Commitment is eggs-actly what’s needed

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA (Feb. 20, 2023) — 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 and bravery

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 chicken enclosure to thwart rats. Berta’s husband Mike developed a special feeder, so her chickens step on a lever for a metal box that allows them to gain access to the feed. Such are the examples of growing sophistication over the years.

Sometimes issues are internal to the flock, so Berta installed a motion camera to crack the mystery of broken eggs. One chicken was discovered breaking the other chickens’ eggs.

“It was determined that there was a little infighting going on,” Berta said. “That happens as chickens try to move up in the ‘pecking order’ – there is so much truth to that.

“So it was interesting to see how it takes a while to be integrated into the flock,” she added.

Through urban farming classes at Rodgers Ranch, they have learned still more about what is required for a ­successful hobby. Mike also created a drip water system. And for the darker days of winter, they installed lighting to foster optimal producing conditions.

Proof’s inside the eggs

When the atmospheric river moved through the Bay Area in late December and early January, it tested even the best operations.

With the wet and mushy conditions, Berta said, “We couldn’t keep it dry for them. It was pretty icky.”

During that extended period of darkness and cold, her family had to break down and get store-bought eggs. The quality – or the lack thereof – was immediately apparent.

“I was shocked,” said Berta, noting that the Trader Joe’s eggs were pale in contrast to the rich coloring of their homegrown eggs.

“You can see with your own eyes the quality of the eggs,” she added.

Backyard ecosystem

She attributes it to the rich nutrients that make up the chicken’s diet. “I try to be as green and sustainable as I can,” Berta said.

Rather than killing the undesirable bugs she encounters in her garden, she just feeds them to her chickens. The chickens also get a lot of fresh vegetable trimmings from her garden, which are free of pesticides.

From the composting to feeding the chickens the scraps from their meal preparations and table leftovers, she sees the process going full circle.

“It’s a little mini ecosystem in my backyard,” said Berta.

And, nothing seems to go to waste. She recalled a passerby once noting: “I don’t want the eggs; I want your manure.”