- Jul 21, 2010
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Hello all!
Just stumbled on this site while researching chicken keeping in urban areas. I grew up in a series of small towns with a farm-crazy dad who is now living out a lifelong dream of raising his own chickens (and turkeys, and eventually goats...) and getting a lot closer to sustainable living. My life choices led me to the city (Pittsburgh) where I'm now a new homeowner with my wonderful husband, 3 cats and a lab mix puppy who is enthusiastic about everything (especially people)! I'm 24 and currently unemployed although my dream job is to be a librarian or a very well-paid camp counselor (I love camp; spent almost every summer there as a girl, was a counselor for 3 years during high school and miss it terribly). In lieu of that I'm considering tutoring. Anyone need study tips? (ha ha). My main focus right now is on increasing my homesteading skills, which includes being able to raise some of our own food. I have been gardening in small amounts for years but I'm looking to widen the scope a bit and maybe pick up a few chickens of my own. Initially I would want layers, not meat, but I'm comfortable with the idea of butchering at home eventually.
I've looked up the Pittsburgh zoning regulations as far as chickens are concerned and know that I'll never be able to have many of them but a few chicken owners in the city affirm that as long as chickens are kept as "pets" (named) they fall under pet regulations and not the agricultural zoning regulations, and that if they're clean and quiet no one will mind a small backyard flock. This is encouraging since I've always wanted chickens and am now trying to figure out whether our land will have enough room for them. Even if I can't have them now, I look forward to planning for a feathery future and making new chicken-friendly friends here!
Just stumbled on this site while researching chicken keeping in urban areas. I grew up in a series of small towns with a farm-crazy dad who is now living out a lifelong dream of raising his own chickens (and turkeys, and eventually goats...) and getting a lot closer to sustainable living. My life choices led me to the city (Pittsburgh) where I'm now a new homeowner with my wonderful husband, 3 cats and a lab mix puppy who is enthusiastic about everything (especially people)! I'm 24 and currently unemployed although my dream job is to be a librarian or a very well-paid camp counselor (I love camp; spent almost every summer there as a girl, was a counselor for 3 years during high school and miss it terribly). In lieu of that I'm considering tutoring. Anyone need study tips? (ha ha). My main focus right now is on increasing my homesteading skills, which includes being able to raise some of our own food. I have been gardening in small amounts for years but I'm looking to widen the scope a bit and maybe pick up a few chickens of my own. Initially I would want layers, not meat, but I'm comfortable with the idea of butchering at home eventually.
I've looked up the Pittsburgh zoning regulations as far as chickens are concerned and know that I'll never be able to have many of them but a few chicken owners in the city affirm that as long as chickens are kept as "pets" (named) they fall under pet regulations and not the agricultural zoning regulations, and that if they're clean and quiet no one will mind a small backyard flock. This is encouraging since I've always wanted chickens and am now trying to figure out whether our land will have enough room for them. Even if I can't have them now, I look forward to planning for a feathery future and making new chicken-friendly friends here!
