Considering Chickens?



Chickens are all the rage now that more and more cities are making it legal for residents to keep a couple of hens in their backyard.  I was lucky enough to hang out with award-winning landscape designer and Timber Press author Jessi Bloom this week at the San Francisco Flower and Garden Show.  Her book, Free Ranch Chicken Gardens, includes everything you need to know about integrating chickens into your backyard- from coop designs to chicken care, and which plants you should or shouldn’t have in your garden.  She covered all of this information to an eager crowd at her “What the Cluck!” seminars at SFGS. Her book has been so popular that it has sold out at the last two garden shows she's spoke at- prior to her book signing event!   I personally have wanted chickens for a while, and will definitely be getting my hands on a copy of her book once we finally get them.

After returning from my trip to San Francisco, I connected with Greg Howes and Brian Fikes, owners of Two Flew the Coop.  I first saw their super cute chicken coops at Talini’s Nursery, and I’m eager to add one to my own garden one day. 

They have raised chickens for over twenty years, and were nice enough to allow my family to come visit their little urban farm.  Little is not exaggerating either- their 700 square foot home sits on top of a postage stamp sized yard, yet they have beautifully designed the space to be inviting and practical. 

Both Greg and Brian are gardeners and they have a wonderful selection of edibles in their backyard and front yard.



Kumquats, blood oranges, and an olive tree all look fabulous this time of year, and we can’t forget the beautifully blooming rosemary which seems to be the chicken’s favorite plant to hang out around.  Their previous garden was featured in a book called The Herbalist’s Garden, and was photographed by one of the greatest garden photographers around, Saxon Holt.



Walking up to the chicken pen in their backyard, the chickens came RUNNING at the sound of Greg’s voice.  As we walked around their habitat, the chickens were always within a couple feet from us- even pecking at my tennis shoes occasionally to try and get my shoe laces.  These feathered ladies were all very friendly, and quite tolerant of my five year old and her constant need to pet them.



The coops that Two Flew the Coop make are all one-of-a-kind.  They spend their free time browsing antique stores and garage sales to collect fun and decorative items for their coops.  Each coop will have a theme- whether it’s shabby chic’, Buddha, cowboy, etc.  Each coop is a beautiful art piece made of mostly recycled and reclaimed items.  I was able to check out a couple of the coops they are currently working on, which I’m sure will make their way to Talini’s Nursery soon.  In addition to the ones available at Talini’s, Greg and Brian will also design coops based on your personal preferences if you wish. 



In addition to chicken coops, Two Flew the Coop also offer books, organic chicken feed, and various supplies for tending to your feathered friends.  They are also available for consultations and speaking engagements.  They should have their website up and running in the next few weeks which I’ll share here once it’s up, but if you’d like to get in touch with them in the meantime you can call them at (916) 737-2043. 

They are such a great resource for those of you in Sacramento who are considering getting chickens (now that you can do it legally).   Whether you have questions about which breed would be right for you, or how to protect your chickens from predators- these guys have practically done all of the guessing work for you!  And did I mention that they've never had a complaint from one of their neighbors? 



We wish we were their neighbors!  Look at this beautiful selection of eggs they sent home with us!  I'm almost ashamed to admit that we cooked a few of them up the moment after we got home from visiting them.  One thing is for sure- you can't beat the taste of organic, free-range chicken eggs!

Thank you again to Greg and Brian for letting us tour your garden and meet your beautiful chickens.