USA Today

[OrpingtonManor]

I couldn't believe it when that Donnellan (sp?) guy said we'd have to look at makeshift coops and chickens running amok. Really, some of the worst looking outbuildings are dog houses. My biggest fear for my chickens is the dogs that run amok in my neighborhood. No one ever has to fear getting stitches from being mauled by a stray chicken.

I live about 15 minutes from Nifty. I'm glad to know he's that close, working to make it easier to have urban backyard chickens without apology.

 

[oldbuzzard]

nice job!

 

[AngieChick]

Yay Rob! Congrats on a very well done interview!

 

[logan3]

Awesome article!!! It inspired Sarah and I to raise our first chickens!

 

[FractalFarmer]

There is also a chicken story that references BYC on local SF station ABC 7! Was 2009 year of the chicken and I missed it or something?

Here is the link to that story: http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/assignment_7&id=6583109

and a brief clip:

Most of us pick up our eggs at the grocery store, but more and more people around the Bay Area are skipping the trip and walking no further than their back yard.

There was a time when fresh eggs came out of nearly everyone's backyard.

"Maybe 40-50 years ago everybody had chickens. I mean it was normal to have chickens in the city," said Susan Anderson.

Most of us pick up our eggs at the grocery store, but more and more people around the Bay Area are skipping the trip and walking no further than their back yard.

There was a time when fresh eggs came out of nearly everyone's backyard.

"Maybe 40-50 years ago everybody had chickens. I mean it was normal to have chickens in the city," said Susan Anderson.
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Oakland resident Susan Anderson is one of a growing number of people around the Bay and the nation who are turning back the clock and putting the cluck back in their backyard.

"I got them because I thought it would be really good for the kids to see the whole cycle of life," she explained.

Paul Cavanese and Ann Naffziger built a hen house behind their Alameda home.

"Our last flock we had for three years and they laid over 1900 eggs," said Naffziger.

In San Rafael a hen house has been built into a play structure at the Pollock house.

"The more I read about it the more I realized it just sounded totally easy," said Diane Pollock.

No one knows just how many urban chickens are in the Bay Area but we do know they are attracting a lot of attention.

"We know quite a few within just a half mile of here, and we know a lot of people who are thinking about getting them," said Naffziger.

Chickens, it seems, are catching on.

In fact, the website www.backyardchickens.com gets 6 million page views a month and 4,000 new posts on its online forum each day. There is even Backyard Poultry magazine which boasts 50,000 subscribers nationwide.

I just registered to comment at USA Today. A certain (obvious shill for the poultry industry) individual over at the the comment board needs to be schooled...​

 

[Nifty-Chicken]

Quote:
Great to have you here. Pull up a chair and stay a while!

 

[abChicken]

Chickens a Fad??

I raised chickens for a 4H project in school.
When got married and a place of our own my wife raised peigons(cant spell) and guess what i had

anyway my wife became disabled and we had to give up our animals. She passed two years ago, I Now have chickens again. So I think once you have chickens it you will always want them--
Thanks Rob for all the work you do for this forum, I mostly lurk around but really enjoy it.

 

[Nifty-Chicken]

Thanks for the nice comment abChicken and everyone else that posted such nice notes.

I totally disagree with chickens being a fad. I also disagree that they smell (if they aren't living in complete squalor) and will be running amok all over the place. I also disagree with the bit about going down to the local farm for fresh eggs

But I agree with what has already been posted... any press is good press!

Oh, and for the record, my coop is totally "a makeshift chicken coop" and was meant to be temporary until we build something better / more permanent. Well, life kept getting busier and the coop was working so well that we never got around to making anything more "fancy". I was actually a bit reluctant to have pics taken because it isn't as nice as the one in my head that I want to build. That said, it isn't anything neighbors have complained about or been bothered with. Oh well, I guess I've got a good project for this Spring... if those darned reporters would stop calling!

For fun, you can watch some of the ancillary news storied that have followed after the USA Today one: http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&tab=wn&ned=us&q=backyardchickens.com

 

[Sissy]

Great interview,
Now I am doubling my chickie order.

 

[Scrambled Egg]

AWESOME!!!!!