Answers to Go

Q. I am interested in raising chickens in the city limits. Can you help me find information about this?

There are a few restrictions that A. the City of San Marcos has regarding keeping chickens on property in the city limits. Additionally, there are basic things that should be considered when raising chickens.

The City of San Marcos has some basic restrictions. You may have up to eight hens, but roosters are not allowed in the city limits. If you do end up with one (it’s hard to tell the sex of a chick) then you must let Animal Services know so they can assist you in rehousing it. Chickens must not cross property lines and their containment area must not be on the property lines. There must be 10 feet between their containment and the property line.

There are many things to consider when raising chickens, but here are a few basic considerations. First — do you have the time? Raising chicks requires they be checked on several times a day. Older birds also need to be fed, cleaned up after and monitored for health. Eggs should be collected several times a day. Next — can you afford it? While keeping chickens doesn’t need to be too costly, there are expenses — especially at the start. Start-up costs depend on how elaborate and how handy you can be. For example, you can purchase a coop or you can build one with recycled materials. After that you must factor in cost of things like grit, shavings (for coop) feed, health care and other incidentals. Finally — do you have a space to keep chickens? Your space needs will, of course, depend on the size of your flock, breed of chicken (size of chicken) and the amount of outdoor space your chickens will be allocated, if any. Just keep in mind that the more crowded your coop, the more problems you may have. However, the more space you have, the more you have to clean. Remember to choose a breed that is appropriate for our climate, too. Finally, be neighborly and discuss your plans with your neighbors. Letting them know that there will be no roosters to wake them up at dawn is helpful and sharing your coop plans with them (i.e. it won’t be on the fence line) may alleviate any hard feelings in the future.

Chickens are fascinating creatures and there are many interesting bits of trivia:

Chickens begin laying eggs at 5-6 months old.

Alektorophobia is the fear of chickens.

The Jersey Giant is the largest purebred with the hens reaching 10-12 lbs. each and the roosters 12 lbs. on average.

Chickens DO have distinct personalities.

Sixty-five percent of a chicken egg is water so keeping a clean water supply available is essential.

Chickens have earlobes. They are right under their ears, of course.

Bantams are small breed chickens.

Chickens are omnivores Contrary to popular belief, the Rhode Island Red is actually black and brown.

For more information about keeping chickens, building coops and other interesting facts, visit the library and check out some of our books, including “Storey’s Guide to Raising Chickens” by Gail Damerow, acknowledged as one of the most useful resources for people considering keeping chickens. We (literally) have a whole shelf of books devoted to poultry.

Suzanne Sanders is the new columnist for the library. She is the Community Services Manager for the San Marcos Public Library and came from the Austin Public Library in 2015 after having served there as a librarian for over 20 years. She gratefully accepts your questions for this column.