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We are excited to be able to teach two courses this fall, one through the University of Alberta Botanic Garden and one through Edmonton Public Schools Metro Continuing Education. The Metro course will include a coop tour. We hope to see you there! Registration for the U of A course on September 14, 2017 is available through their website at this link. Registration for the Metro course on October 17, 2017 (coop tour October 21, 2017) is available through their website at this link.
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We are pleased to be able to offer an additional Chickens 101 course on Saturday, May 27, 2017 at the John Janzen Nature Centre from 9:30 AM – 12:00 PM MDT. Registration is available through Eventbrite. We hope to see you there!
 Once the snow finally melts, it is time to think about spring cleaning. It sounds like a chore, but a thorough cleaning a couple of times a year will save you time in the long run, and help keep your birds happy and healthy. We've put together some ideas to get you started, but there are lots of other articles online. Do your research before you start, and consider your circumstances. For example, you may be using the deep litter method, or may be cleaning the coop in response to illness in your flock, in which case you may need to modify your cleaning procedures accordingly. With that in mind, here are some basics to think about. Pick a nice warm day where your hens can free range or move to an alternate enclosure for several hours or even longer. You don't want them around while you are cleaning, and you don't want to reintroduce them to the coop until it is safe to do so. Gather your cleaning supplies: garden fork or shovel; bucket and scrubbing brush; assorted rags for dusting; disinfectant of choice; wheelbarrow or garbage bags. You are going to get very dirty, so wear suitable clothing. Consider a dusk mask, as well, to protect your lungs. Remove the bedding from the coop. If you plan to compost, move the bedding to your compost site, adding any compost amendments necessary to establish a hot compost. You can read more about how to make this wonderful stuff here. Edmonton also has free composting information, including a composting help line. If composting is not an option, double bag the bedding and discard as per your garbage disposal regulations. Make sure you get all the bedding out of the corners. A good outdoor vacuum can come in handy. Remove any droppings that may have gotten stuck, for example on the roosts, walls or floor. Dust all surfaces and and ensure the coop is completely empty. Disconnect your electricity. Thoroughly wash the coop, including the walls, floor, roosts, ceiling, nest boxes and windows. Go behind any crevices that could harbour mites or other critters. Clean under any flooring you may have installed. Rinse the coop, and mop up any puddles. Consider whether any improvements are needed for your coop. For example, seal any drafts you may have noticed over the winter. Chickens need plenty of ventilation, but in the winter the coop must ventilate upwards, without any air blowing across the chickens. Consider whether any ventilation changes are in order to help keep your hens cool in summer and dry in winter. If you saw evidence of humidity in your coop over the winter you likely need more ventilation. Make any changes you think are necessary to your roost, nest boxes, predator-proofing and insulation (make sure your chickens can't eat your sealer or your insulation!) Once the coop is clean and ready, disinfect everything. You should be disinfecting water and food dishes on a regular basis, but this is your chance to get all the spots germs like to hide. Apply your disinfectant of choice according to the manufacturer's instructions. Follow all safety recommendations both for your sake and for the sake of your chickens. Make sure the coop is absolutely dry and that any fumes from your disinfection have dissipated. Keep in mind that the timing of this will depend on the disinfectant you use - don't reintroduce your chickens until it is safe to do so. Once the recommended time has passed, add back your bedding, and, finally, the hens.
As our upcoming April Chickens 101 course is now full, we are pleased to offer a further course on Thursday, September 14, from 7 to 9 at the University of Alberta Botanic Garden (formerly the Devonian Botanic Garden). Registration is available through their website.
River City Chickens Collective is pleased to be teaching another Chickens 101 course through the Devonian Botanic Garden on Monday, April 3, 2017 from 7 to 9 p.m.. Registration is available through the DBG's website. We hope to see you there!
River City Chickens is excited to teach another Chickens 101 course, scheduled for Thursday, Sept 15, 7-9 pm, offered through the Devonian Botanic Garden.
Urban chicken-keeping demystified. Topics include: • Coop design and requirements • Feeding and care • Winter needs and concerns • Breed selection, buying hens, and flock introductions • Predator and vermin prevention • Waste management • Disease recognition and control • End of life options • Biosecurity ...and many other tips and resources for keeping hens in the Edmonton region.  River City Chickens presents "Chickens 101", an informative workshop for anyone interested in keeping backyard hens. Sunday 24th April @10am, at the Stanley A. Milner Library, tickets available through Eventbrite.
Topics include: • Municipal, Provincial and Federal requirements • Coop design and requirements • Feeding and care • Winter needs and concerns • Breed selection, buying hens, and flock introductions • Predator and vermin prevention • Waste management • Disease recognition and control • End of life options • Biosecurity and many other tips and resources for keeping hens in Edmonton. There will be plenty of time included for questions, discussion and meeting other chicken enthusiasts! A certificate of participation will be provided. The City of Edmonton has advised that this is acceptable as proof of training when applying for a City of Edmonton urban hens licence. The City is posting information about the results of the pilot project at this link. Please check it out for more details!
 A Report by City staff on the Urban Hens Pilot Project is scheduled to be presented to the Community Services Committee on March 7, 2016. The Report is available through the link above to the Community Services Committee page. We've had a wonderful time, and met many great people, working on this pilot project. We think allowing backyard hens would be a significant advance for Edmonton in pursuing its vision of “a resilient food and agriculture system that contributes to the local economy and the overall cultural, financial, social and environmental sustainability of the city.” We hope you will join us in voicing support!
Jocelyn Manning Fox will be speaking at Seedy Sunday on March 13th at 2:45pm at Salisbury Greenhouse in Sherwood Park. Jocelyn is a volunteer member of River City Chickens Collective. She has collaborated with bylaw staff at the City of Edmonton to create guidelines for permitting hens within the city, and was a participant the urban chicken pilot project. She's going to tell us about the positive roles chickens play in urban communities and what it takes to raise chickens in your own backyard.
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