Hello All,
I've been a member for a while, but this is my first post. I live in the heart of downtown Ferndale, in Metro Detroit, and am working on having the ultimate urban farm.
It all started when I bought my house this past spring... While touring the property with the previous owner, he stated that the small shed in the side yard used to house chickens; he had them, the previous owner did, and probably every owner back to 1920 did (the shed looked really old.) I hate to say it but that kind of sealed the deal with me buying the house. I have always enjoyed having chickens and other animals as a kid; I was in 4-H and had an egg buisness growing up, and also raised and showed goats & sheep & all types of poultry. I have probably raised over a thousand chicks.
After college I moved to the city and lived in an uppity loft for a few years, but always longed for animals. So, a month after closing, I was placing an order for initally 15 chicks, but ended up turning into 40 (the "oh those are cute" was a huge factor." I ordered from Ideal hatchery blue & buff Polish, Silkies and Faverolles. The post office was seemed very confused when they called to tell me that there is a box full of chicks with my name on it. That was May 25th , and since then the roosters have found new homes, and I have been left with 21 girls who are just starting to lay. The polish were the first to lay, at 19 weeks (I was very suprised) and the rest of them (faverolles) are just starting now. Two weeks ago someone left a pair of Dutch Bantams at my back door with a note saying that they heard I had chickens, they don't have a place to keep them this winter, etc. and if i could keep them; total baby on the doorstep scenerio. They are in quarantine in the garage right now for a while.
I have heard that there are others in Ferndale that have chickens and am interested in connecting to make chickens totally legal (the ordinance & zoning seems a little "iffy".) Anyway I am happy to be a part of this group and am willing to share any expertise I may have.
Justin
I've been a member for a while, but this is my first post. I live in the heart of downtown Ferndale, in Metro Detroit, and am working on having the ultimate urban farm.
It all started when I bought my house this past spring... While touring the property with the previous owner, he stated that the small shed in the side yard used to house chickens; he had them, the previous owner did, and probably every owner back to 1920 did (the shed looked really old.) I hate to say it but that kind of sealed the deal with me buying the house. I have always enjoyed having chickens and other animals as a kid; I was in 4-H and had an egg buisness growing up, and also raised and showed goats & sheep & all types of poultry. I have probably raised over a thousand chicks.
After college I moved to the city and lived in an uppity loft for a few years, but always longed for animals. So, a month after closing, I was placing an order for initally 15 chicks, but ended up turning into 40 (the "oh those are cute" was a huge factor." I ordered from Ideal hatchery blue & buff Polish, Silkies and Faverolles. The post office was seemed very confused when they called to tell me that there is a box full of chicks with my name on it. That was May 25th , and since then the roosters have found new homes, and I have been left with 21 girls who are just starting to lay. The polish were the first to lay, at 19 weeks (I was very suprised) and the rest of them (faverolles) are just starting now. Two weeks ago someone left a pair of Dutch Bantams at my back door with a note saying that they heard I had chickens, they don't have a place to keep them this winter, etc. and if i could keep them; total baby on the doorstep scenerio. They are in quarantine in the garage right now for a while.
I have heard that there are others in Ferndale that have chickens and am interested in connecting to make chickens totally legal (the ordinance & zoning seems a little "iffy".) Anyway I am happy to be a part of this group and am willing to share any expertise I may have.
Justin
