When Manhattan's largest outdoor garden center opened up in the past few months, the compost chicken yard only had a couple of hens and some dirt but things have changed dramatically as of recent. Check out the Urban Garden Center's rather posh poultry pad at La Marqueta in East Harlem after the jump.
Looking over at the coop that now has been set up on site, the new development appears to be a generous 6 foot wide, fully detached house with multiple units within the interior. There's some detail out front which includes a pitched roof along with some custom landscaping such as a palm tree and log sculpture that add curb appeal. A few more hens have joined the coop along with a rooster at the East 115th Street and Park Avenue location so those who want some locally made compost should head out July 15th for the first batch. More detail on the Urban Garden Center site:
LINK
Only a matter of days before Curbed weighs in.
ReplyDeleteGot some nice cock-a-doodle-doo for the vegetable garden from those kind hens.
ReplyDeleteI keep waiting for the post where we learn the city confiscated there roosters. It’s hard to keep breaking the law when you’re always on TV or popping up on blogs. I don’t mean to be a jerk but it seems to me these people didn’t read any information on keeping chickens before they started on this endeavor. The few times I have stopped buy there was no grit. Chickens need the small pebbles in order to digest there food. Unfortunately mulch doesn’t count. The reason for the chickens lounging around so much is because these were breed to grow fast for slaughter. Their legs cannot support the weight. Also you are not supposed to add new chicken to an already established flock. Not only does it spread disease but it also disrupts the chicken hierarchy. I personally am the proud parent of three Salmon Faverolles who reside in a coop on my roof..
ReplyDeleteCorey, you have chickens on the roof? I hadn't even thought of that. Does it require a lot of effort to start? Would love to give that a go this end.
ReplyDeleteIt takes a bit more effort than having one in the back yard but it is still pretty easy. Since they have no access to dirt you have to provide them with grit. I buy mine in the Bronx. There is a really nice feed store one metro north stop from Harlem 125th ST. The next challenge is getting wood on the roof, I bought huge cheats of MDF for $5 at home depot and had them cut it into more manageable pieces. You can even have it delivered for 21 dollars if you don’t have a car. My finished chicken house is about 12 feet long and 4 feet wide. It has a coop and a run with a roof. If you leave the top open you run the risk of your birds catching some nasty diseases. I put vinyl tiles on the floor so it would be easy to clean and panels on the side to shield them from the sun. I had my chicks shipped from Meyer Hatchery mainly because they were one of the only places that would ship as few as 5 chicks. 2 of them sadly didn’t make it but they did offer me replacements plus 3 free chicks. I chose Salmon Faverolles because they bare confinement well, are cold hearty, and extremely quiet. Blanche, Bea Arthur and Rose seem to be happy. I am into it for about 300 bucks but my chicken coop has a great view. If you or anyone else wants any help I have power tools and way too much chicken knowledge
ReplyDeleteCan you really have too much chicken knowledge?
ReplyDeleteKudos to you, Corey Jace.
CJS, very cool, chickens on the roof. The roofs of NY are a greatly underutilized resource, it is inspiring to hear of a roof used for chickens. I hope the coop is anchored down incase of the very strong wind gusts we get from time to time.
ReplyDeleteWhy would the chickens be confiscated? It's legal to keep chickens in NYC and when we spoke to them during a shopping visit, they said they were following the City Chicken GUide.
ReplyDeleteYou can have as many hens as you want in nyc as long as they are not a nusiance to your neighbors. Roosters how ever are illegal. Cock fighting and noise.
ReplyDeleteI was wandering down Hester Street one afternoon past a vacant alleyway and lot and saw a chicken. I stopped to look and a rooster appeared out of nowhere and charged me. Scared the bejeebus out of me because I surely was Not expecting it.
ReplyDeleteThe law says they are not allowed in any "built up portion of the City of New York". A garden center without electric or gas does not seem built up to me. Does your landlord know you are pouring grit down the drain? Also, who cares for your chicks on the roof when you go away? Not to mention, your structure may not be approved on a roof deck without it being fastened properly. Go easy on their chickens, they look pretty healthy to me.
ReplyDeleteIf you haven’t noticed chickens don’t have teeth. Grit is the common term for small pebbles that need to be feed to all birds in order for them to properly digest there food. It is also not normal for a healthy chicken to lie around all day or to be intentionally separated from the rest of the flock. A cock or dominant hen should be keeping the flock together at all times. These are broiler chickens. Breed to grow to a market wait at 8 weeks or less. Their feet were never intended to support that much weight, hence the constant lying down. I was told that these were rescued chickens. Which sounds very compassionate but really all they are doing is prolonging these animals suffering.
ReplyDelete§ 161.01. Wild animals prohibited. [FN1]
(a) No person shall sell or give to another person, possess, harbor or keep wild animals identified in subsection
11) Birds and Fowl (Aves): All predatory or large birds, including, but not limited to, eagle, hawk, falcon, owl, vulture, condor, emu, rhea and ostrich; roosters, geese, ducks and turkeys prohibited or otherwise regulated pursuant to ¨þ 161.19 of this Code, the Agriculture and Markets Law or applicable federal law.
back off my man Corey Jace. He taught me more than I currently need to know about raising chickens and I am grateful for it. Come the revolution I will at least have a job skill. Plus I think he owns his own building. And he was referring to roosters.
ReplyDeleteaww. If I didnt already think you were awsome
ReplyDeleteCJS, thanks for the info. As with most things, it sounds like a lot more goes into it than just buying a bunch of chickens. Is it mainly a hobby sort of thing, or do you actually get some eggs out of it? That might be the only way to sell it to the missus ha.
ReplyDelete