Twin Cities Tour of Chicken Coops

I was pleasantly surprised by the number of urban chicken people so close to home. Nothing like getting fellow chicken people telling stories, exchanging ideas and experiences, giving and taking advise. Talking with people who really know what it is like to be greeted in the morning by your chickens makes you feel, well, not as odd anyway.

I did find out the Cleo was a mistaken identity. She is not a Marans, though she does look like one, she is actually a Barred Rock and she has many of her kind in the neighborhood. I wonder if we got all the Barred Rocks and the Buff Orpingtons together in one place, would they know who their human was? They say that sheep know their shepherd's voice, what about chickens? The problem is, if they don't recognize us, how would we know which ones are ours? You know they all look alike. Do we all look alike to them too?

We saw a lot of ideas for improvements and we saw the benefits of what we do.

Interestingly, we are the only ones who seem to be bothered by the raccoons. Lots of hawk stories though.

Seven Reasons to Raise Chickens in the City

"Seven Reasons?"--I am really not copying this theme from others who may blog and read this. Actually, I am copying God. It is a theologically sound number to make a list--7 is the number of completion so I guess I could just call it the "Complete List." But in terms of lists, maybe there are 10 reasons --so it may not be the complete list. Ten could be theologically correct also, the 10 commandments and all; although it depends on which list of commandments you follow--pre- golden calf or post,in that case there are about 14 and that once again is 7 twice. And I am not about to make a list of 613 as in the Levitical Laws; or 99 as in the Qur'an's names of Allah (of which there are really 100, but Allah hasn't revealed the last one yet); or 40, which seems to just mean a lot; or 330,000, as in number the Hindu deities --although no one really wants to commit to a specific number, because you just never know who has a deity in there home that we don't know about and surprise! the Hindu religion really only has one God--that is Vishnu, Krishna, and Shiva. Three in one...hmmm, sounds vaguely familiar to this Catholic.

So 
Seven (or the complete list) of reasons to raise chickens in the city:

1) Chickens are so personable. They even greet me when they see me, unlike some of my other roommates.

2) They are a great party topic.

3) They are relatively low maintenance. They even survive the cold winter days and nights.

4) They have introduced me to my more curious neighbors.

5) They fertilize my garden (and the neighbors which gives me brownie points in the neighborhood).

6) They give Beyonce (the Guardian Dog) a sense of importance--imaginary maybe--but she is the alpha dog to the chickens anyway, or so she thinks. I don't think the chickens necessarily believe that, but they do humor her.

7)  And the EGGS of course!