So you want to raise some chickens in your backyard.

It’s an idea many people are pondering amid a growing farm-to-table movement that has taken hold as more home and community gardens flourish here and elsewhere. Tending small flocks of chickens in both urban and rural settings is part of the trend.

But there’s much more to consider than purchasing a few chicks at the local farm and ranch store, said Pat McGlynn, Montana State University Extension Agent for Flathead County. She has organized a three-hour workshop on Saturday called “Be the Boss of Your Birds” that will answer a number of questions and provide resources for area residents wanting to raise poultry in their backyards.

Among the topics will be what breeds of birds are best-suited to the Flathead Valley’s climate and how to prevent predators from invading the flock.

“The problem in rural areas is that chickens invite bears and other predators,” McGlynn said. “We’re always working with people to put up electric fences. Without an electric fence it’s like putting a candy jar in a kindergarten classroom and then telling the students to stay away.”

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks wildlife managers recommend electric fences to protect chicken coops. The agency has publications geared to helping homeowners set up electric fences to keep bears and other predators away.

McGlynn said she wants would-be poultry farmers to think seriously about all the ramifications that come with raising animals, whether in a rural or suburban setting.

“Sometimes people don’t realize they won’t have eggs all the time unless they’re [providing special lighting] and feeding higher-protein feed ... chickens can be great projects, but they can be a nuisance in city situations in terms of smell” and how to handle chicken manure.

For those willing to consider all aspects of backyard poultry, raising one’s own eggs and meat can be very rewarding.

Kelly Morrow, who teaches biology at Kalispell Public Schools’ H.E. Robinson Agricultural Education Center, raises a dozen chickens at her home outside Kalispell and enjoys it.

“It’s really rewarding,” Morrow said. “My daughter started for 4-H and I’ve kept them. They’re the only farm animal we have now that the children are grown.

“Honestly it’s been really easy,” she said.

Her biggest concern is predators.

“An electric fence is really important,” Morrow stressed, noting that Fish, Wildlife and Parks is an excellent resource for learning how to hot-wire a chicken coop. “Bears love chickens and chicken food.”

Other predators such as raccoons and skunks have a taste for chicken, too, so Morrow routinely locks up her chickens at night.

With a large fountain for water and big feeding receptacles, Morrow’s chickens can be left alone for three to four days without having to worry, she said.

“This time of year the eggs will be fine” if left for a few days, she said, though during the heat of the summer the eggs won’t keep for several days if left unpicked.

Kim Morrison of the West Valley area said chickens have been an ideal 4-H project for her daughters Anna, 12, and Paige, 8.

“They pay for the chickens and the feed,” Morrison said. “All the money they make from the eggs pays for the feed. They use the extra at the [Northwest Montana] Fair.

The Morrisons also raise chickens for meat and learned the hard way that meat chickens need to be separated from egg-laying chickens, after some roosters began killing their egg layers as they fought for their territory.

By insulating their chicken coop and installing automatically timed lights that provide more light during winter days, the Morrisons are able to keep their hens laying eggs all winter long.

Chickens can be fun to have around, Morrow said.

For Morrow, raising backyard chickens is a hobby that has rewards beyond the eggs. She doesn’t butcher her hens for meat. “Mine die of old age,” she said.

“Chickens have personalities, absolutely,” she said. “It’s a very enjoyable thing to watch as they forage in the yard. They hear my voice and come running to me.”

Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by email at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com.