Backyard chicken trend comes to Elkader

Evelyn Holdsworth reaches into the chicken tractor to grab Lily out for some hugs and attention. A Queen and Speckled Sussex are just two of the chickens in the coop at the Zehr home. The couple also has a Black Sex-Link, White Austria and Black Australorp. (Photos provided)

This setup shows the chicken run and coop at the Zehr home prior to recent upgrades.
By Willis Patenaude
What the cluck is going on?!
There have been many topics on the docket at Elkader City Council meetings as of late, mostly involving serious or complicated matters like the bridge and the budget, but there has also been a topic of a much brighter note, giving proceedings a breath of fun, fresh air and lightheartedness: chickens!
That’s right—the backyard chicken trend has officially started in Elkader, with two residents recently receiving approval from the city council. They join the 12 million people already caring for roughly 85 million chickens in backyards across the country.
One appeal of backyard chickens is the low maintenance. The birds don’t need a lot of land, their basic food and shelter needs are often low cost and, for the most part, they are a hardy animal, living around five to seven years on average. Among these reasons, the chicken has become the third most common pet in the nation.
The other appeal, at least since the Covid-19 pandemic, is the eggs. As supply chain issues became greater, so did the price of eggs. Throw in the avian influenza that reemerged as the pandemic was calming, as well as inflation, and egg prices have increased. In some cases, prices are reaching 70 percent higher than before the pandemic.
There is also another appeal, at least for Olivia Holdsworth, who moved to Elkader with her family in 2020 to be closer to family. It was something she always wanted to do, but while living in Texas, it was not allowed for HOA reasons. In Elkader, the possibility opened up, and she went to Norby’s shopping for some day-old chickens and impulsively bought five.
“I’ve always thought that it would be neat to raise my own,” Olivia said.
Unbeknownst to her at the time was that the city had an ordinance, and she needed to go through an official process to keep the chickens.
According to the guidelines for owning backyard chickens, or urban chickens as they are defined in the city’s ordinance, there are five basic steps. This includes receiving written approval from adjacent neighbors, as well as written permission from a landlord or property owner if the person is a renter. The guidelines also state you can have no more than five chickens, the land must be zoned residential or agricultural and the chickens must be kept in an enclosure of sturdy wire fencing. Following that is a list of 16 sub points the owner must meet, and, of course, they need to get council approval.
In Olivia’s case, the process was “relatively simple and painless.” The council readily approved, with council member Tony Hauber stating, “I believe in economically resilient, locally sourced food chains. Just like people growing gardens in town. But we don’t just give them out to people that ask for them. There is a permitting process, and like all things we do, we try to strike a good balance.”
Since then, Olivia has given away two chickens. The three that remain, when not accidently being let out, live in a chicken tractor outside. She plans to move them into the garage for winter and create a chicken run that attaches to the chicken tractor to give the birds more space to run around. She has also taken steps to combat what was the majority of the debate during the council meeting: poop and the smell.
In an effort to mitigate this issue, Olivia will use a deep layer of cedar chips as bedding material, which is the easiest for a first-time backyard chicken owner. Then it’s a simple process of cleaning the chicken tractor at least once a week and dumping the cedar chips into a compost bin, which she intends to use for fertilizer when it’s ready.
Helping out with the operation are Olivia’s children. Oldest son Collin helps make sure the chickens have clean water, and he refills the feeder. The two youngest children, Evelyn and Asher, sit daily with the chickens, which are named Lily, Tulip and Violet, and feed them clover flowers they picked from the grass around the cage.
“Evelyn particularly loves her chicken named Lily. Lily is the most friendly and Evelyn likes to pick her up, but Lily isn’t as much into being handled as she is eating the clover,” Olivia said.
Over at Crystal Zehr’s, the other backyard chicken owner in town, it started as a dream and a life goal she shared with her husband, even prior to moving to Elkader in 2021. Even though they live within city limits, they were happy to find they could still own chickens, which the couple hopes is the beginning of a goal to own a small farm someday.
Before they got chickens, which they were “quite excited” about, the Zehrs looked into the rules, gathered information and planned ahead. Then it was off to city hall for the appropriate forms, collecting signatures and, eventually, sitting in the same spot as Olivia, answering council questions. They eventually received approval.
Their excitement led to purchasing the maximum amount of five chickens through Meyer Hatchery in Ohio, which has been selling and shipping day-old chickens since 1985. The company offers other benefits like guaranteeing the life of the chicken for a certain period of time, sexing of the chick and, for $1 each, vaccinating the chickens.
“We decided to go the route of getting day-old chicks so we know they are healthy from the start and could socialize them and have them around us and kids. Also, so they could be used in our coop and nesting boxes without any issues,” Crystal explained.
Crystal and her husband built a coop with a metal exterior and an inside with a barrier that can be easily cleaned and water proofed. The nesting boxes are metal and plastic, with what Crystal described as a slant that allows the egg to slide into a collection area. The coop has features like detachable roosting bars for easy cleaning, a sift box underneath and a solar powered exhaust fan to help with ventilation.
Although the backyard chickens were “more of an undertaking” than Crystal expected, it has been a “great experience for the kids and has caused many laughs,” she said.
“We feel kids having that experience and some responsibility is good for them, so it’s been something we can do as a family and, in return, we will have farm fresh eggs. Who doesn’t love that?” she added.
Eggs were a motivating factor for Olivia too, with her chickens expected to start laying in September. There are other benefits as well, like chickens acting as a natural pest control and keeping down the bug population. They have a higher nutritional value, provide the aforementioned fertilizer and contribute to an overall reduction in environmental impact.
Then again, it could just be as simple as wanting the experience, loving animals or following a dream.
“I love animals, and having a little farm one day would be a dream come true. But, for now a few chickens will do,” Olivia said.