Welcome!

UPDATE for SPRING 2017:  As of late spring 2017, I have transitioned into a full-time position with The Trustees as their Retail and Operations Manager at The Boston Public Market.  I want to humbly thank everyone I have worked with over the past decade as Boston's backyard chicken expert... it has been such a delight to meet so many lovely, chicken-loving folks, and I look forward to a time when I can again help further the vision of a flock in every yard!  In the meantime, come on by to see me at the Appleton Farms cheese booth or in The KITCHEN at the Market, and if you have questions about keeping backyard chickens I recommend contacting Gretchen over at Chickadee Seed & Feed in Walpole, MA.  She is one of the few folks I trust to know as much as I do about keeping a microflock of backyard chickens in an urban or suburban setting (and to have standards of care that match mine!), and her store is a fantastic resource for well-designed coops, locally-produced feeds, and a variety of other treats and toys to keep your girls happy and healthy.

Cluckily,
-The Chickeness

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Welcome to Yardbirds Backyard Chickens!  We can help you with nearly anything and everything backyard-chicken-related.  Need a coop and/or chickens?  We can do that.  Need a chicken sitter or coop design consultation?  We can do that.  Need to rehome an unexpected rooster or get help with your permitting?  Yep, we do that too.  Many of our services are offered through our partner company Green City Growers , so follow the appropriate links on our "Services and Rates" page to request your consultation!
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Picture
The Chickeness, Khrysti Smyth, with "Lucifer", one of her Chicken Ambassadors.

Upcoming events and appearances



  • 18 Feb 2017 - Urban Homesteading Festival in The KITCHEN at the Boston Public Market on Hanover St. across from City Hall in Downtown Boston.  I'll have a few of my Chicken Ambassadors there for Q&A during the post-conference social from 5:30-7:30pm. More information and ticketing links can be found on The Trustees for the Reservations website.
  • 4 Mar 2017 - Annual Massachusetts Urban Farming Conference at Northeastern University in Boston, MA.  I will be presenting first thing in the morning (8:45am), so plan to come early!  More information and ticketing links can be found on the Urban Farming Institute's website. 
  • 7-9 Mar 2017 - Harvest NE Ag Marketing Conference + Trade Show in Sturbridge, MA.  Not presenting at this one.  Just going to soak up all the good marketing mojo!  For more info and ticketing info check out the Harvest New England website.
  • 18 Mar 2017 - 42nd Annual Gardener's Gathering at Northeastern University.  11am-4pm.  FREE and open to the public!  For more details visit The Trustees' website here.
  • 22-26 Mar 2017 - Boston Flower & Garden Show 2017 at the Seaport World Trade Center in Boston, MA.  We'll have another full coop display as part of their Urban Homesteading Area, and I'll be presenting "Why chickens are the true superheros of your garden!" on Sunday the 26th at 1:30pm.  More details and ticketing info can be found here. 
  • 1 Apr 2017 - Yardbirds Backyard Chickens 101 at The KITCHEN at the Boston Public Market.  My first regular class of the year!  2-4pm, open to the public.  Look for more details on The KITCHEN website or go straight to the eventbrite page to register.  Space will be limited, so get your tickets ahead of time!
  • 20 Apr 2017 - Yardbirds Backyard Chickens 101 at the Burlington Public Library, in Burlington, MA. 7-8:30pm.  Check out their website for details.
  • 22 Apr 2017 - Yardbirds Backyard Chickens Community Garden workshop for The Trustees.  12-2pm.  Location TBD (check their Community Gardens Programs website for details as it gets closer to the date).
  • 6 May 2017 - Yardbirds Backyard Chickens 101 for the Southeastern MA Agricultural Partnership (SEMAP).  2-4pm.  Location TBD (check their events website for details as it gets closer to the date). 

You say you don't live in Boston?  The Chickeness may be coming soon to a town near you!  If you would like to schedule a seminar or on-site consultation, please contact me and we'll make it happen.  With enough heads-up, I might even be able to get a full coop setup and/or locally-raised birds for you!  (Local to you... I'm not planning to bring chickens on the plane.  Though I could probably make a gloriously terrible movie about it.)

Donate to Yardbirds Backyard Chickens!
 
We are working on some big projects this spring, including the development of our own nursery ("chick-ery"?) and grow-out coops at a new location in Milton, MA!  This space will directly help us provide more healthy and happy locally-raised raised hens for the citizens of the greater Boston area, and be a huge step towards being able to offer more services to the people who need it.  As with all such endeavors, we need money to buy stuff like building materials and shelving and chick feed... maybe a trash can or two... You get the idea.
 
So if you'd like to help us on our quest to bring more chicks to more yards, we welcome you to donate to YBC in whatever amount you'd like.  All donated funds will go directly towards materials and operating costs of the Yardbirds Backyard Chickens "Chickery".  We are IMMENSELY grateful for your continued support, and please get in touch if you have any questions.  If you are local and might have supplies or materials you'd like to donate, we'll be putting up a detailed supplies and materials list on our blog soon and would be glad to help you clear out some clutter!
Donate via PayPal

The Chickeness in the news!

THE LIST... thus far.

Aug 2016 - "On the job" feature in the Boston Globe
Jul 2015 - Feature article in Metro Boston!
Jun 2015 - Feature article in the Somerville Scout about the growth of urban ag in the city.
Apr 2015 - Boston Magazine article about our new partnership with Green City Growers.
Mar 2015 - Press release about our new partnership with Green City Growers.
Jul 2014 - TV news feature with WGBH!  Watch the video on youtube, and the accompanying article on WGBH.com
Nov 2013 - Article on the YBC monthly chicken meetups in Boston.com
June 2013 - Featured in the June issue of Edible Boston
May 2013 - The City of Somerville has released its "C is for Chicken: Chicken Keeping in Somerville, MA" video, which features my flock and a clip from a presentation I gave at City Hall last fall.  Watching this video is required as part of the permitting process for having chickens in Somerville!
February 2013 - Mentioned in an episode of Greater Somerville about Somerville's Urban Agriculture Initiative and quoted in The Somerville Patch
November 2012 - Somervillebeat.com and the City of Somerville's Urban Ag blog
October 2012 - boston.com
August 2012 - Seedstock.com
May 2012 - The Somerville Patch and the City of Somerville's Urban Ag Blog
Feb 2012 - Dig Boston 
November 2011 - Animal Planet's "Pets 101" (video clip coming soon!)
July 2011 - WBUR, Boston's NPR radio station (and mentioned in a related article)

Here's a Chickeness blog post with a bit more detail. 

And an Honorable Mention, of sorts... Hatched here at my home coop, The Menagerie, former resident "Little Blue" made the back cover of a new book by famed photographer Tamara Staples!  In the grid "outtakes" picture of the book cover, he's in the top row, 2nd from the right.  Yay!  :D

The Chickeness about town.

(In my best TV announcer voice)  Previously, on "The Chickeness"...
  • Dec-Jan 2016-2017: Asleep for the winter :)
  • Nov 2016
    -- YBC field trip to the annual Boston Poultry Expo at Four Winds Farm in N. Oxford, MA. 
    -- YBC field trip to the New England Bantam Club's Fall Show in Whitman, MA. 
  • Oct 2016
    -- Tabled at The Trustees for the Reservations' Annual Boston Agricultural Exposition in Dudley Square, Roxbury, MA. 
    -- Tabled at The Urban Farming Institute's Annual Food Day at the Garrison-Trotter Farm, Dorchester, MA. 
    -- Growing the farm at Goddard" presentation for the Massachusetts Assisted Living Association annual conference in Worchester, MA.  With Green City Growers and Goddard House Assisted Living.  Check out the YouTube video on the Farm at Goddard!
    -- Tabled at Chickadee Seed 'n' Feed's Annual "Fall Fur 'n' Feathers Festival" in Walpole, MA.  The best feed store in the region! 
  • Sept 2016
    -- YBC Backyard Chickens 101 class for the Braintree Farmer's Market in Braintree, MA. 
    -- Growing the farm at Goddard" presentation for the National Center for Creative Aging annual conference in Washington, DC.  With Green City Growers and Goddard House Assisted Living.  Check out the YouTube video on the Farm at Goddard! 
  • June 2016
    -- YBC Backyard Chickens 101 class for Mass Audubon at the Blue Hills Trailside Museum in Milton, MA. 
    -- YBC Backyard Chickens 101 class for the Sally Frank Farmer's Market at Bowden Park in Melrose, MA. 
    -- Field trip to the monthly Northeastern Avicultural Society swap in Westford, MA.
  • May 2016
    -- YBC Backyard Chickens 101 class for Somerville's Urban Ag Ambassadors program. 
    -- Invited participant in a discussion of Communication and Negotiation with Tufts Veterinary Students as part of their Legal Basis of Public Health course. 
    -- Participated in the Association of New England Zookeepers "Bowling for Rhinos" fundraiser (and almost won a round or two of bowling!)
    -- YBC Backyard Chickens 101 class for the Marshfield Farmers' Market (go to www.SEMAP.org for future event info)
  • April 2016
    -- Participated in the first Backyard Chickens Working Group meeting as part of the City of Cambridge's Urban Ag Task Force zoning update process.
    -- Attended the 6th annual Slow Living Summit on Food and Ag Entrepreneurship in Brattleboro, VT.     
  • March 2016
    -- Officially opened the new Yardbirds' Chickery space in Milton with the hatching of our first batch of Easter Egger chicks on Easter weekend!  This space is where we will be raising hens for our clients, as well as serving as a home base for our flock of Chicken Ambassadors.
    -- YBC Backyard Chickens 101 class for Newton Community Education at Newton North HS in Newton, MA  
    -- Attended the Urban Farming Institute's 4th annual Urban Farming Conference at Northeastern University in Boston, MA.
    -- Had a full coop display and gave my "Why adding chickens to your garden is a GREAT idea" presentation at the Boston Flower and Garden Show at the Seaport World Trade Center in Boston, MA. 
  •  February 2016
    -- Attended the 9th annual SEMAP Agriculture & Food conference in Dighton, MA.
  • January 2016
    -- Field trip to the annual Northeastern Poultry Congress spring show - chickens and turkeys and ducks, oh my!
    -- YBC Backyard Chickens 101 class for the Melrose AAUW at 1st United Methodist Church in Melrose, MA
  • December 2015
    -- YBC's monthly Backyard Chicken Social featuring a discussion of the latest info on legality of backyard chickens in the City of Boston.  I'm still trying to nail down a clear answer on a handful of questions about the process, and as soon as I do I'll post my findings on my blog so look for that (or send me an email if you'd like to chat about it sooner!) 
  • November 2015
    -- Field trip to the annual Boston Poultry Exposition fall show - chickens and turkeys and ducks, oh my!
    -- Attended a Mass Dept of Agriculture seminar on Avian Influenza.  Summary and highlights to come soon.
    -- Presented at the Tufts Vet School One Health Day.  Presentation title: "Companion and food animal medicine: Why chickens are in the middle of the road" 
    -- Attended the New England Bantam Club fall meeting.  
    -- YBC's monthly Backyard Chicken Social featuring a discussion of the latest info on legality of backyard chickens in the City of Boston.  I'm still trying to nail down a clear answer on a handful of questions about the process, and as soon as I do I'll post my findings on my blog so look for that (or send me an email if you'd like to chat about it sooner!)
  • October 2015
    -- YBC's Backyard Chickens 101 class at Green City Growers on 6 Oct from 6:30-8pm.  Stay tuned for news about our next class!
    -- Fun times with Lucifer and Sweet Pea at the Urban Farming Institute's fall Food Day event at the Garrison-Trotter Farm in Dorchester.
    -- YBC's monthly Backyard Chicken Social featuring Daniel Mordarski of Tufts Vet School talking about his recent work on lead in backyard chickens.  He'll be summarizing his work thus far in a guest blog for us sometime soon, so keep an eye out for that. 
    -- Attended the LeadingAge awards event with the Goddard House Assisted Living Facility - their garden and chicken coop program was nominated for LeadingAge's Innovative Program of the Year and we're so proud to have been able to be a part of its development!
  •  September 2015
    -- YBC Monthly Backyard Chicken Social - back to school edition
    -- Presented for the Massachusetts Environmental Health Association's Annual New England Environmental Health Yankee Conference. Our all-day Urban Agriculture track with Jessie Banhazl of Green City Growers, Noah Wilson-Rich of Best Bees, and Elaine Philbrick of The Goatscaping company was a HUGE hit! 
    -- Had a Park(ing) spot with Green City Growers for the annual (and international!) Park(ing) Day in Cambridge!  Our spot was right next to the Mayor of Cambridge's public health spot.  Rumor had it that our spot was a highlight for many passersby.  :D 
    -- Had a table at Agricultural Hall's annual Urban Ag Fair at the Loring Greenough House in Jamaica Plain, MA.  Love that fair. 
  • August 2015
    -- Attended the FINAL meeting of the Boston Urban Ag Visioning Steering Committee on the future of Urban Agriculture in the City of Boston!  Check out the Boston Urban Ag blog for more info and to see how you can get involved.
    -- YBC Monthly Backyard Chicken Social CANCELLED for the summer.  Save Sept 8th on your calendars for the next monthly social event!
  • July 2015
    -- Visited the Brockton Fair to say hello to all the awesome exhibition birds and offer a few of our foster chicks for people to meet.
    -- YBC Monthly Backyard Chicken Social CANCELLED for the summer.  Save Sept 8th on your calendars for the next monthly social event!
  • June 2015
    -- YBC's Backyard Chickens 101 class at Green City Growers on 30 June from 6:30-8pm.  Stay tuned for news about our next class!
    -- The Chickeness joined Green City Growers at the Fenway Farm to do some maintenance during the Red Sox' game against the Atlanta Braves. 
    -- Attended the June meeting of the Boston Urban Ag Visioning Steering Committee on the future of Urban Agriculture in the City of Boston.  Check out the Boston Urban Ag blog for more info and to get on the list for upcoming meetings.
    -- YBC Monthly Backyard Chicken Social CANCELLED for the summer.  Save Sept 8th on your calendars for the next monthly social event!
  • May 2015
    -- YBC field trip to the annual "Sharkie" chickenstock.  This year it was in Claremont, NH and was a great place to check out birds that local hobbyists and breeders have for sale, as well as get to know the regional chicken-keeping community. Find more info on the BackyardChickens.com forum thread.
    -- New England Bantam Club spring poultry show!  At the Brockton Fairgrounds in Brockton, MA, details available on the NEBC Spring Show Facebook event here. 
    -- YBC Monthly Backyard Chicken Social in the lovely urban oasis of the soon-to-be-former YBC home coop, The Menagerie. 
    -- YBC's Backyard Chickens 101 class for Somerville's Urban Ag Ambassadors program.  This program is closed for this year, but check out the Somerville Loves Urban Gardening facebook page, or follow the Somerville Urban Ag blog for info on next years' program.
    -- The Chickeness moves to Dorchester, and the YBC home coop moves to Brighton!!  Whoa nelly was THAT a project!
  • April 2015
    -- The Return of YBC Monthly Backyard Chicken Socials!  Our kickoff event for 2015 featured a presentation by Katja Swift, director of The Commonwealth Center for Holistic Herbalism, on "Herbalism for Chicken Keeping". She talked about using herbs in the coop for pest prevention, herbs to feed your girls to help keep them healthy, and even what herbs are good to plant in your run that are both safe for your girls to eat and will also survive their scratching!  Featured presentation from 7-8pm ($5-10 requested donation for the presenter), BYOB/food open social from 8-10pm, at Green City Growers near Union Square, Somerville (across from Taza Chocolate).  Check out the event page on Facebook for the latest info and updates.  And yes, a couple of my girls were there for folks to snuggle with.  :D
    -- Boston Urban Ag Visioning Steering Committee and Public Meeting on the future of Urban Agriculture in the City of Boston.  Go to the Boston Urban Ag blog for more info.
    -- Get Growing! festival at the Cambridge Winter Farmers Market.
    --YBC's Backyard Chickens 101 class.  Get a rundown of everything you need to know to keep your own chickens, including housing, breeds, feeding, healthcare, etc., with a couple of my girls for you to meet as well!  Class is from 6:30-8pm at Green City Growers near Union Square in Somerville. $40 advance tickets, $45 day-of.  Space is limited, so register today!
  • Dec 2014
    -- YBC relaunch!  Brawk in business!  Check out more details on The Blog of The Chickeness.
  • Sept 2013
    -- Yardbirds' monthly backyard chicken meetup at Relish.  Featured topic: "What substrate should I use in my run?".
  • Aug 2013
    -- Yardbirds' inaugural monthly backyard chicken meetup at Relish! 
  • June 2013
    -- YBC's home coop was a featured stop on the Somerville Garden Club's annual Garden Tour! 
    -- Urban ag panel focusing on laws and regulations at Relish in Union Square
    -- Roxbury and the Beacon Hill/Chinatown/Downtown/North End/West End/Charlestown neighborhoods had their neighborhood meeting about Boston's urban agriculture rezoning process - please go here for more info on the new Article 89, and here for a pdf flier about the neighborhood meetings happening all over the City of Boston (the flier is also linked at the bottom of the BRA website on Article 89).  Please come out and voice your support for urban agriculture, especially chickens!
    -- Yardbirds' June "Backyard Chickens 101" class at Relish.