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Hen and Egg photos by Petr Kratochvil
As I stated in a previous column, Berea Citizens cry "fowl" on City's Chicken Ordinance,
I'm a little miffed that I can't raise backyard chickens within the city limits here in Berea, KY. I've been living out of state for the past few years and one of the things I was most looking forward to, upon moving back to town, was setting up a coop and getting a few chickens for my backyard and garden.
However, there seems to be some obscure ordinance that's only a few days older than dirt, that says if you have less than an acre of land you can't keep chickens. Not many houses withing the city limits have at least an acre attached to them so for now I have to put the chicken idea on hold.
In an effort to show my support for the folks at www.BereaChickenBrigade.com, I thought I'd create a list of the top ten reasons you should raise backyard city chickens in Berea, Kentucky. Drum
roll, please!
Number 10 – Chickens are just plain fun to watch! I guarantee you that if you take a few minutes in the afternoon to sit out on your porch and watch those little ladies strutting around your yard you'll forget you ever had a care in the world. Backyard chickens are a better stress reliever than any drug you can buy.
Number 9 – Backyard chickens are a great way to meet your neighbors. Or anyone for that matter. As soon as people see you have chickens the conversation starts. “I've always wanted to raise chicken, too”! “Look how cute they are!” “Is it expensive?” “How many eggs are you getting?” And on and on. It's believed that the long running dispute between the Hatfields and the McCoys was ended when Granny Hatfield decided to start keeping backyard chickens and everybody had to stop fighting and talk about it.
Number 8 – Get your kids a dog or a cat so they can learn some responsibility and what do you get? A furry poop machine that costs a lot of money to feed and care for. On the other hand, get them a couple of chickens and yes, chickens poop, too (and we'll get to that in a minute) but you also get some eggs out of the deal.
Number 7 – Chickens eat bugs. Now that might not sound so appetizing to you but the help keep down mosquitoes, ticks, fleas, slugs and other assorted creepy-crawlies. They also go after your garden pests like grubs and earwigs.
Number 6 – While they're scratching around looking for those bugs they're aerating your soil and breaking up larger pieces of vegetation to help the decomposition process along.
Number 5 – Because backyard chickens eat all those bugs their eggs are loaded with proteins and nutrients that you definitely don't get with store bought eggs. A once you eat an egg from a backyard chicken you'll never eat store bought again. The yolks are a brighter yellow/orange color and much firmer. And because backyard chickens aren't raised on a bland diet of corn mash, their eggs are much tastier.
Number 4 – Ok, here's the scoop on chicken poop. Yes, chickens do poop. And if you don't clean up the coop occasionally you're going to have a smelly mess on your hands. But chicken poop is full of nutrients so... clean out that coop and use it for garden fertilizer!
Number 3 – Yes, a rooster will crow. But HENS only “sing” when they're laying an egg. After that, they just strut around your yard, doing a little clucking every now and then, but they are no where near as noisy as your dog who just happens to bard at all hours of the day and night. Once the sun starts to set chicken go into the coop and go to sleep until the sun comes back up. Your dog, on the other hand, continues to bark no matter what time of day it is.
Number 2 – There is an increasingly popular movement in this country to become self-sufficient and “Go Green”. That doesn't only refer to energy consumption. It includes things like growing your own vegetables and fruits. Producing whatever you can at home. In the end, it does lead back to energy consumption in that the more we produce ourselves the less has to be transported around the country.
Number 1 – And the Number One reason why you should raise backyard chickens in Berea, Kentucky is because of the overall philosophy of the town. Berea College and the town of Berea itself take great pride in the steps that have been take to become more environmentally friendly. There's the Eco Village, for example, and the recent Green renovations at the Boone Tavern making it one of only 21 hotels nationwide to be given the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design awarded the the US Green Building Council.
The leadership of Berea and Berea College obviously recognize the importance of “Going Green” and becoming a self-sufficient community. The steps they've taken so far help not only our own community, but the students at Berea College take these lessons with them as they go out into the world.
It's time Berea lifted this ban on inner-city chickens. It's an old law, originally instituted in 1919. Things have changed. It's legal to raise city chickens in several large cities across the US, including New York City! The people of Berea want to be self-sufficient, especially in this town where the leadership seems to generally agree. In fact, they encourage us to be green and environmentally friendly with the examples they're setting.
Now they need to set one more good example and eliminate this Chicken Ban. And you can help. Visit www.BereaChickenBrigade.com and find out more information and what's happening with this ordinance in Berea. You'll also find a list of all of the town council members, along with their email adresses, so you can contact them and tell them Donna said - “We Want Our Chickens!”
Read my previos article - Berea Citizens Cry "Fowl" on City's Chicken Ordinance and stay tuned for some more great chicken information and recipes throughout the week!
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