While for the Lunar New Year, this is officially the Year of the Ox, in popular culture it’s definitely the Year of the Chicken. There were so many buzzy elements of the Oprah Winfrey interview with Price Harry and Meghan Markle – the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. We’ve previously reported on Meghan’s chic maternity fashion. Now we turn our attention to the chickens. And investigate why urban chicken keeping, like Meghan and Harry, may be another hot new 2021 trend.
is it time to start chicken keeping in the backyard?
Sometimes the universe seems to be intently focused on just one thing. Sometimes that one thing is chickens.
In a harmonic convergence that even we didn’t see coming, we started reading an excellent new novel called “Brood” about a bereaved woman who struggles to keep four chickens alive in her backyard.
Urban Chicken Keeping like Meghan May be the New 2021 Thing
At the exact same moment, we glanced up to see that Price Harry and Meghan Markle – the Duke and Duchess of Sussex – were sitting for an interview with Oprah Winfrey that included a visit to the their backyard chicken coop, which houses rescue chickens.
It’s adorably called “Archie’s Chick Inn” after their darling son.
What????
Is this a sign that we should start our own careers as lady or gentleman farmers? Is the universe trying to send us a message?
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a chicken craze fueled by the COVID pandemic
It turns out that becoming an urban chicken keeper this year is totally on-trend. Town & Country reports that chicken sales have soared over the past few months. In September, Connecticut-based supplier My Pet Chicken reported that business had increased 260 percent.
Trending chicken-parent Instagram pages include High Society Chickens, Drinking with Chickens, Fresh Eggs Daily. And any number of cottagecore fan pages.
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That’s not only the result of boredom during the Great Lockdowns. There are proven benefits from keeping chickens. Hens can help keep unwanted pests away. They produce natural compost and can consume food waste. Best of all, they’re a source of companionship and stress relief. Just like many other pets.
new urban chicken keeping trend like Meghan in 2021
We gave that whole idea some serious thought, and we decided that now is not our time. But should you, dear reader, be ready to become the parent to a brood of hens (because roosters are illegal in many highly-populated areas in the US), here are the essentials you’ll need to do it best.
Essentials for urban chicken keeping 2021, Meghan and Harry style
1. The beginner’s book
To get started, there are lots of books and magazine articles about the art and science of urban chicken keeping. In addition, the website Omlet is a treasure-trove of chicken keeping accoutrements. The Beginner’s Guide to Raising Chickens by Ann Kuo is a best-seller on Amazon.
BUY NOW: $11.61.
2. The Coop
If you’re like most urban farmers, you’ll want a coop that’ll also add to the look and feel of your overall home design. One that makes its own statement – or blends in seamlessly with your other home décor. Either way, you’ll find lots of options.
The Williams-Sonoma cedar chicken coop and run can comfortably house up to 6 chickens, and it also features a planter. So, you can grow herbs to go with the omelets from your freshly harvested eggs. This coop is hand-built in Washington State from solid western red cedar, and topped with a galvanized-metal roof.
BUY NOW: $2,199.95.
3. The Birds
Heritage breeds are the on-trend chickens of choice right now. Silkies are popular because they’re small, relatively quiet and highly photogenic. Omlet describes the breed as “calm, friendly, trusting and rather lively.”
But really, any breed with pretty plumage makes the cut; that includes Polish chickens, Seramas and Cochins.
BUY NOW: $6.50 for a day-old male blue Silkie bantam.
4. The Feed
Just like all of our loved ones, if we are keeping chickens, we want to feed them well. Not surprisingly, there are LOTS of options for chicken feed and treats. You could start with Scratch and Peck Feeds Naturally Free Organic, which gets strong reviews online.
BUY NOW: $36.49.
5. The chic outfit
There’s not much point to being a gentleman or gentlewoman farmer if you don’t get to dress the part, right? Taking our cues from the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, at a minimum we need wellies and a chic chore jacket. Like this one from Loewe. Even if we’re just wearing them to brunch this weekend.
BUY NOW: $2,250.
essentials for chicken keeping like Meghan in 2021
Urban chicken keeping in the backyard like Meghan and Harry may be one of the hot new 2021 trends in the luxury ecosystem. Are you in on this, dear reader?
join our community
For access to insider ideas and information on the world of luxury, sign up for our Dandelion Chandelier Newsletter here. And see luxury in a new light.
This article contains affiliate links to products independently selected by our editors. As an Amazon Associate, Dandelion Chandelier receives a commission for qualifying purchases made through these links.
