Got Chickens? (We do!)

As I previously posted, I was planning to get day-old chicks. Well, those plans fell through, and I ended up getting some 6-week old chicks from a great guy named Jay Gregory - he runs Gregory Poultry, in Virginia. I first 'met' him through a yahoo group called ncpoultry2. To make the transaction, we met him in Winston Salem, while his family was there for a family trip to the Dixie Classic Fair. We drove there and met him in the morning, and by the afternoon, our new girls were settled in their coop.

We actually used the cage I had set up (I had to disassemble it) as the brooder to bring the birds home. (yes, we let them ride in the cab of our truck on the way home) On the ride home we got to know the girls a little better... uh... and smell them better too - six hens in an enclosed truck don't really smell lovely, just to let you know. We named them all by the time we got home. It was quite hard to keep the kids from sticking their fingers in the cage, and we used hand sanitizer liberally on the way home!

Here are some pictures of our new chickens - we've had them now for one week! They seem to be doing really well. They're used to their coop (they are too old for a brooder!), and they know to go up the ramp at bedtime!

This is one of the two Ameraucanas named Ginger.

Here I am, holding Sassy, one of the two Buff Orpingtons.

Anderson is holding Sassy also, who is saying "Please don't squish me!"

This is Betty, a Barred Plymouth Rock. She is the largest of the six, and the most friendly. After a week at our house, she will come running up to the front of the coop whenever you come by, and she likes to be petted.

Scarlett, our Rhode Island Red... she seems to be the most timid.

Gray Whitney - she's gray and buff/light brown - we named her after Ray Whitney of the Carolina Hurricanes.

This is Miss Priss... she's a Buff Orpington. We had originally named her Miss Piggy, but that has changed. She's very sweet and curious. She's the second most friendly one besides Betty.

The Wake Weekly did a final story regarding the "Hens in Wake Forest" campaign - I would like to give you a link to it, but it's not available online right now. The reporter used the picture of me above, and also took one of my daughter right next to the coop. It was a really nice story. I hope to be able to get it on here somehow so others (not in the WF area) who are following the story can read it.

Setting up your brooder

If you have chosen to order chicks (like I did), you will need to have a brooder box for them to live in until they get big enough/feathered enough to go outside in your ark, coop, tractor, whatever you have...

Here's a picture of my Brooder box... it's a 19 1/2" x 32" guinea pig cage I got off of craigslist a year or so ago, and I've added some cardboard around the edges to help keep the heat in and drafts out! Right now I only have cardboard around half of mine because it's in a very protected spot in my house... under a craft table, up against a wall. I may add more if it seems to be drafty, but I think it's gonna be OK!


You may use a large cardboard box, an old cooler, a child's wading pool... whatever has sides big enough that the little peepers won't hop or fly out of(they can fly pretty quickly). You may need to put 'bird' netting over the top of whatever you have, depending on how high the sides are.



A heat lamp is a must... Brand new chicks need their temp at 95 degrees the first week, then each week after that dropping by increments of 5 degrees. If your chicks act like it's too hot, then you can adjust it - don't ever stand firm to these 'rules' - watch what your chicks tell you too! They sell clip-on ones at the home improvement stores, or you could rig it up to hang over the brooder somehow. It needs to be able to be adjusted, lower and higher so the chicks don't get too hot... and I think it's recommended to get the red bulb because it makes it easier for the chicks to sleep, and they're less likely to pick at one another too. Of course you'll need chick feeders and waterers. There are a couple of designs out there, but the main thing is to make sure you place them up on something like a brick or a board so the chicks can reach them but they don't get as much bedding and dirt in the food or water.


We decided to get a digital remote thermometer... like the ones you can mount part of it outside (transmitter) and then read the indoor/outdoor temps on the receiver inside. If you decide not to get a thermometer, you'll probably be OK - the chicks will let you know if they're too cold (by huddling directly below the light), too hot (by staying as far away from the light as possible) or if there's a draft (huddling to one side of the light)... if the chicks are peeping contentedly and moving around the brooder seemingly unaware of the temperature, they're probably happy!

For the first couple of days you will not need to use anything but paper towels as bedding... the little chick's legs can't handle the slipperiness of newspaper, and if you put them in the brooder with pine shavings or other types of small bedding material, they might try to eat it and get sick or die. Put the paper towels down, load up your feeder and waterer, get the heat lamp running and warm up the brooder - all BEFORE you go to get your chicks from the PO or wherever. You want to have things ready for them when they come....

This is the point I'm at now... ready and waiting to see the cute little fluffy butts!

In the N&O, North Raleigh News section today:

Wake Forest approves household chickens
*****
Sarah Lindenfeld Hall, Staff Writer
Comment on this story WAKE FOREST - Emily Cole can have her chickens.
The Wake Forest town Board of Commissioners last week voted 4 to 1 to let Cole and any other town resident keep up to 10 hens.
Cole spoke to the town board last month, asking them to change a rule that required prospective chicken owners to get all neighbors within 500 feet to approve their plans.
Only one family has successfully convinced their neighbors to let them have chickens.
Cole couldn't. Though many neighbors had no problem with her plans, a few disagreed.
So Cole started a petition asking the town to loosen its rules. She eventually gathered several hundred signatures.
In August, town board members said they agreed that the rules needed to be changed.
Earlier this month, they considered a draft ordinance that allowed up to five chickens. Last week, after a public hearing, board members agreed to increase that number to 10. Cole had originally hoped officials would allow as many as 20.
"I'm really happy with the outcome, and I'm really excited that it didn't take six months to do it," Cole said. "I'm also really happy that the Wake Forest commissioners are open-minded. I'm excited that they realize it's a good step forward for the town."
Across the country, more urban and suburban residents are keeping chickens amid fears of the safety of the food supply and a desire to buy local products.
Until now, only the Bissette family in Wake Forest was allowed to have chickens. They were awarded a permit earlier this year after all of their neighbors agreed to their plans.
Neighbors and families at Holding Park across the street often stop by to see their hens.
The new rules mean that the Bissettes no longer have to get their permit renewed each year.
Dave Bissette said he wasn't concerned about getting the permit renewed, but it was a hassle. The family would have had to canvass all their neighbors again.
"I'm glad, quite frankly, I don't have to deal with it anymore," said Bissette.
Nobody came forward to speak out against the new rules at the public hearing. Town commissioner Pete Thibodeau was the lone dissenting vote.
Commissioner Frank Drake said many Wake Forest homeowners who live in neighborhoods where homeowner association rules ban chickens won't be able to keep them, despite the law.
Drake, whose grandparents tended chickens in a neighborhood when he was a child, said most people who contacted him supported the measure.
"I really don't think this is going to be as prevalent as vegetable gardening," he said. "Nobody seemed to have a problem with it once they realized that they lived in a neighborhood that had an HOA that forbade it."
Cole said last week that she wasn't sure when she will get her chickens, but it could be in the next week or so. Her husband has plans to build a miniature barn.
When Cole got home from last week's meeting, her husband and two young children were waiting to congratulate her with chicken drawings taped to the door.
They told her, the "chickens are coming."

sarah.lindenfeld@newsobserver.com or (919) 829-8983
*****

Needless to say, my kids are very excited about having some chickens soon!

So, you want some chicas too? (how to start your flock)

OK - I know some of you would like to have a small flock of chickens. Now that it's legal in Wake Forest to have up to 10 hens (NO ROOSTERS), I've gotten some inquiries on how to start. So, I guess I'll put some info up here to help out if I can..... I will stress, however, that I am NOT AN EXPERT!!!! (I don't even have any chickens yet!)

First, you have to decide how many and what kinds you want to get.... there are SOOOO many different varieties out there, I couldn't begin to list them all. I will just give you a good idea of a few different ones... Please check out MyPetChicken or BackyardChickens for their info on breeds. There are several hatcheries that have great info too - there are links to these hatcheries on those two sites.

If you're looking for mainly egg production:
Plymouth Rocks (Barred, Black, White), Orpingtons (Buff, Black), Rhode Island Reds, Sussex, Leghorns (pronounced 'Leggerns'), and Australorps are going to be the most prolific egg producers... Then you also get into whether you want different colored eggs. There are the 'Easter-Eggers' Ameraucanas, which the Bissette's have over on Main St, and they lay green to blue eggs, and occasionally pinkish. There are also the hard-to-find true Auracanas which are blue egg layers. The Rhode Island Reds have brown, Leghorns have white...

If you just want some mainly for pets, and don't care much about eggs:
Polish varieties come in a myriad of colors (and have fluffy heads), Silkies, with really fluffy feathers that look like a fluff ball, turkens (really a chicken which looks like a bald-necked turkey), and almost all of the bantam breeds... they're in this section just because they've got tiny little eggs. (about 1/2 of standard size large eggs -they still taste great though!)

OK - once you've selected the breed(s) and how many you want, you need to determine how you're going to house them. I recommend you follow the 4 square foot/bird rule for your coop. I would say give them larger space if you're planning to keep them cooped up a lot. I recommend also, that you have a movable coop so your hens can forage in your yard safe from predators. There are TONS of options available. I love the CatawbaCoop chicken ark (he's having a $9.99 sale on them this week!!!) , I think it's a great, affordable design! It's quite attractive too, especially if you made it from redwood or cedar! I would suggest keeping no more than 4-5 standard sized hens in one full-time.

There are also links to coop designs that are for sale on MyPetChicken, and BackyardChickens has a great page full of user submitted photos and sometimes even step-by-step photos showing the folks building their coops. There are many different sizes and styles available - movable, and stationary - the options are unlimited - you could look at a few and then design your own perhaps!

My plan is to have a stationary (attractive)barn-style coop with a large enclosed run attached to it, but also have an ark in which I can take several birds out to forage around my yard where I want them. I like the idea that I can keep some things stored in the stationary coop - I'll use part of it (partitioned off) for storing my personal garden tools, gloves, and the chicken supplies. The plan is to have the nesting boxes on the interior wall so I can get to the eggs via a little door from the 'shed' side and not have to get my shoes dirty to get the eggs. My husband has been excitedly drawing up different plans and asking me what I want everything to look like! Many of you who want to own chickens are most likely pretty handy yourselves, and will be able to come up with a great place - if not, please check the links I mentioned above. Some places will even ship you a kit with detailed instructions, and you just assemble it.

Wow - so you've hopefully decided which breeds of hens, and how many, and how you're planning to house them... now - where are you going to get your chickens from??? That was my major dilemma this week - I am quite impatient now that I've got the legal footing to get some 'chicas'... and I don't want to wait! There are many ways to acquire your flock...

** purchase chicks online or find a local hatchery where you can pick them up, brood them in your house/garage/storage building until they get large enough and feathered out enough to be outside in the elements, then move them to your coop. Wait several months before you get your first egg, then have an 'egg party'! (this method allows you to hand-raise your chicks, which makes them more docile and people friendly ='lap bird')
** purchase 'pullets' online or from a local hatchery, place them in your coop when you get them and only wait a few weeks to get your first eggs. (you can't be sure of their temperament, but usually they'll warm up to you if they're young enough and you handle them frequently)
** purchase grown hens from somewhere close by and start off with hens already laying. You may want to be cautious about this method - some owners may 'fudge' a little about the hen's age, and then you may end up with a hen that produces for a short time. (you're also not sure of the hen's temperament or disposition when you purchase them already as adults, and they can be kinda set in their ways)
** rescue 'battery cage' hens - this is not something I have done much research on, but you can do an Internet search. Key Points: There are organizations which help place unwanted birds from commercial laying facilities, and you can help rescue a few of these poor animals. They're usually really awful and ratty looking at first, but from what I've heard, they warm up to human contact quickly and once they've molted and feathered out, they make great pets.

I have chosen the first option listed above, and have an order of tiny day-old chicks which are coming to me in 9-10 days. I can't wait to meet them! I'm very excited about raising these chicks and so are my kids. It will be a wonderful learning experience for my daughter at least, and something that will keep my son entertained for maybe 10 minutes each day! (he's 2!)
We may also get a polish bantam chick or another bantam chick from a friend locally since they're really cute mini-chicas. I think I'll let my daughter pick one out especially for herself.

Whew...!
So - if you have questions... please post them in the comments section... I'll do my best to answer. Otherwise, those sites I mentioned above are really great resources of information. Please cruise around them! BackyardChickens has a really great forum which is a wealth of information, and tons of folks will post pictures, advice, information, whatever you need! There are also several Yahoo groups dedicated to raising chickens, just search for one in your area. In NC, there are two that I know of, "NCPoultry-east" and "ncpoultry2" click to follow a link to that group.

Wake Weekly and Wake Forest Gazette Stories

The Wake Weekly and Wake Forest Gazette both ran stories on Thursday about the 4-1 vote Tuesday night for allowing hens in Wake Forest. While the Wake Weekly's story isn't available online, click here for the Gazette's.

I have a feeling there will be quite a few small flocks popping up around Town in the next year or so. I hope that each of these flocks will be well maintained by responsible owners, and we won't have any complaints do deal with. I think this is a wonderful step forward for our community - let's put it into action!

I hope to have a few 'chicas' in my yard in the next couple of weeks!
Here's what I plan to build this weekend:


Perhaps I'll see a few of these around town soon too?!

It's Official! Wake Forest Commissioners Vote In New Ordinance to Allow Urban Chickens.

It's Official! Wake Forest Commissioners Vote In New Ordinance to Allow Urban Chickens.

By David Bissette

WAKE FOREST, NC. - The Town of Wake Forest's Board of Commissioners voted tonight to approve the chicken ordinance amendment. In a 4 to 1 vote, Commissioners Chris Kaeberlein, Anne Hines, Frank Drake, and Margaret Stinnett all ruled to append the town ordinances with an urban chicken amendment. The amendment allows for the keeping of up to ten chickens inside the town limits, excluding roosters.

Dissenting vote Commissioner Pete Thibodeau voiced concerns that the ordinance amendment was not restrictive enough. His concerns were that people would house the birds in their front yards and that there were no provisions in the amendment for how the chickens were to be housed. "We could have chickens running around in the town's major streets." said Thibodeau.

Commissioner Drake countered each point, reminding Thibodeau that there were not provisions for the keeping of other pets like dogs and cats in the ordinances either.

The vote was taken after an open microphone discussion. Emily Cole addressed the board stating that she felt that the town's legal council proposal of five birds was too limited given the period of time that a chicken lays eggs verses it's lifespan. She then proposed that the amendment allow either ten or twelve birds. The assenting commissioners agreed to her proposal and increased the limit on urban chickens to ten during their vote.

Former California resident Jeff Boldizar shared with the board news of the Fair Oaks Chicken Festival. A suburb of Pasedena, Fair Oaks can be considered to be one of the chicken friendliest places in the US. Chickens are allowed to "free range" alongside humans on downtown streets and in city parks. While not advocating such a policy for Wake Forest, he did mention that he thought the trend towards urban agriculturalism would mark the town as a place where people would want to reside.

"I'm very excited about this vote," said David Bissette, owner of the only permitted chickens inside the town limits. "This really opens an opportunity for people to becomes more more familair with their food source. That is something that has been lacking in the American diet and way of life for over 50 years now."

WE DID IT!!!!!

Tonight the Wake Forest Board of Commissioners voted 4-1 in favor of changing the town ordinance so that residents may keep up to 10 hens in their yards without any sort of permit.


Woo Hooo!!! Yippeee!!! Cowabunga!!! (can you think of any other exclamation I could use?)


When the public hearing session was opened, I made a brief statement about the number being too low (at the suggested 5). Then, several other members of the community spoke in favor of the change. Gerald Potter, whom I had met at the Farmer's Market one Saturday spoke about the importance of people knowing where their food comes from, and talked about the Victory Gardens and Wake Forest's role in helping it's residents when times were tough by bringing topsoil in so folks could grow their own foods. Jeff Boldizar brought information about a town in California which is known for it's chickens - they even have a festival each year! Dave Bissette also chimed in with statistics about Victory Gardens and the fact that in the '40s about 40% of a person's food was grown or produced somehow within their community. The consensus was reached by all that the number of hens allowed should be raised to 10, and that it was an important step for the Town of Wake Forest toward a more sustainable future.

There were no community members in attendance who spoke in opposition to the amendment, however, Commissioner Thibodeau did have some reservations about the change. He stated his concern that if any size parcel could have 10 hens there could be problems. Commissioner Drake tried to reassure him that most of the newer home communities with these smaller sized lots were governed under HOA's and the point was made that most of the HOA's don't allow any hens, so it shouldn't be much of an issue. Thibodeau was also concerned about there being no limitations set on where the hens could be housed. He stated there could be traffic issues if chickens housed in front yards were to get out and roam into the streets. Commissioner Stinnett replied that there were no restrictions on cats or dogs in the same manner, and so she didn't see any reason for there to be such restrictions on the chickens either.

I personally do think that Thibodeau's points were valid - that's why I had originally drafted a fairly stringent ordinance revision for the Commissioners to review in August. Their own staff decided to go the 'easy' route and make it as simple as possible - The wording will only add roughly a paragraph to the existing ordinance books. While I understand the town doesn't have the staff to enforce the permitting restrictions I had proposed, I am surprised at the lack of restrictions. (Not that I'm complaining!)

When time came to vote on the issue, Thibodeau's "nay" was the only one heard, so that meant the amendment passed 4-1.

After the vote, I spoke with Kerry Hall from NBC 17 out in the hallway, and she said a segment will run on the 11pm news tonight. (I've got my DVR set to record!) The Wake Weekly's David Leone was there, as well as Carol Pelosi of the Wake Forest Gazette. I'm interested to see their stories later this week.

I am so thankful for all of the support I have received from this community - especially the Bissette family, and the folks who came out to the public hearing tonight. There were several others there who didn't speak, but showed their support by attending - THANK YOU! I couldn't have done it without that support, and without the knowledge that I wasn't just doing this for myself. This change to the town ordinance will make it much easier for many other families to have a few chickens of their own... have fresh eggs that they know are healthy... this is a great step forward for our entire community!

Come on out on Tuesday!

Tuesday night the Town of Wake Forest Comissioners will hear public comments on the issue of backyard chickens in Wake Forest. I am hoping they will also vote after they hear whatever comments residents have. I plan to ask the Board to consider allowing residents to have up to 10 or 12 hens without the livestock permit, as a compromise between Mr. Summer's suggestion of 5, and my initial request of 20. I am sure there are three commissioners in favor of this number, so I feel confident they will approve that change, and vote on Tuesday.

The meeting will be held starting at 7pm at the Wake Forest Town Hall.

Please come out to show your support for the changed ordinance!

Work Session outcome

I just got home from attending the Wake Forest Board of Commissioner's work session this evening, and left the meeting a little disappointed.

At their last meeting, two weeks ago, the Commissioners asked some staffers to work on drafting an amended ordinance to be presented at this work session for review and consideration for a public hearing. Apparently the duty was delegated to Bill Summers, one of the town planners, who is in charge of issuing the livestock permits currently. He very simply stated, after snickering a little bit about how little he knew of the issue, that he suggested that the simplest change would be to amend the current ordinance to omit hens numbering fewer than five (5). In other words, you would not need a permit from the town to keep 5 or less hens in the town limits. If you wanted more than 5, you would need to submit to the current permitting process for livestock.

Now... this is a step forward... keeping hens would be allowed without a permit - that's great! But in my opinion the number 5 is too low! I had suggested that they allow 20 because of the diminished egg production once the animal gets to a certain age.... this guy wasn't taking that into consideration at all. I wonder if he's read the information I put together for the Commissioners... maybe I should send it to him...

Anyway - that's basically what transpired about chickens at the meeting tonight. I stayed to the end, and spoke with one of the Commissioners, Chris Kaeberlein, who also would like to see the number a little bit higher. He suggested 10. Really, that would be better, but larger families would still be out of luck if it were capped at that number. I am emailing all of the Commissioners tonight about the issue... and I hope they'll support a higher number when the time to vote comes around.

The Wake Weekly will be doing a story about the meeting later this week (Thursday) and I wouldn't be surprised to see something about it in the Wake Forest Gazette too. I just hope all of our local supporters will come out on September 16th to show that they want this ordinance changed with a reasonable amount of hens allowed.

Chicken Coops - they can be decorative too!

SO I haven't posted on here for a while - there really hasn't been much to report - and I think that's a good thing. Right now we're waiting for the Board of Commissioners' staff to draft the new ordinance. Hopefully they'll have that ready for the Commissioners work session this evening, and it will be approved and put to a public hearing to be held on September 16th. I am planning to attend their work session tonight, I hope to get a copy of the drafted ordinance to review, and find out first-hand how they all feel about it, and if it will, indeed be a public hearing item in two weeks! In the meantime, I've been kinda laying low - at this point, I don't feel a lot of media attention is what we need. We don't want to get the opposition all 'riled' up. I would rather not have this drag out for a long time, and it seems with the opinions shown at the meeting on August 19th, there shouldn't be any problem getting the Commissioner's to vote 'yes' for the changes.

Dave and Mitzi have been working more and more on their new business of selling chicken ark plans, and will hopefully be selling kits and completed arks soon. Please check out their site at the link below:


If you're wondering how you can have a small flock in your backyard - just check out these arks... I'm planning to make one or two myself! My family plans to also have a stationary barn-style coop in our backyard with a large run attached for times when we don't want the chicas out in the yard, but the arks will be great for when we might need to have the chicas 'work' an area of our garden, or 'prepare' new bed spaces!

I was shakin' like a leaf!

Whew!!!

Well, I headed out to the meeting this evening, and got there a little early. It was interesting to walk into the Town Hall 'after hours' and right into the meeting room. At first there weren't many people there, and the ones that were there were very quiet, so I picked a seat and sat down. I was sure Dave would be there soon, and just figured I would hang out and take in the atmosphere of the room. It was very interesting - it seemed everyone else that was there knew each other. As more folks trickled into the room, I felt under dressed for the occasion... most of the women had dress suits or skirts on, and all of the men had suits and ties. I was wearing a semi-nice shirt and black slacks. Oh well... I wasn't going to speak anyway! Here I am before leaving the house:

So I realised I had left my water in the car, so I went back out to get it, and when I returned there were even more folks there! All dressed in business suits and such. I watched as they all pretty much knew where they wanted to sit, and it reminded me of going to a wedding... I felt that I needed to know which side to sit on (Bride or Groom?). At about that time, Dave walked in and I asked him where he wanted to sit, and we found a spot, near the front. It was nice to be able to see all of the commissioners and their expressions during the proceedings.

There were quite a few things that were 'tabled' and it seemed that some of the Commissioners were tired of hearing about the mundane issues like zoning and annexations. Luckily our issue came up pretty quickly, and then the Mayor said "I believe Mrs. Cole is here tonight, and would like to speak" - Uh..... OH MY! Good thing I had finished my presentation and printed it out (just in case)! Yikes! I was not really mentally prepared to stand up at that podium and give my presentation, but I did it, and by the end, I was comfortable.

Several commissioners had questions, and I answered them completely and politely, and I think to their satisfaction because after all of the discussions had ended, they all said things like "I'm all for it", "I think it's a great idea", and "Let's do it"... practically in unison. I think they were all relieved to be able to talk about something with a little bit of character. There was discussion with the town attorney and the planning folks about drafting the restrictions in a more 'legal' manner, and as I understand it, the issue will be brought up as a public hearing at the next meeting. They're even considering making the ordinance state that you don't have to get a permit at all! Woo Hoo! Overall, I feel very positive about the outcome of this meeting, and hopefully the public hearing will go positively as well.

Once the issue of Backyard Hens was wrapped up and the meeting moved on, someone waved me over to go outside. It was Frank Graff from NBC17 (our local NBC station). He wanted to interview me about the meeting, so we did a quick on-air interview right there in the hallway. He said it would air tonight. I also spoke with reporters from the Wake Weekly, and the Wake Forest Gazette! Before Dave and I left, we met with one of our local supporters, which was really nice! I hope later on to add some video here.

Why all of a sudden, is there such an interest in backyard chickens?

Tonight, The Wake Forest Board of Commissioners meets at 7pm. I will be there to answer any questions they may have, and I fully expect them to make the decision that this issue be put to a public hearing. From what I understand, at a public hearing, supporters and dissenters each have a chance to speak about their opinions. If this occurs, I will be ready with my presentation. I have already contacted as many people I know about this possibility, and hopefully, when the time comes, these local supporters will come out in droves to show their support for changing this ordinance.

In light of the recent newspaper articles, and because of the meeting tonight of the Wake Forest Board of Commissioners, I have sent out an email to those I know to be in support of the issue. I thought it would do our cause some good to have the positive opinions clearly stated and made known to the board and the media. Luckily the Wake Weekly has put a 'button' on their web site asking for opinions, and all of the Town Commissioners have their email addresses right next to their pictures on the Town Website.

Here are just two of the helpful comments that have been sent in to either the Wake Weekly or the Commissioners, and have also been copied to me. Thank you for your support, I'm sure there will be an update after the meeting!


*****
Something I've been asking myself recently is, "Why all of a sudden, is there such an interest in backyard chickens?" As the owners of Wake Forest's only permitted flock of urban poultry, my wife and I talk to people every day who express more and more interest in becoming personal and familiar with their food and where it comes from. As spinach, peppers, and tomatoes are pulled off supermarket shelves due to e.coli and salmonella, how can you blame them?

Backyard chickens hearken to the times when the United States was a nation of producers, not consumers. My friend Mike Thorpe was telling me about an conversation he had with his wife's grandmother. Her father raised pigeons, chickens, and other livestock that fed their family inside the city limits of Buffalo, NY. She said that pigeon meat, called squab, is delicious.

Later on, in the early 1940s, nearly 40% of the US' produce needs were met a nationwide Victory Garden program. Communities and neighbors banded together to turn lawns, parks, and vacant property into productive gardens to help "support the boys over there." Chickens offered an inexpensive herbicide, pesticide, and fertilizer for those Victory Gardens.

Can you imagine one third of your family's food coming from a location not more than a mile from your house? It is just as possible today as it was 60 years ago. You can start immediately by purchasing your produce from local farmers at the Wake Forest Farmer's Market on Saturday mornings.

I believe that urban poultry are the proverbial tip of the iceberg as our nation moves into a paradigm shift away from the devil-may-care consumerism that has driven our spending behaviors for the past 50 years. We're living in a situation where words like localvour and "food, not lawns" are beginning to drive our social consciousness once again. Perhaps it's time to create a new Victory Garden program with interest in backyard chickens as the initial driving force.

Best Regards,
David Bissette

*****

Dear Commissioners,

I am writing to you about the petition you have received requesting that the Wake Forest ordinance against chickens be changed. I believe that it should be changed now, and I'd like to tell you why.

I live in Raleigh, where there is no ordinance against chickens in the city limits, and I have chickens. If you had told me two years ago I would now be raising chickens, I would have laughed. But last year, I visited a city coop for the first time, and I was amazed. The chickens were so quiet, you wouldn’t know they were there. There was no odor, no mess – and free eggs! So I took a class on chicken keeping and got my first chicks in 2007. I now have a flock of 12 and just hatched my first chicks last month. So far, 5 friends who have visited my coop are now backyard chicken owners too.

Some chicken facts that you may not know are that, when properly maintained, chickens do not smell. Their manure dries quickly and makes an excellent fertilizer for lawns and gardens. Chickens do not require a rooster to lay eggs, only to lay eggs that could potentially hatch into chicks. Chickens can be purchased online and safely shipped through the mail when they are just one day old. Chickens can lay up to an egg per day when young. Production slows with age, and may cease around 5-6 years. The average natural lifespan of a chicken is about 8 years. Hens are surprisingly quiet – you could be just a few feet from a chicken coop and never know it. Most people find the clucking sounds they make to be soothing. I also find feeding them and watching them forage and interact to be a great relaxer at the end of the work day.

In May of this year, I participated in the 4th Annual Henside the Beltline Tour d’Coop, a group of 20 backyard chicken coops inside the beltline in Raleigh that are open for the public one day a year. See http://www.kalmialandscapedesign.com/tourdcoop.htm
Over 350 visitors came to my house to tour my coop, and they were amazed just as I once was.

Unlike the first coop I saw, I have an accidental rooster. Before it began crowing and I had to change its name to Quincy, none of my neighbors – even those right next door - knew I had chickens at all. When Quincy began crowing, I was worried that he would disturbing my neighbors and I planned to find him a new home. Then, during the Tour, I was surprised that many of my neighbors told me that they liked hearing him! “Doesn’t he bother you?” I asked. “No,” one neighbor replied, “I love to hear him in the morning. It reminds me of growing up on the farm. P lease don’t get rid of him!” “It reminds me of my grandparents’ farm,” said another, who loved seeing the way her own grandson giggled loudly every time Quincy crowed. I keep my rooster inside his coop at night and until the end of quiet hours in the morning, so his crows are muffled a bit for my neighbors’ benefit. In the year I’ve had him, I’ve never had a complaint about my chickens or my rooster. But I have had lots of compliments!

Perhaps the best way to convince you would be for you to see it for yourself. I would like to invite you to visit my coop in Raleigh. I live near the intersection of Oberlin Road and Glenwood Avenue. Please just email me at ***(has been removed)** to set up a time to visit.

In summary, chickens are great pets and should be allowed in city limits. They cause my neighbors far less disturbance than some of my area’s night-barking, garden-digging, cat-chasing, and lawn-droppings-leaving dogs. They are a wonderful way to teach children about responsibility, sustainability, and the sources of food. They provide nutritional eggs which, like a backyard garden’s produce, are both more delicious and (I believe) more nutritious than what I could buy at the grocery. They eat bugs and provide rich fertilizer. And they are fun and relaxing to own.

I hope that you will overturn the ordinance and allow chickens in Wake Forest. Please feel free to contact me to visit my coop and see for yourself, or to ask any questions you might have.

Thank you for your time,
Julie W.
*****

Chickens in our backyards!

In Wake Forest, NC there is a movement afoot. Like much of the country, many of our citizens are yearning for healthier, more sustainable options for our weekly menus. Some of the ways individuals are trying to meet this need include creating backyard vegetable gardens, buying into organic garden co-ops, buying more produce from the local farmer’s market or farm stand, and raising chickens.

Wait a minute – raising chickens? In Wake Forest? You read that right, there are more than a few residents in the town of Wake Forest who have chickens living right in their backyards, and you never even noticed! Before you freak out, and start peeking over fences, or calling animal control, I'd like to implore you to learn the facts about chickens and the new wave of backyard farmers, and maybe you'll change your mind and decide to get a few for your family.

Many members of the general public feel that chickens are noisy, dirty, and attract rats. All of these things could be considered true under certain circumstances; however, let us take a quick look at the other animals we consider pets in our town.

Cats and dogs can both be noisy, remember that cat fight that woke you up at 4 am last week? When your neighbor gets home from work, do his dogs bark like mad until he drops his briefcase and gives each of them a good rub? Yes, chickens can be noisy animals, but usually the loudmouth in the group is the rooster. He’s the one who will wake you up at dawn (maybe before), announce that it’s mid-morning, lunchtime, 5 minutes past lunchtime, and any other time of the day he feels necessary. Roosters are loud animals, and I believe we all agree they shouldn't be kept in a neighborhood. When keeping chickens in the backyard as a pet or for egg laying, roosters aren't part of the equation. Roosters are not a necessary part of the egg-laying process. The sweet female hens make a gentle clucking, or bok-bok, usually unnoticeable to passers by.

As far as being dirty animals, well – if they're housed properly, there should be no lingering smell or odor from the chicken defecation. Proper housing, say, in a movable chicken ark (check out http://www.catawbacoops.com ), or chicken ‘tractor’, will allow any feces to be spread around the yard, and almost immediately composted into the soil, providing ‘free’ fertilizer for your lawn. This fertilizer is all natural too – no harsh chemicals to run off into the water table. The soiled bedding is also a wonderful addition to the backyard compost pile, and once composted is one of the best additions to a veggie garden. What do you think they sell in those bright yellow bags at the big home improvement stores? Where do you think that bag of ‘Black Chicken’ comes from?

One other argument I've heard is that chickens attract rats. This is something that reflects poorly managed property. As long as the chicken’s feed is kept in a sealed container, there isn’t a problem with rats or other scavenger animals getting into it. If you leave your birdseed out in the paper or plastic woven bag, it’s going to get ripped into by squirrels, rats, opossums, or weasels.

Once you've learned the facts about keeping ‘backyard’ chickens, you see that they're not a threat to property value, they're not going to wake you up in the middle of the night, and they're not going to pick a fight with your neighbors dog through the fence.

Now that you know what they won't do, you have more questions... You may wonder “WHY – why to my neighbors want to keep chickens anyway?” Well, from the pet chicken owners I've talked to, there are many answers. Almost all of them said “healthier eggs – knowing where my family’s food comes from”, many also responded by saying they were “reducing their carbon footprint”, a few even said “chickens are entertaining!”.

All of these reasons sounded great to me... and I decided I would love to have some chickens in my backyard too! Initially I thought I would like my children to learn more about where their food comes from, the life cycle of a chicken, the responsibilities of taking care of a small animal which sits at the bottom of the food chain, and yet provides so much to our family. So, I did some research... I found out a lot about chickens that I didn't know before.

Did you know that the majority of the eggs you buy from the supermarket are about a month old? They were laid by a hen whose beak had been painfully chopped off, stuck in a cage roughly the size of a sheet of paper, injected with hormones, and fed highly processed food in order to have her lay as many eggs as possible? She most likely couldn't even spread her wings, or turn around in her cage. Wow... makes you think a little doesn't it? I realized it is also important to me to teach them the importance of proper and humane treatment of food animals, and how we can have quality, humanely produced food, something which seems lacking in mainstream society these days.

Are you interested in keeping a small backyard flock for your family? If you are, there are several hoops you need to jump through. Wake Forest considers chickens (hens and roosters) as ‘livestock’, and there are certain permit procedures you must follow before being allowed to have them as pets. Currently in the town limits, a resident must acquire the permission of each homeowner within a 500 foot radius of the property where the chickens will be kept, (in my case it included 37 homeowners!) then they must go to the town and get a permit, which is good for one year. There is more specific information about this process available in a free e-book at www.catawbacoops.com.

I would like to change the public’s viewpoint on backyard chickens. I hope I have helped you come to a better understanding of the backyard chicken movement. Chickens aren't noisy, dirty animals. They're a great source of food for our families, and are one of the few ways we can become more environmentally conscious and provide sustainable food for our families.
If you're interested in helping Wake Forest join many of the more progressive cities and towns which recognize the need for a more sustainable urban landscape including household food production, please contact me, Emily Cole, at wfchickens@live.com.

Some interesting links:
www.mypetchicken.com
http://backyardfarming.blogspot.com
www.catawbacoops.com

Wake Forest Residents (ZIP code 27587) please sign: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/WakeForestChickens/

Here is the story that ran on our local station: NBC17 in Raleigh!

On the Agenda, but not speaking...

I found out yesterday that the Wake Weekly was doing another story on the issue of Backyard Chickens in Wake Forest! Leslie Rudd, the reporter from the WW, called me on Tuesday but got my home answering machine - which I don't use very often. I did check the messages yesterday, and called Leslie back immediately. She told me that they had heard our issue was going to be on the agenda for August 19th, and she had talked with the Mayor and the Town Manager. She also told me that it would probably be put to a public hearing, which I hadn't heard before. Here's the article in the Wake Weekly, and then my notes below:

*****
Family eggs on town for urban farm rights
By Leslie Rudd, Wake Weekly Staff Writer
August 14, 2008
Not ones to ignore citizen clucks, the Wake Forest Board of Commissioners agreed to review long-standing livestock ordinances at its Aug. 19 meeting. Renewed interest in urban farming spurred some residents to question the town’s livestock rules. Residents David and Mitzi Bissette are the only family in Wake Forest which successfully completed the annual permit process to keep farm animals (first reported July 17 in The Wake Weekly). The town requires interested residents within town limits to receive written consent to have livestock from every neighbor within 500 feet. The process is different for each applicant, depending on how many neighbors they have. Residents Emily and Mike Cole, while going through the same application, needed the approval of close to 40 neighbors. The Coles couldn’t get everyone’s OK and instead are circulating a petition to change the town’s livestock ordinance to exclude domesticated hens. Mayor Vivian Jones feels the current requirements may be over-reaching. “To notify people within 500 feet — that seems to be a pretty wide range,” she said, noting that rezoning a property requires owners to notify neighbors within only 100 feet away. Extensive media attention and a few feathery visits to the Wake Forest Farmers’ Market have the Coles the talk of the town. Commissioners obliged to Cole’s request to address the board, adding her to the next agenda. Cole presents her case to the board of commissioners Tuesday, at 7 p.m. According to her Web site, wfchickens.blogspot.com, she will ask commissioners to exclude domesticated hens from the list of livestock. She also outlines separate regulations for handling and keeping hens:
•No person shall allow his or her hens to run at large within the corporate town limits
•It shall be unlawful for any person to keep more than 20 hens within the corporate limits of the town
•Hens must be kept a minimum of 30 feet from the nearest residence other than that of the owner, unless the neighbor has given expressed written permission
•Roosters are not permitted within the corporate limits of the town unless written approval is obtained along with the livestock permit.
Cole adds hens may not be used for commercial purposes as well as detailing what kind of coop hens must be kept in. Town Manager Mark Williams said he doesn’t anticipate the board taking any action on the issue next week. “I think at this time they will take her comments under advisement. They may move to hold a public hearing on the issue at a later date.” To date, Cole added over 100 signatures to her online petition. New interest in organic food has Jones considering the full spectrum of the current rules. “A lot of people are more interested in it than they ever have been,” she said. “We don’t make you have approval for dogs that bark. It’s something that we should take a look at.” She does agree a public hearing should be held before any changes are made to the rules. Prospective changes to the livestock ordinance have the Bissette family excited. “I completely support this amendment to the town ordinances,” said David Bissette. “They are currently too restrictive, given the state of the economy and the rising costs of food production. Give us your opinion by clicking on Chickens at http://www.wakeweekly.com/.
*****

Apparently the Mayor seems intrigued by the idea, and some of her comments lead me to believe she's open to the changes. The issue is on the agenda for the commissioners meeting on Tuesday, August 19, at 7pm, and I had been told I would have 5 minutes to do a presentation. I have been working on it all week... I still haven't seen the agenda for the meeting - so I called Town Hall this morning to inquire about it. I spoke with the Town Clerk, Joyce Wilson, who informed me that the issue is item 70? or maybe 17?(Update: I just got the agenda in my email, and it's item 7-D, Ha ha!) She also informed me that I will not be speaking on the issue after all... the Commissioners will discuss it, and decide about having a public hearing. The Town Clerk did recommend that I attend the meeting(duh) in case they want to ask me any questions. I will definitely be there! I will also have my presentation in hand just in case. I have sent out some emails asking for local residents to come support us at the meeting. I hope they won't be disappointed that I'm not scheduled to speak this time. I'm interested to see what comes out of this meeting and hear what the commissioners have to say on the subject.

Our second Farmer's Market visit!

Golden Sebright Bantam Hen

Yet again, the hens attracted a lot of attention at the Wake Forest Farmer's Market this weekend. Folks who were there to peruse the fresh produce, cut flowers, and local honey, also flocked toward the gazebo to see the 6 little bantam hens in the Bissette's chicken ark. I made sure to purchase my 2 jugs of 'front porch' honey and some loaves of bread early in the morning so I wouldn't miss out.

We borrowed some Bantams for visitors to see at the Market. There were 4 different varieties in the coop this time, 2 Seramas, 2 Golden Sebrights, a White Crested Black Polish, and a Spangled Old English Game Hen. Many folks thought the Crested Polish Hen was the neatest looking hen they had ever seen. The question "What's that fluffy-headed one called?" was heard several times Saturday morning. Others remarked about the beautiful plumage on the Golden Sebrights and the white speckled Old English Game Hen. Visitors also remarked about the tiny egg size these Bantam birds lay.

Dave Bissette was often holding one of his friendly Ameracauna hens. He brought 'Skunky' and 'Goldy' for market goers to pet, since the bantam varieties can be a little 'flighty'. Skunky's name surprised many visitors, because she doesn't look (or smell) anything like a skunk. When she was a tiny chick, though, she had a black stripe down her head and back so the Bissette's named her 'Skunky'. She is now one of the most friendly birds in their flock.

We were able to get more than 100 additional signatures on the petition again this Saturday. It was great to see the swell of support for Backyard Chickens in Wake Forest, and many folks were pleased to read a poster listing the suggested amendments that will be presented to the Town Board of Commissioners in the near future. They had to be finalized to be included in the packet I turned in at town hall. I hope they're written with enough 'legalese' to make sense to the Commissioners and the Mayor.

We ARE on the agenda - and we WILL be there to make our presentation to the Wake Forest Board of Commissioners on August 19th. Please come and show your support! The meeting starts at 7pm. (I think I'm going to show up early!)

Suggested amendments and requirements to Code 1985, § 3-26 include: (changes in italics)

DIVISION 2. PERMIT TO KEEP NEAR RESIDENCES
Sec. 6-51. Required.
No person shall stable, tie or otherwise keep within the town, nearer than 500 feet to any dwelling house, apartment or other residence occupied by any person, without first obtaining a permit in writing signed by the town and issued as provided in this division, any of the following types of animals:
(1) Cattle;
(2) Horses;
(3) Mules;
(4) Swine;
(5) Sheep;
(6) Goats; or
(7) Fowl, excluding domesticated hens as stated in Sec. 6-56.

(Code 1985, § 3-26)

(Addition of Sec. 6-56. ) Sec. 6-56. Domesticated Hens.
1) No person shall allow his or her hens to run at large within the corporate limits of the town.
2) It shall be unlawful for any person to keep more than twenty (20) hens within the corporate limits of the town.
3) Domesticated Hens are permitted only in Residential areas with Zoning of R-15 or above.
4) Hens must be kept a minimum of thirty (30) feet from the nearest residence other than that of the owner, unless that neighbor has given expressed written permission.
5) All hen coops and pens must be enclosed on all sides, including the top, using predator proof wire.
6) Enclosures must be clean, dry, and odor free; kept in a neat and sanitary condition at all times..
7) Hen coops and pens must be maintained in an attractive fashion. All coop plan elevations must be submitted to the town permitting office for approval.
8) Hens must be kept in an enclosure or fenced-in area at all times. During daylight hours, hens may be allowed outside of their coop in a securely fenced yard if supervised. Hens shall be secured within the coop during non-daylight hours.
9) It shall be prohibited to raise hens for commercial purposes within the corporate limits of the town without a livestock permit.
10) Processing of animals for personal consumption within public view is prohibited within town limits.
11) Roosters are not permitted within the corporate limits of the town, unless written approval is obtained along with the livestock permit.