Here is my note....
>>>I'm hoping you get an avalanche of mail/email concerning this report. : )
'Backyard chickens' is a growing phenomenon in the U.S. There are several reasons for this....
1) Chickens are generally fun pets. They eat bugs as part of their upkeep and give tasty eggs. Chickens enjoy left over veggies which are not spoiled, yet are past their prime. Some chickens become quite attached to their owners, showing affection by following the owners about in the garden, hopping into their laps and 'purring' as only an hen can do. Another bonus is the great fertilizer for the compost which doesn't cost a dime.
2) Chickens don't need much room, they don't insist being taken for a walk twice a day, they won't bark at a skunk and be sprayed at 2am, and they won't insist on sleeping on the beds. Chickens will not kill the neighbor's cats/dogs, nor lie in wait for the finch at the bird feeder. They don't bark all night and awaken the next door baby.
They will sometimes kill mice, rats and snakes, however.
3) With the advent of the internet, individuals can see for themselves the deplorable conditions of the hens kept as egg machines. UTube has quite a few of these horrific videos. By owning a few hens, most owners feel that they are rescuing these animals from a wretched life.
Because the keeping of chickens *is* growing as are other aspects of becoming more in touch with one's food, cities should regulate the practice instead of trying to squelch it. Forcing this underground does no good. The debates concerning urban chickens should be rational and intelligent, instead of rhetorical and hysterical.
Carla Riggs
Pasadena Ca
>>>I'm hoping you get an avalanche of mail/email concerning this report. : )
'Backyard chickens' is a growing phenomenon in the U.S. There are several reasons for this....
1) Chickens are generally fun pets. They eat bugs as part of their upkeep and give tasty eggs. Chickens enjoy left over veggies which are not spoiled, yet are past their prime. Some chickens become quite attached to their owners, showing affection by following the owners about in the garden, hopping into their laps and 'purring' as only an hen can do. Another bonus is the great fertilizer for the compost which doesn't cost a dime.
2) Chickens don't need much room, they don't insist being taken for a walk twice a day, they won't bark at a skunk and be sprayed at 2am, and they won't insist on sleeping on the beds. Chickens will not kill the neighbor's cats/dogs, nor lie in wait for the finch at the bird feeder. They don't bark all night and awaken the next door baby.
They will sometimes kill mice, rats and snakes, however.
3) With the advent of the internet, individuals can see for themselves the deplorable conditions of the hens kept as egg machines. UTube has quite a few of these horrific videos. By owning a few hens, most owners feel that they are rescuing these animals from a wretched life.
Because the keeping of chickens *is* growing as are other aspects of becoming more in touch with one's food, cities should regulate the practice instead of trying to squelch it. Forcing this underground does no good. The debates concerning urban chickens should be rational and intelligent, instead of rhetorical and hysterical.
Carla Riggs
Pasadena Ca
