Chickens In The White House! How can we make this happen!?!?!

[The Chicken Lady]

I finished my letter.

 

[al6517]

Why stop there, imagine an incubator full of eggs ready to hatch in the Lincoln Bedroom!!!! what a hoot that would be. those girls would have so much fun.


AL

 

[TillinWithMyPeeps]

I made a thread for people once they get their letters sent out, so that we can see how many people we have doing this:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=1840163#p1840163

 

[babymakes6]

Quote:
BYC is a bad influence! My first hatch ended poorly on Monday-and I am expecting more eggs tomorrow-I didn't plan to do it again, but...........
Anyway, the White House needs Silkies.

 

[basicliving]

I agree with the posters that mentioned the Obama girls - get those little girls begging for chickens and THAT may be the deciding factor.

BTW Rimshoes - your post cracked me up. And I think you are dead on the money - it would end up being a secret service agent's job. Poor fella(s). I can just hear them at the daily detailing meeting:

agent1: Oh man, not chicken poop patrol! AGAIN???

agent2: You think you got it bad? This is the third time this week I've been the chicken food tester/taster. Geez. I hope BOSS is on the menu today.

 

[FrenchHen]

Very, very cool idea.
The annual Easter Egg hunt would be really cool if they had real Easter Egger chicken eggs!

 

[Sunny Side Up]

BYC, this idea isn't unique to us. I just did a quick Google search of "chickens in the White House" and found many links to articles about others with our same idea. It may only be a matter of time before there's Presidential peeps scratching up the Rose Garden.

I also did a quick search on Presidential pets, didn't find any chickens but did see that President Wilson had a flock of sheep grazing on the White House lawn, and his predecessor Taft had the last White House cow, named Pauline Wayne.

I imagine there have been chickens kept by the White House kitchen back in the day when yardbirds were the custom for fresh eggs & meat. But perhaps not kept as pure pets.

They do roll eggs on the White House lawn every Easter, it should be an easy progression to go from eggs on the grass to keeping chickens there.

 

[basicliving]

After thinking about it a few minutes.... often people WANT to join efforts such as this, but they just don't know what to say.m Maybe it would help to post some "talking points" for people to use when constructing their letters. I do this with some grass roots activists groups I'm involved in and the response is MUCH better when talking points are provided.

For example:

- The prez has stated people need to do their part to provide for themselves and plan for the future. What better way than to take a step toward self sufficiency raising chickens for eggs and/or meat. The prez would set a great example by bringing some chickens in to live on the White House grounds.
- Some of the eggs produced by his flock could be donated to soup kitchens and other organizations that provide food for the homeless/less fortunate. This would set a great example and encourage others to be charitable.
- The chickens could become part of the white house tour and children/people could learn about chickens while visiting.
- The annual White House Lawn Easter Egg hunt could include eggs from the President's own flock! These could be "golden eggs" and personally signed by the president! Or better yet - his girls!

I suspect his answer will be that owning chickens is illegal in DC - but then we can start a campaign to change that law and ask that he help!

Penny

 

[TillinWithMyPeeps]

Quote:
When the president does it it's not illegal.

 

[The Chicken Lady]

A past President had a pet turkey.