Big Chicken

The folks in Maryland all know about the enormous chicken feedlots on the Eastern Shore, which are henceforth now known as "Big Chicken." This Baltimore Sun reporter asks what to do about all the pollution from Big Chicken. I say, diversify and disperse! Let people have their own chickens and work hard to promote small free-range chicken farms. Down with Big Chicken and up with the Urban Chicken Underground!

Maryland Moves Forward

This just in from Baltimore...

Baltimore Laws -
You can keep up to four chickens in Baltimore, but a permit is required and the pen must be at least 25' from residences. The regulations are available here. Baltimore's city web page.
According to UrbanChickens.org.

I don't understand why no such laws exist for dogs or parrots...

Chicken Solution

We live a pretty crunchy lifestyle and try to do things are are considered good stewardship of the earth. Two of our favorite things involve composting and rainwater collection. We have the neighborhood's largest compost heap and TWO rain barrels. *hippy alert* *hippy alert*
Problem: bugs. The compost and all that water are attracting all manner of insects.Solution? We've already put mosquito dunks in the rain barrels. Today, I buy synthetic urine kit here.We could move the compost farther from the house. The crunchy solution would be to get some chickens to eat the bugs. Any other ideas?

Gone So Long

It has been a long time since I have last posted. I wanted an army of urban chicken liberators to help me in my quest, but I have not found said army. Realistically, if I had three or four small hens no one would notice except the children who are fond of coming over to visit our exceedingly adorable dog.

The next task will be to build a coop. Since we are traveling to India in the near future to pick up our child, my husband thinks that it is wise to wait until she is settled in with us before getting our little flock. Always the sensible one, he is probably right. Besides, won't she enjoy seeing the little peeps!

With egg prices being what they are right now, it seems to make economic sense to raise your own hens anyway.

I'll try to post about the chickens and interesting people I meet!