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chicken coop in suburbia
MIDDLETOWN — When Mary Hussey moved into her new home off Bamm Hollow Road, she had a vision for the screened-in hot tub room off her basement: a chicken coop.
Hussey, who began raising chickens in her backyard in 2004, now shows her chickens in poultry shows and counsels others around the state on how to start their own egg-laying flock on their property. She said she has seen a big boom in interest among state residents looking to raise their own birds and eat fresh eggs.
“Initially, it's a food thing. When you don't have chickens, you don't know what you're getting into, but you know you're afraid of the food," Hussey said. “People don’t know getting into it how great they are — now I want more chickens and another coop!”
Rutgers professor Michael Westendorf said he has noticed a significant interest in reviving the practice of chicken-keeping, which was more common decades ago before egg farming was industrialized.
“I think food security is a big issue,” said Westendorf, who works as a Rutgers Extension Specialist in animal sciences. “When you're reliant on trucks coming across the Delaware River to bring you eggs, I for one feel safer having some egg production be local.”
Westendorf said his office has received an increase in calls in the past 10 years from residents looking for advice on starting their own backyard flocks.
"I think people want to produce their own food if they can, buy local food if they can, and get back to a simple way of life," Westendorf said.
Harding Township resident Abby Ray, 26, and her fiance, Thomas Gallo, 28, are among a young segment of the population becoming more interested in growing its own food. The couple keeps six chickens in a homemade coop next to a vegetable garden in their backyard.
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Chickens are now the fastest growing segment of the pet population, said Kurry Walsh, manager of Rick's Saddle Shop, with locations throughout Monmouth County. The store recently started selling baby chicks each spring.
“If you’d have told me five years ago that people would want to buy chickens, I wouldn’t have believed you,” Walsh said. “The good thing about buying chickens is that you know there are no chemicals going into the egg. When you buy Perdue at the store, you don't know what's in those, and you probably don't want to, but with your own chickens, you control what goes in.”
chicken coop in suburbia
MIDDLETOWN — When Mary Hussey moved into her new home off Bamm Hollow Road, she had a vision for the screened-in hot tub room off her basement: a chicken coop.
Hussey, who began raising chickens in her backyard in 2004, now shows her chickens in poultry shows and counsels others around the state on how to start their own egg-laying flock on their property. She said she has seen a big boom in interest among state residents looking to raise their own birds and eat fresh eggs.
“Initially, it's a food thing. When you don't have chickens, you don't know what you're getting into, but you know you're afraid of the food," Hussey said. “People don’t know getting into it how great they are — now I want more chickens and another coop!”
Rutgers professor Michael Westendorf said he has noticed a significant interest in reviving the practice of chicken-keeping, which was more common decades ago before egg farming was industrialized.
“I think food security is a big issue,” said Westendorf, who works as a Rutgers Extension Specialist in animal sciences. “When you're reliant on trucks coming across the Delaware River to bring you eggs, I for one feel safer having some egg production be local.”
Westendorf said his office has received an increase in calls in the past 10 years from residents looking for advice on starting their own backyard flocks.
"I think people want to produce their own food if they can, buy local food if they can, and get back to a simple way of life," Westendorf said.
Harding Township resident Abby Ray, 26, and her fiance, Thomas Gallo, 28, are among a young segment of the population becoming more interested in growing its own food. The couple keeps six chickens in a homemade coop next to a vegetable garden in their backyard.
.
Chickens are now the fastest growing segment of the pet population, said Kurry Walsh, manager of Rick's Saddle Shop, with locations throughout Monmouth County. The store recently started selling baby chicks each spring.
“If you’d have told me five years ago that people would want to buy chickens, I wouldn’t have believed you,” Walsh said. “The good thing about buying chickens is that you know there are no chemicals going into the egg. When you buy Perdue at the store, you don't know what's in those, and you probably don't want to, but with your own chickens, you control what goes in.”
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