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Add to NewsvineJulie wants chickens. One of my young hipster co-workers, she's got chickens in her urban backyard, and raves about them. Julie is envious, and is going to go over and visit Jo's chickens this weekend, I think. Some women want jewelry, others want designer clothing. My woman wants her some Rhode Island reds.
And that's not all she wants. Actual telephone dialogue early this evening.
"So I'm in the car headed home. Do I need to pick up anything?"
"No. I'm sitting here in front of the computer, waiting for an e-mail."
"From who?"
"From the person on Craigslist who's giving away a compost tumbler. Can you believe that? A compost tumbler! I wrote to her and said I'd take it. I'm waiting to see if I got it."
(She says this in approximately the tone of voice I would use if I were waiting to hear that I'd scored a free keg of Chimay Red, or a case of Kobe steaks.)
"Wow. A compost tumbler."
"You're making fun of me, but I'm really excited!"
"Well, who wouldn't be?"
Later, I arrive home, greet the children, and start to settle in. A few minutes later, a squeal emanates from our bedroom, where the computer is.
"I got it! I got it! I've got the compost tumbler! Oh, I'm sooooo happy! Yay!"
She comes into the kitchen and does a little Snoopy suppertime dance. For the damn compost tumbler. Then out the door she goes to pick it up, and comes home to call her good friend and tell about her amazing luck.
A girl and her compost tumbler. It's a beautiful thing. Next stop: pullets.
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My uncle, who's a bit crunchy but nowhere near a con, has kept chickens in his yard for years in his (otherwise) quiet Minneapolis neghborhood. They destroyed his back yard, but the birds have provided many delicious eggs for him and our family. They're also a hoot to watch. My only question is: are they a good idea to have around with small children? They do need a lot of space, which may crimp on the kids' outdoor time.
Posted by: Insane Kitten | July 9, 2008 11:27 AM
City of Dallas regs won't let you have roosters in the city, no doubt for cock-a-doodle-doo'ing reasons.
I grew up with chickens in the country, and have told Julie that she might not be prepared for all the chicken shit in the backyard. Our backyard isn't huge, and while we'd no doubt fence in the back 25 percent of the yard for the chickens (if we got them), you can't fence off the smell.
It may not be that big a deal, though. My memory may be faulty. And I do love me some fresh eggs.
When I was a kid, we had a big problem when our stupid chickens stuck their heads out of their pen at night, and our wicked fox terrier bit the heads off of most of the hens.
Posted by: Rod Dreher | July 9, 2008 11:43 AM
We have a flock of browns (which is a sex linked variety of Rhode Island Reds); the girls lay one egg + per day (they add up fast) and are only noisy in the morning when they lay. They eat all our kitchen scraps, and provide our gardens with **fantastic** compost (and they are always very happy to pick the worm compost clean of errant worms).
I can't imagine one chicken in the city would be too noisy, messy, require too much space, etc. We raised 6 big boys in the equivalent of a medium sized doghouse and a small penned in area until they found a new home in the freezer,you just want to make sure you give them plenty of shade.
Have fun-- chickens are easy, and the eggs are fantastic!
Posted by: Cyndi | July 9, 2008 1:17 PM
Build a moveable chicken pen to pull around the yard. The chickens will eat bugs, keep the lawn aerated, fertilize it and eat up the scraps and weeds you toss in. Move it frequently unless you want bare earth. Be sure to keep any chicken feed in a tightly covered container to avoid attracting rodents. Just a few chickens is all you need at one time if you are keeping them for eggs and composting.
http://www.breathingroom.faithweb.com/chickens.html
They _are_ fun.
Posted by: Ann | July 9, 2008 3:19 PM
Back in the day everyone would order their chickens from Sears and Roebucks or another source via a catalog. The mail carrier would deliver a box of a pullets. Most folks would order a hundred or more at a time. These were sexed, guaranteed to be eighty percent female. Supposedly this sexing could only be done by orientals. They had the touch for touching I guess because it involves feeling the hidden to the eye difference between a male and a female.
One of my buds here in north Texas likes to tell about what it was like living back then. They didn't have a well. They had a cistern that captured the rain water during the wet times and provided water for them during the drier times. It was a large concrete tank with sides about four feet high.
Invariably the chickens would roost on the side of the cistern. He says there would be a circle of chickens on the top of the wall of the cistern every night. Just after dark his father would go out and turn each one around so the bad business end would be over the outside of the cistern instead of being over their source for drinking and bathing water.
Posted by: harvey lacey | July 10, 2008 7:46 AM
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