Chicken Coop Chatter©
We know that a lot of you are attempting to get ordinances changed and/or passed in your area to allow chickens. We encourage you to get involved, even if it does not affect you in your specific neighborhood; be involved to support others that are working toward more self-reliance.
First, we recommend that you go to your council armed with good information.
1) Chickens are NO louder and no smellier than dogs in a backyard.
2). The chicken waste is compostable for gardens. (Dog waste is NOT).
3) Seattle, Washington and Portland, Oregon BOTH allow chickens in the city as part of their *green* movement. Many major cities around the nation allow backyard chickens.
4). Chickens and eggs are a healthy source of food (and more if they are also to be a meat source).
5) The recommendation is for at least 2 chickens per family member to have enough eggs to feed a family.
6) Food banks around the nation are accepting home-grown chicken eggs to help those in need.
7) Chickens eat most edible kitchen waste, reducing the impact of garbage waste taken to the landfills.
8) Dogs are not restricted to specific footage from a living structure nor restricted to specific footage from a neighbors yard, and chickens should not have to be either.
9) Healthy chickens do not spread diseases or illnesses.
10) Chickens eat destructive insects and can help keep the population of mice down.
11) Other birds are allowed, such as Cockatiel, Parrots, Parakeets, not to mention all the wild birds that visit the neighborhoods and chickens are no different and no louder than Ravens or Crows.
12) Chickens are good therapy animals. There is solid evidence of this in nursing homes and Assisted living facilities. Chickens are also educational for children, helping to teach them responsibility, to teach them life cycles, to teach them about their food sources and they make good pets.
There are many attributes to keeping chickens and we encourage it. It is up to YOU to have the proper and well researched information to take to your council and do NOT take NO for an answer. They need to be educated about chickens and only those of you planning to have chickens can alter their thinking. We hope these suggestions help and would appreciate it if you would let us know how your council meetings turn out. If you don't win the first round, do NOT give up, nothing has to be set in stone, and council members have a turn over, so for every council member there is a new one coming on board that may be easier to sway. Good Luck all!!!
Chicken Coop Chatter© All Rights Reserved 2013-2014