Here a cluck, there a cluck

Backyard chickens appear to be a growing trend in urban Oahu, where residents interested in food sustainability are opting to raise the birds to enjoy fresh eggs and meat, and as a natural way to keep slugs and other yard pests under control. And, in some cases, for companionship.

Dickie Ng of Waimanalo Feed Supply said more customers, including moms, young couples and senior citizens, are inquiring about chicks for sale.

"The best eggs come from your own backyard," he said. "It’s something that families can get into."

Chickens are easy to raise, according to Ng. They’re sociable and can be trained to come when called, sit in laps and stay in a yard. And anyone who raises chickens will tell you they have their own personalities, he said.

Honolulu city ordinances allow residents to keep two chickens per household.

Kaui Gentry of Wai­ma­nalo was inquiring about chicks recently at the feed store. Her kids, ages 7 and 13, are home-schooled, and Gentry said she wants them to learn about the bird’s life cycle by raising chickens that lay eggs.

"I want them to understand where their food comes from," she said.

Lisa Asagi of Asagi Hatchery in Kalihi, which has been hatching and selling chicks since the 1930s, said the trend has been growing in parallel with the food sustainability movement.

"More and more people want to have assurance and control over where their food is coming from, including the food they’re bringing to their family’s table," she said.

Asagi said she noticed an uptick in demand for backyard chickens in Hawaii in 2008 at about the same time the recession started.

Most people who raise backyard chickens want hens that can lay eggs rather than roosters, which can cause noise problems for neighbors. Females start laying eggs at about 5 to 6 months old, said Asagi, and typically produce one egg a day up until 2 years of age, when the laying slows down.

Heritage breeds, like Ameraucana, which lay blue eggs, are becoming more popular, she said.

"There’s an effort to revive these older breeds of chickens," she said.

Asagi Hatchery offers about 16 heritage breeds, including silkie bantam, Orpington and Polish chicks. Prices range from $3.25 for regular chicks to between $5 and $9 for heritage breeds.

Wes Wada of Niu Valley said he had no interest in chickens when a friend brought him two day-old chicks from Asagi as a housewarming gift seven years ago. He really wasn’t sure what to do with them at first, and had to train his two Great Danes not to attack them.

But they grew on him.

He named the pair Kin and Tama, and became so attached to the birds that he spent close to $1,000 on veterinary bills when Kin was run over by a neighbor’s car. The hen has since died and is buried in Wada’s backyard. He eventually got another chicken to replace her.

The chickens are fed fresh kale, cabbage and flaxseed, and have the run of Wada’s yard. When they’re ready to roost at night, they return to a small coop.

"It’s all about sustainability," said Wada, who also recently purchased two electric cars and set up an aquaponics system in his yard.

At Waimanalo Feed Supply, a 50-pound bag of feed for egg-layers — enough to sustain two hens for up to a month — costs $20.35. With two chickens able to produce a total of about a dozen eggs a week, families that consume a lot of eggs may be able to break even or even save a few dollars by raising their own birds rather than buying from a grocer.

The calculations don’t include the satisfaction of contributing to a more sustainable food supply, the benefits of enjoying a backyard hobby or the surprising bond some chicken owners share with their birds.

GARY SUZUKI of Kailua bought two Ameraucana chicks from Asagi Hatchery seven months ago to keep as pets. He named the white one Chickie-Doo and the brown one Chickie-Don’t.

Suzuki said when his daughters were younger, they had bantam chicks as pets. One day, when he saw Martha Stewart talking about naturally colored Easter eggs, he was inspired to get the new chicks as pets.

Chickie-Doo and Chickie-Don’t started laying eggs about three months ago.

"When I’m in the yard weeding, they’ll come out to the yard and keep me company," he said.

The chickens sleep in a cage in the garage at night and produce about one egg each a day. Suzuki offers the unusual blue-hued eggs to his neighbors.

Backyard chicken owners say freshly laid eggs taste better and have a brighter, almost orange yolk.

Mike McNeace of Wai­alua adopted two leghorns, Whitey and Featherfoot, from a friend.

"They’re the best eggs I ever had in my life," he said. "The eggs are just unreal. They’re as orange as sunshine."

McNeace feeds them an organic pellet-and-corn mix from a feed store, and the two hens also eat papayas that fall on the ground. He throws the discarded eggshells into a compost bin.

Fresh eggs are a happy byproduct of the loving pet-owner relationship between the Ho family of Nuuanu and a year-old Rhode Island Red named Coco. Jennifer Ho said her 8-year-old daughter, Kalaya, received the bird as a Christmas gift. The chicken has become best buddies with the family dog, a Sheltie named Stilton, playing chase and lounging by the front door together.

As a bonus, Coco usually lays one large, brown egg a day.

"She’s very tame," Ho said. "You can pick her up and pet her. She’s very friendly and she entertains the dog. We haven’t had any problems with her at all."

SOURCES:

» Asagi Hatchery, 1830 Kanakanui St., 845-4522, asagihatchery.com

» Waimanalo Feed Supply, 41-1521 Lukanela St., 259-5344