It started with a goose as a family pet.
Now, the Cowans family has a goose, two ducks, five roosters and 20 hens.
“It’s so hard not to love it,” said the mother, Rebecca Cowans, of Oyster Bed Bridge.
They began a small family enterprise called Down-by-the-Bay Backyard Poultry and breed heritage hens and roosters in addition to providing private consultations and home visits.
Cowans said getting all the necessary information was a challenge when they decided to embark on this journey of backyard chickens.
“We didn’t know how to get started. You think it’s simple until you start looking online and then you are like ‘oh wow, there is a lot involved with it’.”
So to help others in their own venture, Cowans and Sally Bernard are hosting a free backyard chickens information seminar Nov. 19 to give a crash course on everything you need to know about having your very own coop.
“Here in P.E.I., we are actually well fitted for backyard chickens - you have all the people that you need at your disposal,” said Cowans.
Clarence Farm Services, the P.E.I. Purebred Poultry Fanciers Association and a local carpenter who builds custom coops, will also be at the seminar.
Bernard, of Barnyard Organics, sells organic feed and livestock and is part of the franchise Rent the Chicken.
“She offers a really unique service where if you just want to try it, but you don’t want the commitment, they will rent you everything you will need for the season- the chickens, the housing the feed,” said Cowans.
Cowans said at this seminar they will be discussing everything from housing requirements for backyard chickens to feed and supplies to heritage breeds.
Cowans currently has two heritage breeds including the Black Ameraucana and Welsummer.
“They all have different qualities about them,” said Cowans. “You can pick the breed that is going to best suit your family.”
The Black Ameraucana hens lay blue/green eggs while the Welsummer hens lay speckled terracotta coloured eggs.
The Welsummer chickens have a great disposition and are very docile.
“They are a friendly bird,” adds Cowans.
Cowans spends about four hours a day caring for the chickens. The waste from chickens provides a great fertilizer for their flower garden and they eat most of the compost that comes from the kitchen.
The chickens also cultivate the earth with their claws and eat many pests in the summertime. The ducks have a hand in this too as they eat pests and weeds on their lawn.
She suggests that people start off with three to five chickens. This would provide enough eggs for a family of four and would be easy to care for.
Cowans said not only can you taste the different in the eggs and meat, but it is also a great family activity as it is teaches children how to care for animals.
“It opens their eyes to agriculture,” said Cowans. “I think that is kind of important nowadays when we are separated from where our food comes from.”
For more information or to register for the seminar, email [email protected]
It started with a goose as a family pet.
Now, the Cowans family has a goose, two ducks, five roosters and 20 hens.
“It’s so hard not to love it,” said the mother, Rebecca Cowans, of Oyster Bed Bridge.
They began a small family enterprise called Down-by-the-Bay Backyard Poultry and breed heritage hens and roosters in addition to providing private consultations and home visits.
Cowans said getting all the necessary information was a challenge when they decided to embark on this journey of backyard chickens.
“We didn’t know how to get started. You think it’s simple until you start looking online and then you are like ‘oh wow, there is a lot involved with it’.”
So to help others in their own venture, Cowans and Sally Bernard are hosting a free backyard chickens information seminar Nov. 19 to give a crash course on everything you need to know about having your very own coop.
“Here in P.E.I., we are actually well fitted for backyard chickens - you have all the people that you need at your disposal,” said Cowans.
Clarence Farm Services, the P.E.I. Purebred Poultry Fanciers Association and a local carpenter who builds custom coops, will also be at the seminar.
Bernard, of Barnyard Organics, sells organic feed and livestock and is part of the franchise Rent the Chicken.
“She offers a really unique service where if you just want to try it, but you don’t want the commitment, they will rent you everything you will need for the season- the chickens, the housing the feed,” said Cowans.
Cowans said at this seminar they will be discussing everything from housing requirements for backyard chickens to feed and supplies to heritage breeds.
Cowans currently has two heritage breeds including the Black Ameraucana and Welsummer.
“They all have different qualities about them,” said Cowans. “You can pick the breed that is going to best suit your family.”
The Black Ameraucana hens lay blue/green eggs while the Welsummer hens lay speckled terracotta coloured eggs.
The Welsummer chickens have a great disposition and are very docile.
“They are a friendly bird,” adds Cowans.
Cowans spends about four hours a day caring for the chickens. The waste from chickens provides a great fertilizer for their flower garden and they eat most of the compost that comes from the kitchen.
The chickens also cultivate the earth with their claws and eat many pests in the summertime. The ducks have a hand in this too as they eat pests and weeds on their lawn.
She suggests that people start off with three to five chickens. This would provide enough eggs for a family of four and would be easy to care for.
Cowans said not only can you taste the different in the eggs and meat, but it is also a great family activity as it is teaches children how to care for animals.
“It opens their eyes to agriculture,” said Cowans. “I think that is kind of important nowadays when we are separated from where our food comes from.”
For more information or to register for the seminar, email [email protected]
