Chickens 101

This is a great beginner’s class, designed to cover everything you need to know to become a confident chicken-keeper. Admission $10.

-Choosing the right breed
-Setting up a proper brooder for chicks
-How to care for chicks
-Socialization
-What to feed chicks and laying hens
-Basic health and preventative care
-Housing (permanent coops and tractors)
-Protection from predators
-Resources for local veterinary care
-A link to hundreds of coops for ideas and additional information

Renee Wrede has a background in veterinary medicine and animal behavior. Before jumping into chicken keeping herself, she researched it thoroughly for a full year, attended 5 classes and 1 workshop, read 19 books and watched 2 DVDs – all about chickens.

“I was a beginning backyard chicken tender myself not long ago, and remember all the questions I had before I took the plunge!”

In addition, Renee has taught various animal behavior classes, and even offered private consultations helping others to care for their non-human companions. Today she’s an active member of 2 online chicken forums, and an avid, cover-to-cover reader of Backyard Poultry Magazine.

She first crossed paths with Healing Ponds farmer/owner Mark through an online group, Portland Backyard Chickens. Then, as a resident of the Beaverton area, Renee participated in the political battle to allow chickens in the city, during which time she became aware of the Ludeman’s Farm & Garden Center.

“I offered to hold a class at Mark’s store, as I felt there were many opportunities for taking classes on the east side of town, but now that folks in Beaverton can legally have chickens they deserve their own class, and a more local ‘chicken central.’ If I can be part of that, all the better.”

Renee and her husband have 4 friendly, healthy laying hens: Beatrice, Agnes, Hyacinth and Pearl, who live in a lovely coop in their suburban backyard. They also have 2 chicken-friendly dogs, who consider the girls their charges and protect them from any “dangerous squirrels” who happen to come near the yard.

An informal, thorough, question-friendly class.