Home TO ROOST

Think you’re ready for backyard chickens? We talked to experts and urban coop keepers about the realities—and the joys—of caring for your own flock.

- RORY EVANS,ANGELA DECENZO

Sarah Wakida greets her flock of hens in her El Sobrante, CA, backyard. She was captured as part of photographer Angela DeCenzo's ongoing project documenting urban and suburban coop keepers.

These are the signifiers of a modern American backyard: lounge area, swing set, firepit. And, increasingly, yes, chicken coop. In recent years, chicken keeping has grown in popularity, according to the American Pet Products Association. The hobby expanded during the pandemic, partly prompted by egg scarcity, partly embraced by people who had time to care for a coop once they were working from home. But a funny thing happened while those hens were laying eggs: They started stealing hearts too. “You get them, and you suddenly realize they are going to be pets,” says Kathy Shea Mormino, author of The Chicken Chick’s Guide to Backyard Chickens. “They’re fun, they’re funny, and they’re interesting. You love them.” Here’s a primer on how to start a coop—and begin falling in love.

"They're great at keeping weeds at bay," Justin Chan says of the free-roaming flock he and wife Alyssa keep in their San Francisco yard.

1. CHECK LOCAL RULES

First of all, make sure your