Creating a 3 fold educational pamphlet on backyard chickens

[eatfruit]

Hi All. I am brand new and never guessed I would ever be here! You all seem like a super educated friendly bunch and I need your advice.

I am working to change the ordinances in my city to permit backyard chickens.

One of my first goals is to create a 3 fold brochure full of education that dispels many of the myths and helps explain exactly what urban chicken raising is all about.

What would be the main talking points you would absolutely include? Would photos of coops be helpful? Any other ideas for how to get people to understand this is a positive movement?

Thanks for any help. Really. Thank you!!

 

[Fudgie]

1st.

You can start with the slogans,

"My pet makes me breakfast"

"Ham and eggs-A days work for a chicken, a lifetime commitment for a pig!"

Go to the brooder section and paste pictures of them.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=6233

Go to the coop section and post pictures of that.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/coopdesigns.html

As you are showing the coops show how little room they really take up and how the yards look so clean and nice not littered with poo everywhere. That is the mindset of the folks making these rules. Dirt and filth and yuck and degregrading the neighborhood....Show the coops that look like a children's playhouse. Those are nice to look at and keep the chickens contained as well. Just some ideas to start out with.

 

[babymakes6]

Chickens eat bugs, snakes, mosquitoes, etc. They are "the all-purpose pet."
ETA:

 

[ams3651]

by the way if you go to vistaprint.com you can make a professional looking brocure pretty cheap, usually they have some free just pay shipping

 

[eatfruit]

Awesome! Keep all the suggestions coming!

 

[Eggs-Actly]

I would probably include some pics of eggs and would certainly include blue and green eggs. I would also include pics of silkies (I don't know how anyone can resist those little guys,. . . er, girls - they're just sooooooo cute

) Pics of fuzzy little chicks should help break down the wall too. How mad can you get when you see little chicks? Maybe put that pic next to a pic of a barking dog.

I would include suggestions for re-writing the local ordinances such as minimum distance away from neighbor's houses, no roos allowed, max number of girls allowed per acre, no free ranging, etc.

Pics of your children holding them along with a brief summary of how your children have learned to care for another, how the girls run to the children (or you) when they go to the coop after school (or work). Maybe describe how you're teaching them to come when their name is called (I'm still trying this

).

If there was room I might even include a weekly chore list describing how often you clean your coop and run and food dishes, etc. This would help them to understand you are not just having chickens and not giving any thought to their upkeep.

Whatever you do I would try and get it in the commissioner's heads that the girls are your pets - not your livestock. They are not going to give you approval to have chickens you let loose all day, that give you eggs which you in turn sell to your neighbors so that you can get more chickens and more eggs, and when they're done producing eggs you're going to have dinner with 'em.

They want to know that you are a responsible and caring adult/family that has decided to have a few chickens as pets. By having only a few you have the ability to keep them as well as their behaviors (and smells) under control.

Let me know how you are going with this. I'm really interested in seeing how it turns out. I've had to do similar brochures for my job for many years and the 3-fold brochure is a perfect informative read if done properly.

 

[Fudgie]

Don't forget the health aspect of it all, you are getting FRESH NO extra additives EGGS!!

When you do your presentation, take a farm fresh egg and a store bought egg in and crack them both in a bowl, show them the luscious golden yellow yolk from the farm fresh egg and the pale yellow egg yolk from the store bought egg.

 

[[email protected]]

I researched your topic myself recently and found that in NYC they are encouraging people to better understand where their food comes from and what's in it. They promote the raising of chickens for Pets that give you fresh eggs.

 

[eatfruit]

Ok so I have a great start! How do I know which photo are ok to copy and paste and use? Is there a release here that people agree to on the terms?

I just don't want to take (and then print) brochures with photos without it being OK.

Can anyone advise?

 

[Fudgie]

Don't know except ask people....you can use ANY of my photos. Permission granted! LOL