beaten—her head comb was gone, and her neck feathers were sparse. The Courtwrights believe that she had been living in a nearby tree. Fully recovered, and now called Chick-Chick, she is living happily ever after in the backyard.
Recipe for Popovers:
Ingredients
- Olive oil
- 6 eggs
- 2 cups whole milk
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
Directions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease ten cups of the muffin tin with olive oil, making sure to get the surface at the top of pan. In a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs until frothy. Whisk in the milk and 1 tsp. olive oil. In a mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt together. Whisk the egg mixture into the flour mixture and mix well. Pour the batter into the prepared muffin cups. Bake for about 50 minutes, UNDISTURBED. Remove from the oven and serve hot.
If you want more information on raising chickens in your backyard, or just want to know more about chickens, the self-guided tour, A Peep at the Coops, will be held Sunday, May 5, 2013. For more information, visit www.apeepatthecoops.org.