Anonymous wrote:Why would you want chickens?

Eeewww. Chickenshit everywhere. Screams, "I am poor."

What are you going to do when they stop laying eggs in a few years? Stew 'em?

LOL, from one that has obviously never kept poultry of any kind. Its not everywhere, its mainly in the litter which you clean out of the coop either weekly or if you use a deep litter solution, maybe once every several months. You take the litter and compost it, using it in your garden or flower beds. How different is it with having cats and dogs? They crap everywhere as well when allowed outside and you have to clean up after them as well (that is unless you let them crap in your neighbor's space or in the common areas of your neighborhood and just ignore it, how declasse is that?) Watch out for that sandbox you have out there for your kiddies, cats and widl animals just love crapping in that! What is funny to me is that I have seen people spend $3,000 to $5,000 for a chicken coop to where it matched the house and was climate controlled and such, yeah looks like that "screams, I am poor" to me. So I guess the farmer that raises hens just outside your living area, the one that sells natural eggs with no steroids, antibiotics and such, the egss you crave as being healthier to eat, that farmer is just a poor little soul and you are making their life better by buying their product? Yeah that just screams, "I'm better than YOU!"

Raising chickens in a backyard takes works, which is perfect in teaching children numerous things, which are knowing from where their food comes from (and not just from a big bank account), responsibility, discipline, a feeling of satisfaction in seeing a reward for one's hard work, a feeling of self-worth much more than one having the highest score in the neighborhood on the latest XBox 360 or PS3 game. But then again I guess rich people don't want their children to have the opportunity to earn those distinctions, ie responsibility, discipliine, a sense of accomplishment?that is greater than everyone on the soccer team getting a reward even when you lose. Why earn them when your parents have apparently done so by making alot of money in their career? Their children must be bestowed those attributes due to their families' standing in the communities in which they live, not by their earning them individually, an extension of the protecting of self-esteem that occurs from the minute they leave the womb.

What do you think they do with all the production hens that lay the million of eggs you get in the grocery store? Well, when they start to decline in egg production, they force them into molting their feathers so they will have one more period/burst of egg production after the feathers grow back and then they slaughter them where you eat them later whether sold as whole hens, parts or ground up as chicken by-products. What difference is there from having backyard chickens? Well some people don't process them (ie stew, fry or boil) but keep them as pets. Much like those real bird hunters out there that once their bird dog reaches an age it can't keep up with the birds, it becomes a pet...it isn't put down just because it can't hunt anymore.

This thread reminds me of an episode of People's Court I saw, with Judge Wapner. A family raised chickens in their back yard and the neighbor's dog killed one. They were immigrants, I think from Haiti. So they sued. They lost the case, because it was illegal to have chickens in LA. It was the case of the finger-likin' chicken.

Anonymous wrote:Baltimore and Manhattan allow them, too.

I can't help but think that anyone who would complain that chickens make you look POOR must be painfully insecure about their own station in life.

No, my station in life is just fine.

Many people in developing economies have no choice BUT to live in close proximity to their livestock. That we as the wealthiest nation on earth choose to do so is just really odd on so many levels. But then again, so much of our "enlightenment" about food -- our neuroses about organic, know your food supply, etc. -- is truly borne from privilege. The reality is living in close proximity to livestock is a hallmark of poverty in most of the world. Why fetishize that?

Anonymous wrote:Baltimore and Manhattan allow them, too.

I can't help but think that anyone who would complain that chickens make you look POOR must be painfully insecure about their own station in life.

But see-- this isn't really what most of us have been complaining about. Don't believe everything journalists feed you!!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We "made" DCist, too: http://dcist.com/2012/08/go_home_already_empty.php

It's frustrating, though, that the articles missed our whole discussion about sanitation-- which I think is the real issue. That and OP's wannabe Martha Stewartiness without benefit of Martha's dirtywork-doing staff.

So are you the one cutting and pasting all these comments from the thread on DCist? Are you "SWDC"?

No, but he/she is my new BFF for having pasted two of my posts in the comments.

I agree, though, because emphasizing the "poors" angle (I think) misrepresents the discussion.

Also-- who knew municipalities reckoned "bird units"!!

Anonymous wrote:You people in your insular little urban DC parenting worlds may be unaware of this, but there is a growing movement throughout the country to legalize a few backyard chickens.

Maybe it is an indication that poverty in this country is an issue. Maybe you should address that issue instead of attacking someone for wanting to keep a few hens.

The truth is -- and I keep chickens myself -- is that hens are a lot better neighbors than most people. They only stink and harbor disease when they're not taken care of -- like anything else.

They teach kids that their McNuggets aren't born of Happy Meal cardboard. They teach them some respect for life.

You're all way way too out of touch with where your food actually comes from, and the suffering that is caused by our demand for cheap calories.

The City of Chicago allows chickens, and no one complains. Chickens have been living right outside our doors for thousands of years. It's only been in the last few decades that they've become "unfashionable."

Haters -- your hipster is showing. Grow up.

Did the huffington post drive you to this website? Wanted to check out the big "chicken" controversy? Stay, let us know your thoughts on strollers, the mommy wars and dirty dice.

Baltimore and Manhattan allow them, too.

I can't help but think that anyone who would complain that chickens make you look POOR must be painfully insecure about their own station in life.

I guess this is what happens when the Huffington Post takes to covering Chicken Shit as news.

Anonymous wrote:

No, dearie. That's called a "fad."

Enjoy life in flyover country.

Oh, touche. You're obviously brilliant and very mature. But just so you know, the City of Los Angeles allows them, too.

Uh, you're not helping your case.

No, dearie. That's called a "fad."

Enjoy life in flyover country.

Oh, touche. You're obviously brilliant and very mature. But just so you know, the City of Los Angeles allows them, too.

Anonymous wrote:You people in your insular little urban DC parenting worlds may be unaware of this, but there is a growing movement throughout the country to legalize a few backyard chickens.

Maybe it is an indication that poverty in this country is an issue. Maybe you should address that issue instead of attacking someone for wanting to keep a few hens.

The truth is -- and I keep chickens myself -- is that hens are a lot better neighbors than most people. They only stink and harbor disease when they're not taken care of -- like anything else.

They teach kids that their McNuggets aren't born of Happy Meal cardboard. They teach them some respect for life.

You're all way way too out of touch with where your food actually comes from, and the suffering that is caused by our demand for cheap calories.

The City of Chicago allows chickens, and no one complains. Chickens have been living right outside our doors for thousands of years. It's only been in the last few decades that they've become "unfashionable."

Haters -- your hipster is showing. Grow up.

No, dearie. That's called a "fad."

Enjoy life in flyover country.

You people in your insular little urban DC parenting worlds may be unaware of this, but there is a growing movement throughout the country to legalize a few backyard chickens.

Maybe it is an indication that poverty in this country is an issue. Maybe you should address that issue instead of attacking someone for wanting to keep a few hens.

The truth is -- and I keep chickens myself -- is that hens are a lot better neighbors than most people. They only stink and harbor disease when they're not taken care of -- like anything else.

They teach kids that their McNuggets aren't born of Happy Meal cardboard. They teach them some respect for life.

You're all way way too out of touch with where your food actually comes from, and the suffering that is caused by our demand for cheap calories.

The City of Chicago allows chickens, and no one complains. Chickens have been living right outside our doors for thousands of years. It's only been in the last few decades that they've become "unfashionable."

Haters -- your hipster is showing. Grow up.

Anonymous wrote:Here's an article for all you organic hens pecking each others' eyes out: http://bit.ly/Mlv3BD

Wow, they're desperate for copy.

women who don't work or raise chickens, what do you do all day???

Yet another post about 5-6 chickens in the women's changing/bathroom at the pool.