Commitment is eggs-actly what’s needed

Long before the pandemic sparked an interest in raising chickens, it already was a passion for owners from within Pleasant Hill’s city limits to far-flung Morgan Territory outside Clayton.

And, they don’t do it for the money raised from eggs. It’s for the eggs themselves.

The deep yellow, orange and golden yolks bring smiles to their caretakers. There is one constant for success – commitment to the chickens.

“It’s not a set it and forget it hobby,” said Maria Berta of Pleasant Hill, who’s been at it for

14 years. “It can be rich and awarding, but it is very time consuming.

“To be able to make an omelet or do baking with your own eggs – it is amazing. I love that part of it,” she added.

Morgan Territory resident Jane Buyny echoed those sentiments, emphasizing “you cannot ignore them.”

“You have to care for them morning and night. You have to be there to let them out from the roost so they can walk around and feed them, and you need to put them to bed at night.”

INNOVATIONS ANDBRAVERY

Operations like Buyny’s country setting afford greater freedom, with spacious barns and pastoral grassy conditions for her 25 chickens. But Berta’s quaint setup in the heart of the city, with no neighbors to the rear, seems just right for her. The 50- by 80-foot coop and chicken run caters to 21 chickens.

No matter the size or location, chicken farmers face similar natural challenges – whether it’s coyotes, bobcats, snakes, rats or other unwanted predators. The only way to make a go of it is dealing with them head-on.

For Buyny’s neighbor, Sandy Brooks, she made sure to use a wire mesh and rubber mat below the cement floor of her

See Chickens, page 3