people think I'm nuts

The reaction from my co-workers is pretty funny when I tell them about my chickens or they see facebook pics of my garden and my animals. They look at me like I'm out of my mind, most do think it's pretty cool after the initial shock, granted I've been working with the same group of people for 10+ yrs so we're like family.

I had one girl asking me about the chickens the other day, she said "you actually have chickens?" and then went on to ask me all kinds of questions. It's funny how people just have no idea where their food comes from, I would say 99% of them are shocked to know that you dont have to have a rooster for hens to lay eggs, nor do you have to keep eggs in the fridge is you dont have a rooster. They will keep longer in the fridge but as long as they arent fertilized they'll never form into baby chicks.

I think i might take a dozen eggs in to work so people can try them, I'm willing to bet none of them ever had fresh eggs before, they taste nothing like the store bought eggs.

So in todays society of instant gratification and microwave meals people give you strange reactions when you talk about growing your own food or raising animals for food. Things that have been done for thousands of years now seem to make you some type of outcast. fine by me, i always have been a misfit and i like it that way.

Sooo jealous! I've wanted chickens forever, but our city won't allow them. I grew up in the country with a ton of chickens and I really miss it. One year, one of them became my pet and would ride around on my shoulder when I was on the tractor... talk about people looking at you like you're crazy!

You're right though about co-workers. I'm keeping pictures of my garden on facebook this year simply for my boss to look at... she's amazed that someone would put the effort forth to do this.

bpb is ahead of a trend, I think. Backyard chickens are becoming more and more popular, primarily for the natural eggs. Many city councils are retracting restrictions on them. For more information start here:

http://home.centurytel.net/thecitychicken/index.html

http://www.backyardchickens.com/

We have six chicks that are 2 weeks old. It's our first time owning chickens. I've no doubt my wife will have them trained to 'come' and 'sit' by the time they are adults!

I agree. It's both odd and sad that our society has reached a point where growing your own food is view with suspicion, curiosity, or questions about your "normalcy". The food production in this country is TOTALLY unsustainable. It exist solely because of massive government subsidies (our tax dollars) and cheap oil. When the price of oil goes up, prices at the grocery store go up. I know many people who claim to be aware that much of the food on their plate travels 1500 miles to get there but I don't think they fully comprehend what that 1500 miles entails. Oil/gasoline is used to plant the crop, harvest the crop, transport the crop to processing, transport the crop (now a food item) to the distributor, transport the food to a grocery store, whereupon the consumer purchases it and transports it to their home. That's a LOT of fuel.
Yes, gardening (and farming) involves some work, but you can't put a price on having fresh, healthy food right outside your door.

Our city's view on them is that they are a pest and create noise problems. There's also the demographic here that does chicken fighting which I obviously don't condone. I supposed if they made it legal for people to have them in their yards, then they figure it would be difficult to spot the bad guys.

From what I've read, a lot of councils are relenting on females, but not roosters due to the noise issues. I'm not familiar with fighting birds, I've always assumed they were males-but maybe not.

a lot of towns will allow a few hens but no roosters. We had a big battle going on here over 2 hens. what a waste of time, oh and yeh it's the roosters who fight not hens and contrary to popular belief roosters crow all day long , not just in the morning.

Family Fights To Keep Pet Chickens
Atlantic Beach Family To Speak To Commission About Keep Chickens As Pets

POSTED: Friday, February 20, 2009
UPDATED: 11:40 pm EST February 20, 2009

ATLANTIC
BEACH, Fla. -- An Atlantic Beach family is prepared to take on city
leaders who want the family's two chickens to do their clucking
somewhere else.

Chickens Hester and Penny live on Eighth Street. The fowls moved into the Weber household around Christmas of last year.

"I
got (them) as a Christmas present from my husband and daughter.
Apparently, you're not allowed to have chickens in Atlantic Beach,"
said Julie Weber.

The issue has the two hens embroiled in
controversy because the Weber family doesn't want to give them up, but
the city said the feathered fowls need to find a new place to live.

"We
get an egg each and every day. They peck around and eat the bugs, and
we compost the chicken manure and use it back into our garden. Overall,
it's just a cool thing," Weber. "We have a petition. So if anyone wants
to swing by they can over the weekend and we're going to go with our
facts and as many supporters as we can."

There are signs are up
and the neighbors have been backing the Weber family whose chickens
have become famous among the neighborhood kids.

Atlantic Beach's
city manager said the ordinance concerning farm animals is clear: "It
shall be unlawful for any person to keep or maintain horses, mules,
cows, cattle, chickens, poultry or goats in the city." He said the
ordinance is to protect densely populated areas from barnyard animals.

However, neighbors on densely populated Eighth Street don't seem to mind the animals.

"They're
not a nuisance -- not causing problems. Maybe the city should
concentrate on other crime problems than two little chickens," said one
resident.

The Weber family said it is headed to the city commission meeting on Monday night to fight for their fowls.

The house that I bought used to have a Fox barn on it, which I promptly demolished, but I also heard that they raised: chickens, peacocks, pheasants, Guinea Fowl and others. I heard stories of the owners taking the chickens and using it as a food source so many headless birds would flap into the window and be very traumatic. How do I know this? I married the owner's daughter (no joke!)
We would have the perfect property for 4 or so chickens so we could get some fresh eggs, it's a very "romantic" thought for me in some way. The only problem would be the chicken coop, it would need to be heated during the winter and we'd need to look out for fox and other meanies (neighbor's dogs, our cats, red tailed hawks, osprey, bald eagles...... on and on and on....)