Tomorrow is the big day of my appeal hearing before the zoning board. I am excited and a little bit nervous. Vintage Tracy would go in there with both barrels blazing, cocky attitude, foul mouth, and not allowing anyone to step on what I want or believe in with all my heart………The Tracy of today,(weird talking about myself in the third person), however, is usually calm and centered in her convictions. With a little bit of meditation and deep breathing, and maybe a little help from my angels and God, I will stay calm and centered.
The truth is, I believe in the backyard chickens thing for so many more reasons other than my heart is certainly involved with my girls. The truth is, I think backyard chickens are the answer to quite a few of the problems this city, this country, and this world are in today.
With this city, so much money is spent on mosquito spraying (poisons and toxins…I don’t want to breathe it or have it on me, I don’t want my child to breathe it or have it on her and I certainly don’t want the chemicals settling on my garden plants, my food source!) Chickens eat mosquitos! They love them, and any other bug they can scrounge up! This city spends so much money on trash collection and dumping. Well, chickens would eat all the kitchen scraps you could possibly offer them. (Except coffee grounds and chocolate….and who in their right mind is going to throw out chocolate??) They could save the city money by less trash pick ups or at the very least, less dumping. Oh, and the little “leftovers of chicken waste”…..fertilizer for your yard or garden, soil amendments, better garden soil….HELLO! AND let us not forget the most nutritious DEEEELICIOUS eggs FRESH from your own backyard! (I’m sorry…..is there a negative in here yet about backyard chickens??????) The city is worried about water pollution and runoff. Ummmm…..what runoff? We are taking about some chickens in your backyard….not a commercial set up with THOUSANDS of chickens cramped into a dark hot building. They eat yard scraps, grass clippings, leaves, and weeds pulled from your vegetable and flower beds. Doesn’t that mean LESS trash pickup and dumping? Oh, that again….hmmmmm. Is there a negative anywhere yet? This country has a homeless population and those on assistance could benefit from backyard chickens. The food banks could make excess eggs from those who have chickens, available to the public, feeding those in need. Less strain on local funding for those on assistance.
The truth is there would be less pollution with backyard chickens. Less trips to the store (save money on gas). Lower food bills when you have a great source of protein from your pets in your own backyard! I would MUCH rather eat an egg from a HAPPY LOVED chicken than one from the grocery store where you have no idea what kind of conditions those poor birds are living in. They say organic free range….but are they really?
I went to the store last night to pick up some broccoli (I picked what was left in my garden and it was not quite enough for dinner). It was almost $4 for a head of organic broccoli. It has gotten a bit ridiculous at the grocery store. I would much rather grow my food and raise it myself. I know what has gone into my ground and I want to know where my food comes from. It may not be important to some but it sure is to me! Some of my lettuces and chards have been growing all winter. I add the chard to casseroles and soups.
I’ve gone way off my topic….back to my hearing. I am almost ready for tomorrow. I can’t wait to get this crazy ordinance changed so all those who want chickens can have them.
Good luck! The only negative I’ve found with backyard chickens, having grown up with them for a while myself, is that they are loud if you have a rooster. If you just have hens, what’s the problem?
Yep! Roosters are loud. I wish I could have a couple of those too. They are so beautiful and functional if you free range your girls. My friend Lisa H. is the one who got me into chickens and her rooster fought off a raccoon from his flock. The raccoon didn’t get to his girls and the roo killed the coon. The roo died a couple days later. Very sad….he was a sweet rooster(they are not all sweet).I do not have a rooster. Only quiet, funny, laying hens. Thank you for the good luck. I appreciate your support AND your visit to the site! Be well!