Article in St Louis Post Dispatch

[scooter147]

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/stlouiscitycounty/story/A7C7C2EE4949396A862576D00000FF8B?OpenDocument

There is a farmers market in this neighborhood and a couple of farmers bring live poultry. I suspect "Jerry" escaped from this market.

 

[Carpe DiHen]

That was very cute article!

Has anyone seen "Mad City Chickens"?

 

[4CiTyCHicHENs]

my Husband prints the STL Post & he brought me home a copy of this article as we are in the process of getting approval for our own 4CiTyCHicHENs!! Did you read the part where --if a city with 2000 homes each had 3-4 chickens, it would divert 252 tons of biomass a year from land fills!! WOW!! Thats half the reason I want chickens! betweeen recycling, composting & chickens we wont even need our trash service!

 

[scooter147]

I have a garbage disposal but couldn't tell you the last time I used it. Most my kitchen scraps go to the hens. They don't get raw onions, carrots, celeray etc. They won't eat it and it just rots on the ground. When they see me coming with the pail they go crazy. IT'S LIKE CANDY!!!

I was "troubled" by the fact that the Farm Sanctuary folks are doing what they can to block the "movement". I hope city councils realize they have a very specific agenda and that being one in which farm animals become extinct. The folks who run it live and promote a vegan lifestyle.

 

[Airilith]

Quote:
That's the part of this article that scares me. I hadn't realized that there was such a big movement against backyard flocks. Honestly if I paid for a piece of property I really don't see why my neighbors should have any say in what I do with it. Now if they want to help pay the morgage (Sp?) then perhaps. Haha! But except for instances of neglect, they have no right. It's my property. Move elsewhere if you don't like it. *shrug*

But then again I don't like in the 'city.' We've got a farm on the outskirts of town, but I can definitely see the people in our town putting up a fuss. Heck they're pushing to get one of those historical societies set up here, so that they can control the color, windows, etc in other peoples homes. I just don't get how all that's legal. But I digress. It's scary and I hope the anti-chicken movement dies a quick death.

ETA:

Quote:
Honestly with this type of thinking people shouldn't own dogs, cats, ferrets, guinea pigs, snakes, lizards, etc. There's always going to be really stupid people who can't figure out that animals are a responsibility. Should those dum-dum's really stop caring people from experiencing the joy of having pets, whether they be feathered, furred or scaled? Makes me mad that people are so close minded, and constantly think that their opinions should lead to law...

Ok rant done, I hope.

 

[scooter147]

I will never forget about 15 years ago there was a hog farm in northern St Louis County. A builder bought approx. 20 acres of land around this farm and built homes on postage stamp size lots. Well shortly after people moved in they started complaining to the County Council about the smell and wanted the hog farm shut down. GUESS WHAT they won. They put the farm out of business. My question was didn't you see it when you drove past to look at your potential homesite, you can't tell me you didn't smell it when you drove by either.
You got to love America at times. Wasn't the farm and the farmer there before the new subdivision.
I would never make it in a modern subdivision with all their stupid rules, like no flag poles, you must use a certain type of trash can and it can't be out before 7 pm the night before trash pickup, no clotheslines, no licensed or unlicensed cars sitting in the driveway etc. etc.
I agree with the above post if I buy a piece of property I should be able to do with it as I please with the exception of those things that pose a serious and confirmed public health hazard to others.
I do expect my neighbors though to keep up with maintenance on their home. I don't want neighbors with gutters hanging loose or peeling paint etc.

 

[Tecalli]

Interesting article, thanks for posting.
A little off topic, but can someone identify for me the breed of chicken in the picture that is being hand fed-- white with black around the neck? Very attractive. I've got 3 hens in the city and am thinking about adding 2 more this spring.

I think hens make great neighbors. While people talk about building neighborly relations by giving away eggs, we give our neighbors buckets of chicken poo for their compost pile. They love it!

 

[scooter147]

It could be a Columbian or Brahma, cant' see it's feet to tell for sure.
Speaking of chicken poo, my neighbor hangs a kitty litter bucket on my fence when she wants some.

 

[Tecalli]

Thanks for the identification. Does Columbian go by any other name? I was looking at the breed index on this site and Columbian is not listed. Thanks.

 

[scooter147]

Maybe wyondotte.