Chickens are some of the most frequently misunderstood of the animals you can keep. People get this misconception that chickens are dirty, stinky, evil, disease ridden little feathery rats and this is simply the incredibly shallow, narrow-minded talk of the fear-stricken public, brainwashed by the media that sensationalizes every little thing.
The truth is, well cared for chickens can be excellent animals for even small backyards. My three hens are sweet, healthy, beautiful creatures and they have brought me only joy, eggs, and I don't even mind cleaning the coop every once in a while. Sure they escape sometimes or get into the neighbors yard sometimes, but it's not like I'm a bad person for that. They didn't burn the town or murder the neighborhood, did they?!?!
They are the complete opposite of the public's image of chickens. I am sickened by the way the commercial egg farms treat their laying hens. They are kept in tiny cages with thousands of chickens in huge buildings. The smell must be completely disgusting and the air made mostly of ammonia and dust and mold. The hens are debeaked, which means the tip of their top beak is removed to discourage pecking. They are driven to insanity by the small quarters and awful conditions. They peck each other to death and the dead are often left to rot because no one comes to collect the bodies.
Us small flock owners take good care of our flocks. Those who don't care for them or have cockfights are the scum of chicken society, and the commercial egg farms are the manipulative corporations.
My point is, make sure everyone has their facts right when they vote. I wish I could live out in the country and have a larger flock, but I can't do that right now. I hate having other people decide what I can and can't do.
Good luck on your fight for rights, and welcome to BYC!!!
