Q and A with a backyard chicken farmer

Published 7:00 am Tuesday, January 25, 2022

We spoke with Annjie Schiefelbein who began keeping chickens in her backyard several years ago while living near downtown St. Louis. She recently moved to a more rural area just outside of the town of Cahokia, Illinois. She has had to go without a coop during the transition but is planning to expand her flock soon. 

How did you start raising chickens?

When I first got them four years ago, I started with six. I bought them from a hatchery as one-day-old chicks. We got all hens, no roosters. 

What are the biggest challenges in having a chicken coop?

Keeping them healthy was my biggest concern. There’s a common disease called bumblefoot and you have to soak the chickens’ feet if they get infected. It’s not usually fatal but it can be. I relied on the wonderful online communities of people who raise backyard chickens, both on Facebook and on the website backyardchickens.com. Some people who live in urban areas also have a conflict with concerned neighbors if the chickens get out. It just so happened that when we lived in the city, the neighbors on both sides of us had chickens as well, so it was never an issue. Predators can be a problem there, including dogs, raccoons, possums, and hawks. Out here, we will also have to contend with coyotes, But we made our coop very structurally sound so nothing ever got in.

What would you tell someone who is considering raising backyard chickens?

It might take more than you think. It’s not the cost, the expenditure is mostly at the beginning when you are constructing a coop. After that, the supplies are relatively inexpensive. But the chickens do take daily attention. That said, any work I’ve put in is far outweighed by the joy it gives me every day to go out and check on them, talk to them, see their little personalities emerge, and get the eggs. 

Do you consider them pets or livestock?

When we first decided to get chickens, we already had three dogs. I was worried that adding six more creatures would be too much. But I found that even though I enjoyed having them, it wasn’t the same level for me as a dog that lived indoors like a member of the family. They are great but it’s not the same as having a pet.