Kline Creek Farm in West Chicago offers class on at-home chicken care

WEST CHICAGO – Raising chickens in your own backyard may seem challenging, but Kline Creek Farm’s new program aims to make the task a bit less daunting.

The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County farm in West Chicago hosted Backyard Chickens on July 25, teaching participants the ins and outs of home chicken care, according to a district news release.

“This class gives people the fundamentals in learning how to raise chickens,” Kline Creek heritage interpreter Dennis Buck said. “Our education goal at Kline Creek is trying to educate people about land use, specifically farming, and we want people to learn this by being hands-on. We have the chickens, and we are allowing them to work with our resources.”

Topics covered in the course include shelter, care, nutrition, the different characteristics for specific breeds and the process of preparing the birds for the dinner table, according to Buck.

The class has been offered internally at Kline Creek to educate volunteers, Buck said, but this is the first time it has been available to the public.

Kline Creek agricultural specialist David Barr organized the course.

“A lot of people come to the farm asking about how to raise chickens, and we want to answer those questions,” he said. “The class will give people the idea of Kline Creek Farm as an educational facility.”

Buck said the course provides knowledge beyond that needed to raise chickens at home.

“The class benefits its participants because they gain a better understanding in what goes into raising chickens and also a better understanding of their food,” he said. “Whether or not you raise chickens yourself, there’s a certain respect that you gain for where your food comes from.”

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Take the class

“Backyard Chickens” will be offered again from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Aug. 29 at Kline Creek Farm, 1N600 County Farm Road. To register, call 630-876-5900.