The Franklin Reporter & Advocate Eight Villages, One Community
About two dozen aspiring chicken keepers were provided the ins and outs of raising hens in their backyards at a special forum April 17 hosted by Township Council Member Ed Potosnak.
The forum comes in the wake of the Township Council approving an ordinance – at the behest of Potosnak – that allows for the raising of chickens in residential zones.
Prior to the new ordinance, chickens were only allowed in agricultural zones.
The featured speakers for the evening were Kate Brown, the Somerset County Agricultural Agent with Rutgers Cooperative Extension, and Katie Nordhaus, the Township’s Animal Control Officer.
In general, the new ordinance allows chicken coops on properties of at least one-quarter-acre in size.
The chickens have to be well-kept, and the waste collected at least every three days. Waste must be composted or otherwise disposed of so as not to create an annoyance to neighbors.
The coop cannot be larger than 80 square feet, and no higher than six feet. Coops must provide a minimum of two square feet per chicken.
Lot sizes between 10,000 and 19,999 square feet are be allowed two chickens, 20,000 to 29,999 square feet four chickens, 40,000 to 59,999 square feet six chickens.
Properties larger than 60,000 square feet are allowed an additional four chickens for every 20,000 square feet above 60,000.
Only hens are allowed, no roosters.
The hens could only be used for eggs or meat, but no slaughtering could be done on residential properties.
There’s more to getting chickens to start a flock than just picking random birds, Brown said. There are several factors that one should consider before making a final choice.
“One of the first things to think about when you’re thinking about having a backyard flock is which breed are you going to choose,” she said. “There are so many for you to choose from. However, you will be looking primarily for birds that are raised for egg laying. So there are different breeds that are specific for egg laying.”
Different breeds, she said, lay eggs of different colors and sizes.
Other considerations include the bird’s temperament, size, hardiness, and how productive they are, she said.
Hens’ egg production slows as they age, she said, so it might be a good idea to get chicks of different ages so the entire flock doesn’t slow down at the same time.
“They’re not laying an egg every day,” she said. “It takes a little bit more than a day for them to produce an egg, so you would see maybe five to six eggs per week for chicken in their first year, and then that will decrease over time, about 20 percent in the second year, and so forth after that.
Keeping the coops clean is of utmost importance, Brown said, so it’s a good idea to get a coop that you can enter for easy cleaning.
When it comes to coops, Brown said, it’s important to get one that will allow the birds to move around, but keep out predators.
Nordhaus underscored the importance of making coops predator-proof.
“It’s really important, because we have everything in Franklin,” she said. “I mean, truly, everything is here.”
“You just want to make sure they’re safe,” she said.
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