"Delta Sky Magazine" Features Chickens

My father and I celebrate our Chicken Victory I took a quick trip this past weekend. Imagine my surprise when I opened the August addition of the Delta Sky Magazine on the plane. I know, you're imagining... "wow, they still have a magazine and they don't charge you for it?" Yes, it's true AND on page 36 is an article about FANCY CHICKENS! Really, I couldn't make this stuff up if I tried.

They mention Polish Chickens (like my Chloe) and say "a mop of brown, black and white feathers that Rod Stewart in his prime or Tina Turner in her prime would have killed for". Regarding a Silkie (remember my Natasha who was eaten by the hawk? She was a Blue Silkie) they describe a white version as "a veritable puffball of white feathers, his eyes all but hidden by the powder puff of a crown that looks as if it leapt straight off the makeup table of a 1040's Hollywood starlet, his feet enveloped in white like showshoes in the winter".

Yahoo. Entertainment in the sky - and I got free peanut butter crackers and a drink too!

Chicken Victory Party

Dad got a little carried away by the victory...

While I was celebrating with my NEW FAVORITE COUSINSSome became confused, "Now, why DID the chicken cross the road???"

Others asked the age old question, "Who are the Weinsteins anyway?......"

Why DID the Chicken Cross the Road???

KINDERGARTEN TEACHER: To get to the other
side.

PLATO: For the greater good.

ARISTOTLE: It is the nature of chickens to cross roads.

KARL MARX: It was a historical inevitability.

TIMOTHY LEARY: Because that's the only trip the establishment would let it take.

SADDAM HUSSEIN: This was an unprovoked act of rebellion and we were justified in dropping 50 tons of nerve gas on it.

JACK NICHOLSON: 'cause it f___ing wanted to. That's the f___ing reason.

RONALD REAGAN: I forget.

KATHERINE ALVAREZ: To get away from my neighbor.

CAPTAIN JAMES T. KIRK: To boldly go where no chicken has gone before.

JOHN McCAIN: The chicken was a maverick, just like me. She did it for the greater good because she was serving the people, just like me. Sarah Palin crossed the road too...

SARAH PALIN: She did it for her family.

HIPPOCRATES: Because of an excess of phlegm in its pancreas.

LOUIS FARRAKHAN: The road, you see, represents the black man. The chicken 'crossed' the black man in order to trample him and keep him down.

MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.: I envision a world where all chickens will be free to cross roads without having their motives being called into question.

MOSES: And God came down from the Heavens, and He said unto the chicken, "Thou shalt cross the road." And the chicken crossed the road, and there was much rejoicing.

FOX MULDER: You saw it cross the road with your own eyes. How many more chickens have to cross the road before you believe it?

RICHARD M. NIXON: The chicken did not cross the road. I repeat, the chicken did NOT cross the road.

MACHIAVELLI: The point is that the chicken crossed the road. Who cares why? The end of crossing the road justifies whatever motive there was.

JERRY SEINFELD: Why does anyone cross a road? I mean, why doesn't anyone ever think to ask, What the heck was this chicken doing walking around all over the place, anyway?"

FREUD: The fact that you are at all concerned that the chicken crossed the road reveals your underlying sexual insecurity.

BILL GATES: I have just released the new Chicken Office 2000, which
will not only cross roads, but will lay eggs, file your important documents, and balance your checkbook.

OLIVER STONE: The question is not, "Why did the chicken cross the
road?" Rather, it is, "Who was crossing the road at the same time, whom we overlooked in our haste to observe the chicken crossing?"

DARWIN: Chickens, over great periods of time, have been naturally
selected in such a way that they are now genetically disposed to cross roads.

EINSTEIN: Whether the chicken crossed the road or the road moved beneath the chicken depends upon your frame of reference.

BUDDHA: Asking this question denies your own chicken nature.

RALPH WALDO EMERSON: The chicken did not cross the road .. it transcended it.

ERNEST HEMINGWAY: To die. In the rain.

COLONEL SANDERS: I missed one?

ARTHUR ANDERSEN CONSULTANT: Deregulation of the chicken's side of the road was threatening its dominant market position. The chicken was faced with significant challenges to create and develop the competencies required for the newly competitive market. Andersen Consulting, in a partnering relationship with the client, helped the chicken by rethinking its physical distribution strategy and implementation processes. Using the Poultry Integration Model (PIM),
Andersen helped the chicken use its skills, methodologies, knowledge, capital and experiences to align the chicken's people, processes and technology in support of its overall strategy within a Program Management framework. Andersen Consulting convened a diverse cross-spectrum of road analysts and best chickens along with Anderson consultants with deep skills in the transportation industry to engage in a two-day itinerary of meetings in order to leverage their personal knowledge capital, both tacit and explicit, and to enable them to synergize with each other in order to achieve the implicit goals of delivering and successfully architecting and implementing an enterprise-wide value framework across the continuum of poultry cross-median processes. The meeting was held in a park-like setting, enabling and creating an impactful environment which was strategically based, industry-focused, and built upon a consistent, clear, and unified market message and aligned with the chicken's mission, vision, and core values. This was conducive towards the creation of a total business integration solution. Andersen Consulting helped the chicken change to become more successful.

NPR and the Sewanee Police

I was interviewed by Nashville Public Radio again last week. This time the chickens were interviewed also. I was told the interview will broadcast this Tuesday morning and maybe afternoon. I bet they run the part where I claim I suspect the Community Council ruled in my favor after my threat to move to the beach. We shall soon see...

In more important Sewanee news ... I failed to report that last week's Community Council meeting ended with a standing ovation to former police Chief Jim Parrott who retired this summer. Chief Parrott, who has been an outstanding leader of a police force that takes the motto "serve and protect" seriously, has retired from police service but will remain on campus as a head resident of one of our dorms.

On my walk this evening I watched a patrol car wander in and out of parking lots - just checking things out and making themselves known. They waved at me as they drove by. Yes, they know me, but they'd have waved at anyone because they're good people and here for the right reasons. It's been like this my entire life. We're very lucky.

"HENS GRANTED AMNESTY"

My parent's rather traditional pets, Muffy & Joe, nervously await the chicken decision. Unfortunately my sister Julia and her husband Greg were in Denver for the DNC and could not make the chicken meeting.
On Thursday Sewanee's local paper the Mountain Messenger printed the following report on this week's Community Council meeting:

"Katherine Alvarez, manager of Stirling's Coffee House, has lived in Sewanee for 30 years and in the same house on University Avenue for 13 years. She has kept chickens in her backyard for the past two years and has three pet hens: Antoinette, a Frizzle; Chloe, a Polish and Alysa, a bantam Cochin. Though Alvarez does not own a rooster, this summer one of her neighbors lodged a complaint about noise with the lease committee, which referred the problem to the Community Council. Alvarez's father, Laurence, started the discussion on Monday evening by saying the University's lease agreement prohibits livestock on the Domain, yet all the definitions of livestock he has researched do not include chickens. [the Tenn. Department of Agriculture's definition: "Livestock is defined as cattle, equine, swine, sheep or goats."] He said Katherine's chickens are not running around freely in the front yard and are not bothering anyone.

According to Alvarez, her chickens make less noise than dogs, cicadas, tree frogs, children or alumni. They live in a children's play house and adjacent screened-in porch, and when she lets them out into the backyard, deer netting around the yard keeps dogs and other animals out. For photos of Alvarez's chickens, her house, backyard and the chicken house, see <savesewaneechickens.blogspot.com/>.

Approximately 25 people attended the meeting in support of Alvarez. District 4 Representative Mary Blount said some of her constituents are concerned that too many chickens may be allowed on the Domain. She said, "The lease agreement was written to help us all live together. We should suggest to the University to refine it's definition of livestock."

As District 4 Representative Annie Armour could not attend the meeting, she asked Provost Linda Lankewicz to share her written opinion with the council: "I believe that as a community we should always look beyond traditionally accepted norms to new possibilities. In this case, there are lots of animals, including chickens, that are becoming socially acceptable as pets. Moreover, chickens fit into Sewanee's plan to become a leader in self-sustainability, too, since they eat ticks (thus helping one avoid spraying poisons in the yard) and provide eggs to eat. I think dogs can be much more of a nuisance than chickens, yet I would never ask that they be banished from the Domain. ... I do not see chickens as nuisances. They are not dangerous, noisy, vicious or particularly smelly. I do not see a compelling reason to ask Katherine to get rid of her chickens."

Professor of biology and Sustainabiliy Committee member David Haskell said that he and his wife had asked the Lease Committee's permission to keep their animals [including goats]. He and others on the Sustainability Committee are working on proposed revisions of lease rules to allow small-scale livestock for home consumption. Haskell said that the lease agreement says exceptions may be made if people present their requests to the Lease Committee. "I would hope we could allow some exceptions to allow animals for families to raise their own produce," he said.

District 1 representative Marymor (Boo) Cravens said, "What's the difference between an Easter bunny and a pet chicken?" She made a motion that the Community Council recommend that hens be allowed on the Domain subject to the Sustainability Committee's recommendations to the University and the Lease Committee; and the motion carried unanimously. Superintendent of Leases, Barbara Schlichting will present this recommendation to the Lease Committee at it's Sept. 17 meeting."

The Community Council Meeting

Dad and I at the Community Council meeting. Don't we look intimidating!The Community Council met tonight with a larger group and longer meeting than usual. (Okay well, seven of us were my family). As much as I wanted to have the chickens attend - they love a good social event - I wanted more not to embarrass my father.

After talking about the golf course and cell phone tower, it was time to devote most of the meeting to the chickens. Clearly there were two issues: me and my chickens and our lease - as well as the greater and more important issue of making the entire domain a more chicken friendly place. My father spoke to the former, discussing the fact that our lease does not prohibit chickens and since they're not walking around the front yard pecking people on the sidewalk or creating any other nuisance, there is no grounds to have me remove them.

I spoke about the benefits of raising hens. I explained how a hen raised as a pet will behave as a pet - much like a cat or dog: sit in your lap, eat from your hand, come when called... I talked about noise, smell and mess - pointing out that an animal about 12 inches tall will produce a proportionate amount of waste and mess - less than most dogs, foxes, raccoons... I got a hardy laugh when comparing the immaterial noise factor of chickens to the rather greater amount produced by alumni. I talked about the significant health benefits of home raised eggs and yard benefits of nitrogen filled droppings.

As I talked, pictures of my chickens and yard were passed around. Half way through I noticed warm smiles and heads nodding around the room - and not just from friends and family - the administrators of the University appeared engaged and supportive.

There followed discussion, opinions, anecdotes. Important points were made about this issue being much larger than just our town and our need to revisit the lease laws. Boo Cravens was adamant that MANY lease laws be revisited (she doesn't care WHAT color you paint your front door!). There was talk of local food sources and quality of life and then more stories of when there were horses, ponies, goats and chickens, (not to mention a dry cleaner and a grocery store) in town in the good ole days...

A motion was made to recommend to the Lease Committee that hens be allowed, subject to rules to be defined in accordance with the University Sustainability Committee. The motion was approved unanimously. Next the Lease Committee meets in September and then I expect it will go to the Sustainability Committee which will take all the necessary practicalities into consideration when coming up with specific chicken rules.

It was raining (hooray!) and past the chicken's bedtime when I returned home so I didn't run out to tell them the good news. They weren't worried anyway - they know they belong here.

One Year Later - City Doing Great With Chickens

"So Antoinette, I just read a followup article about a city that created a backyard chicken ordinance a year ago. Apparently everything has worked out fine for them. WE should be so lucky! Are you nervous about the meeting tonight???" Yes, it's true. Just under a year ago, the city of South Portland, Maine created an ordinance allowing 6 hens per residence on relatively small lots and they have had absolutely NO PROBLEMS as a result. http://www.theforecaster.net/story.php?storyid=15608

14 permits have been issued. I believe this is a good illustration of the fact that just because it's recognized as legal, doesn't mean everyone will do it.

Sewanee's Community Council meeting is in an hour. I hope that we too will serve as a great example of a community who, like South Portland, "think for themselves" and "most certainly live their values".

Sunday Afternoon With the Girls

As the self described "mean Aunt", I have some rules about my yard. Rachel is good about following them and her friends think she's cool because her aunt has fancy chickens 1/2 a block from the Elementary school.

My niece, Rachel is collecting feathers to make me a fan.Chicken tricks - they'll jump for a treat, but it's hard to catch on camera...
I promise - they're about to jump
Okay, whatever - Elisa decides she's out of here and flies away...

Last May 1st I was home in the afternoon cooking dinner for my spring employee party. I heard noise in the front yard and went to investigate. Mrs. Seiter's had her elementary school class on my front walk where she was teaching them a valuable lesson.

I know this for a fact because she taught my children second grade, me piano lessons for several years while I was in middle school, I babysat her children, her daughter is best friends with my sister, I made her daughter's wedding cake, she lives 3 doors up from me.... Suffice it to say that I know she is a wonderful person and enthusiastic teacher.

Each year on May Day I find a "May basket" of flowers on my front door handle. It's one of my favorite things about living here because my brother and I used to make May baskets and leave them for neighbors when we were children.. The beauty of it is there is no note, it is a simple anonymous kind gesture.

Sometimes receiving is as good as giving when one has given themselves and can appreciate the significance.

So back to May Day 2008 - I went to my front door to find a class of giggling children delivering baskets and invited them to my back yard to see the gardens. "YOU HAVE CHICKENS!" They exclaimed. A couple of the little girls told me they had chickens too.

The boys loved stomping around in my large stand of bamboo. Much to their dismay, I made them get out of it and explained about it's growth pattern. Mrs Seiter's took a picture of one of the children handing me the May basket for the local paper - and they were on their way.

It was very sweet.

I would love to schedule classes to come by and see how it is possible to have a few chickens in the middle of town. It is increasingly important for people to understand their food, where it comes from and how they can control some of it. The college and high school are working on it, I'm not sure about the elementary school, but I plan to volunteer.

Tomorrow night is the Community Council meeting. 7Pm, open to the public, chickens are on the agenda, should be fun, stop by.

The Beginning of a New Year

My audience... "Now girls, listen up. The Community Council meeting is on Monday and the future of all Sewanee Chickens is at stake."

Here in our little college town, the freshmen are arriving today. All over campus people have been getting ready for the new school year.

Students from the organic garden who were back in town early, came by my workplace and dug compost out of our yard and took many of the hundreds of glass bottles we've kept for potential recycling. They're putting the bottles to use in a landscaping project. Our county doesn't recycle glass so it's a haul to get it done. I'm so happy to see students with innovative, earth friendly ideas taking the initiative. They are full of enthusiasm and energy!

I work with about 30 students. I love them. They come to my house for dinner a couple times a year. They love getting out of the dorm, and coming to a real house with home cooked food. In the spring we eat outside if the weather is nice. They can't BELIEVE I'm having a problem with my chickens.

There is a prep school on your way into town http://www.sasweb.org/home/ . I have friends & neighbors who work there and my children and siblings have attended over the span of many years. St. Andrews has long been in the forefront of "going green" and is growing some of their own produce for the dining hall and hoping to raise chickens.

Doesn't this sound like a town where it shouldn't be a problem to have backyard chickens???

Box Turtles and "Underground Chickens"

Antoinette learns that turtles lay eggs too!As a gardener, I've had the privilege of watching a box turtle lay eggs in my flower bed twice. The most recent time was this summer. Even though I mark my calendar, I have yet to see the eggs hatch. While reading up on our local turtles, I learned that they want to stay within the same area where they were born. If one is moved more than a half-mile from its territory, it may never find its way back; but may spend years unsystematically searching. I feel TERRIBLE! When I used to see one on the side of the road, I would bring it home to show my children and then let it go in the yard. Now I understand why I don't have a yard full of turtles - they all set out trying to find their way back to the Jump Off Road! Over the span of their lifetime, female turtles will lay hundreds of eggs, but only 2-3 of these offspring will survive to adulthood. Wow. Who knew.

Today a recent graduate of the university came to visit me. He'd just returned from his 3rd summer helping people in a developing country and will go on to graduate school in Europe soon. He was a merit scholar, athlete, volunteer and all around great guy. Unfortunately he never expressed interest in marrying one of my daughters. He's been following the Sewanee chicken story and came to tell me about his mother's "underground chickens".

Apparently it's not exactly legal to keep them where he grew up. Nevertheless, his mother got four and her neighbor got two. The chickens wandered happily between the yards visiting - as chickens will do. I guess they wandered too far one day and someone complained. An official from the city was sent to deal with the problem. The chicken mothers said they would fence the birds in, but the official said he could not leave unless they promised to get rid of the hens. He didn't seem concerned with whether they actually removed them - just that they said they would. So, (these were very smart women) they said they would, fenced in the chickens and lived happily ever after.

Who DOESN'T have chickens???

Here's a link to a "stealth chicken coop" designed to look like a trash can. http://henspa.com/hencondo.htm

Silkies Make Great Pets

Natasha departing the porch of the original chicken house.

Natasha as a young lady in at rare quick paceNatasha was a "silkie". A silkie's feathers don't bind together like regular feathers, they're sort of frayed and therefore fur-like. They are very soft like a kitten, small, have pom poms on their heads, fuzzy feet and lay cute silly little eggs. They can't fly because their feathers don't work and they really can hardly see with all that fur on their face. She reminded me of a Russian princess so I contacted my favorite Russian professor and asked for name suggestions. Natasha (actually named for a Countess rather than a Princess) was very happy and very sweet, but I thought she was a little dumb until I trimmed around her face - exposing her eyes - and with sight, she became noticeably less ditsy! She was always the most vulnerable and one day when I had her out of her cage, I came home to find a hawk eating her.

Word spread quickly among my friends. People would walk cautiously up to me and express their condolences. I even received a very sappy sympathy card in the mail.

Yes, it was very sad, but the life of a chicken mother is not always as carefree as it appears. To appease my guilt I decided that it's better to have a short happy life than a long miserable one and I was glad I allowed her to take the dust baths in my garden that she so loved and were ultimately her demise.

Small Town Living

My mother just got a "pocket" dog. This is my new brother, Joe. Yesterday my brother called to say that our dad was alright. Last time I got a call like that was in November when Dad and Grandfather were on a National Geographic ship touring the Antarctic. Another ship was sinking and we were relieved to know it wasn't theirs. Like last time, I was delighted to know that he was okay, but not sure why the information was necessary. It seems Dad experienced some chest pain while baking a chocolate cake. After finishing the cake and no doubt eating some of it, he decided to go to the emergency room. Although Mom says you get right in when you say you're having a heart attack, there was still a wait, during which the nurses wanted to know how the chickens were doing...

They determined there was no heart problem, kept Dad around for observation, then sent him home to his cake. Meanwhile I went to the hospital to help. Had I known then about the cake, my priorities might have been different - after all - I already knew he was alright...

At the hospital desk there were three nurses I'd never seen before. I said, "I understand you have my dad." They replied, "He was released just a few minutes ago." Not - "who is your dad?" or "what is your name". I love this town.

I pulled into my parent's driveway and cracked up. Dad was in the yard watering plants. We all ate cake and lived happily ever after.

Thank goodness he'll be in top form for the Community Council meeting next week!

Sewanee Leases

Professor's dog (party animal Moe) dressed up for an important event...

Pink Flamingos and a ZEBRA on campus.

What's so weird about chickens??? Sewanee: the University of the South is comprised of 13,000, primarily forested, acres of land which we call the "domain". It is in middle Tennessee on the Cumberland Plateau about 2000 feet above sea level. There are countless bluff views, waterfalls, caves and trails. The university has roughly 1600 students and the town has maybe 2000 residents. The campus, which originated just before the civil war, has many sandstone buildings of Gothic architecture and is covered with large old growth trees. It's just beautiful.

The town is called Sewanee and the university owns all the land. Consequently, we own our homes, but lease the land. There is a Lease Committee which among other things, approves the removal of trees, construction of home improvements, colors, fences, sheds, signs, rentals etc. Similar to a historic district or homeowners association, when homeowners want to make a change, they are required to go through a committee. The lease superintendent must field calls relating to dogs, trash, cars, shrubs, yard maintenance, noise, businesses, neighbor disputes...

I'm told that the process with the lease committee can be tedious and frustrating. I don't doubt that, but have sympathy for both sides. I'm sure that as a result of my effort to officially legalize backyard chickens - I have created many hours of unforeseen work and controversy. I hope some of it has been amusing for those in the middle and I never intended to be a problem. All I wanted was a few unobtrusive pets who would be great for me, my family, our lifestyle and yard. Fortunately, I expect that the outcome will be clear rules that will be comfortable and beneficial to all residents of this very special town.

Chickens on Vacation

I am on vacation at the beach in N.C. with a group of smart, interesting women - all but one of whom I did not know before this week. We're doing all the usual - eating, drinking, swimming, walking, cooking.

This morning over coffee, sitting on the porch overlooking the ocean, the topic of chickens came up. One of the women here, who I'd not met until last night, is considering getting a few to keep in her yard in Knoxville. Ironically, she brought with her a cook book I'd never seen called Blue Eggs and Yellow Tomatoes. This is the first cook book I remember seeing that devotes a section to growing your own eggs. It's a beautiful book, full of enticing pictures and delicious sounding recipes.

We made the fish tacos tonight for dinner. They were outstanding - they'd probably even be good if we weren't eating them to the sound of the waves - although the fresh fish cooked on the grill certainly didn't hurt!

I promise, I did not bring up the topic of chickens, I'd never heard of the cookbook, I'm on vacation, the chickens are at home. I do not live and breath chickens.

Nevertheless, here I am ... So I looked up the cook book on the internet and here's a review I found: http://nikas-culinaria.com/2008/06/01/blue-eggs//

"The author, Jeanne Kelley, has decades of experience writing for Bon Appetit, Cooking Light magazine and many of her recipes have been published in LA Times Magazine, Natural Health, Islands and Spa Magazines.

Her professional life and her home life come together in Blue Eggs Yellow Tomatoes as she writes about how she raises some of her own food (chickens, vegetables) at her suburban home in Los Angeles and shares recipes that yield simply delicious concoctions that should satisfy anyone, whether you are growing your own food or if you go to the farmer's market."

Later I'll tell you about MY chicken, Eva, who laid blue eggs...

A Lovely Summer Evening

Sewanee's main quadrangle

I just returned from a wonderful social event. It took place across the street from my house on the grounds of Otey Parish. The step daughter of the man who sold me my house got married. I babysat for the bride when she was an infant. Her sister babysat my children when I moved back here. Both sisters grew up in Sewanee and then went off to college. Both sisters ended up transferring back to Sewanee and they both worked for me on campus. I traveled in the Caribbean with one sister for a couple of weeks about 5 years ago. They are wonderful girls and I am crazy about of both of them - although it's been several years since I've seen them. Their mother is a well known potter in these parts and in the early 70s their father started Shenanigans, the local beer and sandwich joint. http://national.citysearch.com/profile/9358294/sewanee_tn/shenanigan_s.html . The bride and groom are spending their first married night together next door in a cabin rented from my neighbor.

None of this has anything to do with chickens (although the topic came up many times at the reception). It is merely an illustration of the kind of town I live in. We are a supportive, close knit community. Many people come and go and many people remain for generations. We are proud, interested and interesting. We care for each other and ourselves. We keep coming back to Sewanee because there is something compelling here. We love it.

I am certain that on August 25, there will be a large presence of community members who agree that keeping a few chickens in our backyards, if we desire, adds to what makes Sewanee a genuinely good place.

I will be on vacation for the next week and don't know what kind of internet access I'll have. I SO appreciate all of you who read this on a regular basis. I love the "old Sewanee" stories and will post more of them as they come in. It's amazing to hear from people around the world who just find this site while searching chickens and it's very cool that so many people I've known from so many parts of my life are following this too!

Thank you all - I'll keep you posted!

Community Council Meeting

Painting of Chloe, Francesca and a gentleman caller by Catherine Darling Hostetter pureart3@comcast.net available at The Lemon Fair in Sewanee. The Community Council meeting is August 25 at 7:00 pm in the Community Center behind the Sewanee Market. It is an open meeting. I encourage anyone who is interested, has questions, thoughts or experiences to attend.

My father wrote his representatives and asked them to read this blog. I wrote all the members and emailed copies to the Lease Committee. In my letter I enclosed a very basic ordinance proposal based on the 50+/- city and town ordinances that I have read.

• "No domesticated fowl shall be allowed to run at large on the domain.
• No more than 6 hens over the age of 5 months shall be allowed for each
single-family dwelling.
• No roosters over the age of 5 months or of crowing age shall be allowed.
• No hens shall be allowed in multi-family complexes, including duplexes.
• All fowl must be kept at all times in a secure enclosure.
• Enclosures must be at least 25 feet from the nearest neighbor's
residence, church or school.
• Enclosures must be kept in a neat and sanitary condition at all times,
and must be cleaned on a regular basis so as to prevent offensive odors.
• There shall be no outside slaughtering of birds.
• Commercial use of fowl shall be prohibited.

Other considerations:
• larger number of hens for larger lots and/or specific locations
• neighborhood hens ­- with neighbor consent, one home keeps a larger
number of hens for several households to share.
• I would like to lead periodical chicken raising workshops - a common practice in many communities to educate new and/or potential owners."

These are ideas to facilitate what I strongly believe to be a fair and beneficial addition to our educated, open minded, beautiful and very fine quality of life.

I would not be pursuing this cause with such vigor were it not for the support I have received. In the past five weeks, the blog has been looked at 3,234 times from 22 countries. As an example: today I received an email from the wife and mother of alumni and aunt of an incoming freshman. She found the blog by accident and emailed to say she has 4 chickens near downtown Mobile where it's legal to have 14. Someone I don't know posted a comment on the blog recommending to me a book he or she thought I'd enjoy. I ran into a former student who'd heard about the blog while abroad and has been following it. Someone who grew up in Sewanee emailed me with the ordinances from her town in N.C. This is just today. I can't go into the bank or walk down the street without being stopped by enthusiastic people who want to support me and this cause. The responses I receive on a daily basis never stop and I have yet to hear one that is not positive.

Nationwide Ordinances II

Naturally all these ordinances are pro chicken, but my last post was a little dry, so I've added comments...

Cincinnati - "No person shall confine any fowl in a crate, box, or other receptacle in a cramped or unnatural position ", "No person shall use any live, newly hatched fowl or bird as a toy " Who enforces these laws?

http://www.municode.com/Resources/gateway.asp?pid=19996&sid=35

Monterey, CA - "Raising four or less chickens, rabbits, or other similar fowl or small animals is permitted as an accessory use." Gotta love California - so fashion conscious. More than four and they're no longer accessories.

http://www.municode.com/Resources/gateway.asp?pid=50222&sid=5

Carlsbad, NM - " No chick, duckling, gosling or rabbit that has been dyed or otherwise colored artificially may be sold or offered for sale, raffled, offered or given as a prize, premium, or advertising device, or displayed in any store, shop, carnival or other public place." Once you dye-to-match your pet - you're stuck with it. Notice this law does not apply in Monterey. http://www.municode.com/Resources/gateway.asp?pid=12431&sid=31

Green River, WY - Animal : "Every living dumb creature, domestic or wild." This is a common animal definition in ordinances - seems to describe humans also.

"Sec. 6-4. Proper control to prevent a public nuisance required.
It shall be unlawful for any owner to fail to exercise proper care and control of his animals to prevent them from becoming a public nuisance. Excessive, continuous or untimely barking, molesting passersby, chasing vehicles, habitually attacking other domestic animals, running wild game, trespassing upon school grounds, trespassing upon private property, noxious or offensive odors emanating from their living conditions, or unsanitary living conditions shall be deemed a nuisance." Seriously - this kind of generic nuisance clause is common in ordinances and applies to all animals. http://www.municode.com/Resources/gateway.asp?pid=10427&sid=50

Dallas - "Animal means a warm-blooded animal." No specific mention of fowl or poultry that I can find. http://www.municode.com/Resources/gateway.asp?pid=13347&sid=43

Okay - This is the BEST!

Muskogee, OK - http://www.municode.com/Resources/gateway.asp?pid=14202&sid=36

'No person owning or having in his custody any animal shall violate any laws, rules or regulations of the state applicable thereto." Alright, that's pretty general - it's against the law to break the law if you own an animal or have one with you.

"Keeping of wild or exotic animals. "wild or exotic animal" means an animal which is usually not a domestic animal and which can normally be found in the wild state, with or without mean or vicious propensities, including, but not limited to, lions, tigers, leopards, panthers, bears, wolves, alligators, crocodiles, apes, foxes, elephants, rhinoceroses, and all forms of poisonous or large snakes, including those considered dangerous such as boas and pythons, lynxes, raccoons, skunks, monkeys, and like animals." Really? So you get a lot of rhinos, apes and crocodiles running wild in Oklahoma???

"It is unlawful for any person to keep, own, maintain, use or have under his control or in his possession any rabbits, large animals or fowl within 40 feet, to be measured in the most direct line, of any dwelling or any place of business. Any cow, horse or goat stable must be located at the rear of the lot."

"It is unlawful for any person to molest, destroy, wound, shoot, or shoot at any native American song bird anywhere within the corporate limits of the city" Reasonable - molesting of birds must take place outside city limits.

"It is unlawful for any person to put any dead animal in any street, alley or any other public place"

"swine are not permitted to remain in the city for a period longer than 12 hours"

Good, clear laws - seems like a nice place to live.

Yankton, SD -
http://www.municode.com/Resources/gateway.asp?pid=11734&sid=41

South Souix City, NE -
http://www.municode.com/Resources/gateway.aspid=13137&sid=27

Fairbanks, AK -
http://www.municode.com/Resources/gateway.asp?pid=12896&sid=2

Nationwide Ordinances

Elisa sits on her nest of bamboo leaves

Chapel Hill: http://www.municode.com/Resources/gateway.asp?pid=19952&sid=33

Charlotte: http://www.municode.com/resources/gateway.asp?pid=19970&sid=33

Atlanta: http://www.municode.com/Resources/gateway.asp?pid=10376&sid=10

Abgindon, VA: http://www.municode.com/Resources/gateway.asp?pid=12760&sid=46

Beaufort, SC: http://www.municode.com/Resources/gateway.asp?pid=10399&sid=40

Destin, FL: http://www.municode.com/Resources/gateway.asp?pid=12108&sid=9

Mountain Brook, AL: http://www.municode.com/Resources/gateway.asp?pid=14276&sid=1

Oxford, MS: http://www.municode.com/resources/gateway.asp?pid=14308&sid=24

Independance, MO: http://www.municode.com/Resources/gateway.asp?pid=50014&sid=25

New Orleans: http://www.municode.com/Resources/gateway.asp?pid=10040&sid=18

Scottsdale, AZ: http://www.municode.com/Resources/gateway.asp?pid=10075&sid=3

Rockford, IL: http://www.municode.com/Resources/gateway.asp?pid=14387&sid=13

New Haven, CT: http://www.municode.com/Resources/gateway.asp?pid=11090&sid=7

Billings: http://www.municode.com/Resources/gateway.asp?pid=10441&sid=26

Steamboat Springs, CO: http://www.municode.com/Resources/gateway.asp?pid=10098&sid=6

Noise

Baby tree frog sitting on a zinnia leaf will grow to be about 2 inches, yet produce an enormous cry http://www.uga.edu/srelherp/anurans/hylchr.htm - WAY louder than any hen or even rooster dare hope for. Baby tree frog in center towards the left. I did not ask permission to have these frogs, they found their way to my garden on their own and no longer reside here - these pictures are several years old. A large stand of bamboo bordering my yard was planted in the 1940s, is evergreen and provides privacy as well as a sound barrier for my neighbors.

Seriously - what about the noise?

Chickens, like most animals, produce sounds. As with other animals, different breeds make different sounds and some are quieter than others. Also, like a typical animal, they talk more when they have something to say.

I have three different breeds and they make distinctly different sounds. One can expect gentle clucking from time to time which is often not noticeable from yard to yard or from inside a house.

Some hens cluck after laying an egg. Antoinette will cluck before laying.

Some birds get excited when they find a particularly tasty bug or weed and do a "peep, peep, peep" thing which attracts other hens to share.

They can make a racket when they are scared - when chased for example.

They can be fussy and cluck more when their living situation has changed (see "emergency" post) - moving to a new house, introducing a new hen or taking one away.

Extremely rarely will hens make enough noise to be intrusive.

Hens go to bed at dusk and stay very quiet at night.

Hens are considerably quieter than dogs, crows, blue jays, tree frogs, nocturnal summer bugs, children, students and alumni.

They do make more noise than deer, but are way less destructive.

Backyard Chickens for Commercial Use

Antoinette considers modeling as a full time career. In the Lease Committee meeting a couple of weeks ago I was asked if I would ever consider using my birds for profit - a very reasonable question - as were the other questions which I've been addressing.

A good laying hen will produce an egg roughly every 26 hours during her most productive years (about three), during the warm months, if she is not broody or molting. See "Radio interview and egg laying info" post from July 10. A dozen fresh eggs costs approximately $4.00 - so in order to make $4/day on a consistent basis until the days get noticeably shorter and the hens stop laying, one would have to have at least 14 chickens. Therefore, it is not economically feasible to make a profit from having a small backyard flock.

However, it is certainly possible to end up with more eggs than necessary and to give them to friends, family and kind neighbors. Unfortunately for those around me, this doesn't happen much in our yard. I am lucky if I get two eggs a day, I have two hungry children and we do a decent amount of baking.

How To Get The Chickens Back In Their House

A chicken's house is their home. They love it. They feel safe there because chickens by nature, are, well, chicken. When you let them out they'll wander around and do all the good stuff they like to do: eat bugs & weeds - fertilizing as they go, follow you around because you're the greatest thing in the world to them, take dust baths, run around stretching their wings and legs. They tend to have silly personalities and are great fun to watch. Hanging out with them is very relaxing. Generally they won't go far from their house, because again, it's a safety thing.

As soon as it dusk, they'll instinctively go back into their home. Hens are not party animals. Somehow they know that the bad guys come out at night. They like to roost. The higher the better. So, it's a nightly ritual - the chickens go home to roost. It's essential to close them up securely for the night because they are very vulnerable to predators. A chicken has no defense and will freak out when scared and do the very most impractical thing - like run to a corner rather than get up high.

If it's not bedtime it's usually pretty easy to bribe them back into their house with food. Even if it's the same food that they already have in their house. Mine will usually come when I call and follow me to the house because they're confident that something wonderful happens whenever I summon them.

Silly chickens!

Vice Chancellor Guerry and General Lee

This is Gertrude, who turned out to be a rooster and moved to a student's family's home outside Chattanooga.
Barney Black, C'66 from Charlotte, recently attended the Summer Seminar and is following the chicken story. He owns the former "Stirling" house in Sewanee, has "a vital interest in Lease Committee decisions" and supports me on the chicken issue. I hope he won't mind if I take one of his comments out of context for a minute ... he thinks I'm "brilliant"!

Barney wrote with the following story from his college days at Sewanee...

"There is actually a precedent for the "no fowl" rule in Sewanee history.

When Alexander Guerry was Vice Chancellor of the University, Miss Amy Brooks Eggleston and her husband "Egg" Eggleston had a beloved pet rooster named General Lee who lived alone in a coop in their back yard.

Every day at the crack of dawn, as roosters are supposed to do, General Lee would crow loudly, not once but multiple times. Vice Chancellor Guerry lived a few doors down the street within easy ear shot of General Lee's coop. General Lee's crowing would awaken Vice Chancellor Guerry every morning long before the VC was ready to awaken.


After several years of this, Mr. Guerry had endured all of General Lee's crowing he could tolerate, at which point the VC informed Miss Amy and "Egg" of his annoyance and told them that General Lee would have to be euthanized. "Egg" complied with the VC's request and decapitated General Lee. Being a very practical fellow, "Egg" served General Lee up as the entree at his and Miss Amy's next Sunday dinner. When "Egg" told Miss Amy that General Lee was the bird in the platter on the dinner table, Miss Amy was horrified at General Lee's fate. Miss Amy left the table and took refuge at Miss Polly Kirby-Smith's house leaving "Egg" to feast alone. Miss Polly was Miss Amy's sister. Anyway, after that all lived happily ever after except for General Lee, of course.

When I was a student at Sewanee, I roomed at Miss Polly's house on University Avenue. Miss Amy was a frequent visitor and also a dear friend of mine. By then "Egg" was residing in the cemetery. Miss Amy told the story of General Lee and the VC many times, never without sadness in her voice.

Most things at Sewanee have their roots in tradition."

Please keep in mind that I only have hens now - no roosters.

Other Birds About Town...

The Emus in front of the Vice Chancellor's house on University Avenue

Once upon a time, in a land far away, a pair of emus wandered the Sewanee campus at their leisure. It was a cold and foggy winter and the rumor was that an emu farmer (but not one who owns a bike shop) set them free when emu meat did not turn out to bring the riches promised. To the town's delight, it was like living in Dr. Suess land for a while - which is not a bad way to live.

You know what I'd REALLY like???...

PEACOCKS!!! beautiful, elegant, graceful birds
Peafowl are not livestock and not prohibited in my lease. They are about the most spectacular bird you will ever see. However, not only are they not proportionally right for my yard (I'd need a much larger, grander place), but they are quite loud - especially during mating season. And while I wouldn't mind the call of a large bird - I understand that many would. Nevertheless, just imaging for a moment - peacocks in the quadrangle...

These pictures, incidentally, were taken at a motel outside of Apalachicola, FL owned by the sweet German mother of a Sewanee graduate. http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g34194-d1023974-r14473601-Sportsman_s_Lodge_Motel_Marina-Eastpoint_Florida.html

Remember those two emu who wandered the campus about ten years ago?

More Chicken Info

Silly bird
Chloe poised for flight
Do chickens fly?
Well, it depends. Some do, some don't, none do very well. It depends on their body and feathers. "Meat birds" are bred to have large breasts, are heavy and can't do much in the way of getting off the ground. Birds with weird feathers like frizzles and silkies do well to hop up and down steps. Many leaner chickens can fly enough to get over a fence and some into trees to roost. Some owners clip the wings of their chickens to prevent them from getting out of their enclosure. It doesn't hurt the birds, it's like cutting fingernails.
Do chickens attract predators?
Chickens are quite tasty to many animals: raccoons, possums, dogs, foxes and hawks. However, chickens do not attract predators. I've seen no more of these creatures that are common to Sewanee in the 2 years I've had chickens than before. I lost my Silkie, Natasha, to a hawk this past spring, but it's not like I have hawks circling above my yard now. There is a fox that lives in my neighborhood. My daughter saw it at the foot of the front porch steps the other night. I have seen no evidence of it or anything else near the chickens. I was working in the garden late in the evening last week close to dark. A possum walked by not noticing me. It was up by the house, not near the chicken house.
What about rats and snakes?
Rats are attracted to chicken feed not chickens. It's important to keep chicken feed in a tightly closed container - tight enough to keep out raccoons and strong enough to keep squirrels from chewing through. I keep mine indoors.
Black snakes are harmless "good" snakes that like to eat eggs (as well as rodents). You'll see them in trees on their way to a bird nest, but they won't break into or hang around a chicken coop. It is important to keep the chicken house secure from all predators including snakes.
An animal is only going to try so hard to get at a meal before it looks elsewhere.

9 out of the TOP 10 US News colleges allow chickens!!

Here's Elisa looking at the camera sideways because her eyes are on the sides of her head. She hasn't gotten much press because she's been broody (sitting in her house on imaginary eggs) since early July. Yes - you heard it here first - and it's not too late to beat Davidson!!!

Each year US News and World Report,
http://colleges.usnews.rankingsandreviews.com/usnews/edu/college/rankings/brief/t1libartco_brief.php ranks the top 10 liberal arts colleges in the nation and naturally Sewanee is very concerned about where it falls and how it compares. I'm taking the comparison in a whole new direction...

10. Haverford College - http://gcp.esub.net/cgi-bin/om_isapi.dll?clientID=80772&infobase=haverfrd.nfo&softpage=Browse_Frame_Pg42
The town of Haverford, PA makes no distinction between having chickens or farm animals, but you must have a minimum of 1 acre and you are allowed no SNOW LEOPARDS or SHARKS (among other things) NONE.

9. Davidson College - http://www.municode.com/resources/gateway.asp?pid=12975&sid=33 The town of Davidson, NC does not allow fowl or livestock. Losers.

8. Bowdoin College - http://www.brunswickme.org/clerk/ordinances/Ch004.pdf In Brunswick, ME -there are 3 pages of rules for dogs, but regarding other animals - it simply says not to let them graze or run about town and for goodness sake - don't tie them to a tree.

7. Pomona College - http://www.claremontonline.net/municipalcode.cfm Claremont, CA - home to 3 colleges ranked in the top 30 - allows 3 fowl per household.

6. Middlebury College - http://www.middlebury.govoffice.com/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC={7DB71523-F11A-4EAD-9E2B-4F894A4FB098} which comes in number 2 on the Grist top 15 "green" colleges and universities http://www.grist.org/news/maindish/2007/08/10/colleges/ has a policy in their town on dogs, but no other animals.

5. Carleton College - http://www.municode.com/resources/gateway.asp?pid=13439&sid=23 In Northfield, MN the laws prohibit most wild animals, including, but not limited to jackals and dingos. Guess I won't be moving there... They don't, however, seem to mind chickens - as long as they're not vicious.

4. Wellesley College - http://www.ci.wellesley.ma.us/Pages/WellesleyMA_Health/regulations/chap16 In Wellesley, MA you'll need a permit for your fowl, goat, sheep, swine, llama... if you want roosters or swine you'll have an annual hearing and need to invite your neighbors.

3. Swarthmore College -http://www.amlegal.com/nxt/gateway.dll/Pennsylvania/swarthmore/codifiedordinancesoftheboroughofswarthmo?f=templates$fn=default.htm$3.0$vid=amlegal:swarthmore_pa At Swarthmore there's nothing in the town ordinance about livestock or fowl (just dogs). They don't even know why you'd ask... In fact, a couple of years ago the students petitioned the dining hall to only purchase their 10,800 dozen eggs from cage-free chickens
http://daily.swarthmore.edu/2006/04/26/animal-rights-coalition-works-for-cage-free-eggs-at-swarthmore/

2. Amherst -
http://www.amherstma.gov/charter/GENERAL_BYLAWS_Nov_2003.pdf In Amherst, MA they don't want you leading your cattle, goat, horse, fowl, etc. along the sidewalk unless, of course, you're just crossing it. I for one, would like to know why the chicken crossed the sidewalk.

And the NUMBER ONE ranked liberal arts college in America according to US News and World Reports is Williams College in Williamstown, MA where there is no limit to the amount of poultry you may have as long as they're "confined within an adequate enclosure". The law also states that dogs must be "controlled and restrained from killing, chasing or harassing livestock or fowls".
http://s230494718.onlinehome.us/wp-content/uploads/2008/03/Code-of-Williamstown.pdf

When you look at ordinance after ordinance after ordinance as I have, you see a pattern. There are generally several pages of regulations governing dogs and a paragraph or two regarding fowl and/or livestock.

Not to be redundant, but - what's the big deal?

Chicken Ordinances in the News

Notice how much Chloe has grown since July 4th. She's about 31/2 months old now.

Allie Nicodemo, with her fancy new camera, was able to find Chloe's eyes!
After a great weekend in the North Carolina mountains with my horse and chicken loving relatives, I'm back to researching how other towns deal with their flocks. Things are heating up in Wake Forest, NC as an amendment to a pro chicken ordinance is no doubt close to being passed thanks to the dedication of some thoughtful people. http://www.wfchickens.blogspot.com/

In Sanford, NC a controversy over backyard chickens leads some to believe there is discrimination against Hispanics involved. http://www.newsobserver.com/news/story/1145785.html Could this be the case with me??? My last name is Alvarez.

Seriously, the "town verses gown" aspect of my case has been raised by many. Has the University only responded so quickly because I live so near the center of campus, while allowing much more serious problems in less visible areas to go unanswered?

FYI - the term "gown" refers to university students and faculty who have a tradition of wearing academic gowns to class - while "town" represents the support staff or working class.

Is the chicken issue part of a class system? If so, mine are very fancy- what's the problem?

In Asheville, NC work is underway to try and relax the backyard chicken ordinance to make it easier to raise a few birds. The current law says chickens must be 100 feet away from neighbors. http://www.mountainx.com/news/2008/071608buzz1

This is just North Carolina, just this week.

It's happening all over the country. It's too late for Sewanee to lead the way, but surely we need to get on the bandwagon and not be left embarrassingly behind.

Raliegh has no limit on number of chickens, Chapel Hill allows 20, Charlotte allows 20.

I'm coming up with an ordinance proposal for the Community Council. I think it will be seriously considered. This is a good time to be a chicken in Sewanee...

Lease Committee Results

Painting by http://jeffhughart.com available at my mother's store, The Lemon Fair http://thelemonfair.com . My mother is an artist and her work has always reflected what was happening in her family's life.
Having been told yesterday, "the Lease Committee deferred the question of chickens to the August Community Council meeting", we began questioning what, exactly that means and how we should approach it. Today we were told, "The lease committee tabled the question and is gathering more information regarding chickens on the Domain from the Community Council and other campus groups." Who is on the Community Council and what is their role? We're working on getting concrete answers.

I still suspect that the lease committee doesn't know what to do with me and doesn't want to take full responsibility for either granting me the right to keep the chickens or prohibiting me from having them. I like to think that they are indeed considering the greater issues of sustainability and local food, right and wrong, and common sense. So, I am encouraged.

I have learned a huge amount in the past few weeks. Sewanee has an overwhelming sense of community and the response I've received from all kinds of people is yet one more example of it. Given all the large prominent cities that allow backyard chickens, I have great faith that Sewanee residents will soon be able to grow their own eggs and fertilizer while controlling bugs without pesticides and enjoying new and unexpected pets.

I also know that having pets is work and few people will actually want to invest the time and energy necessary to house chickens so it's not like suddenly the town will be overrun with silly looking birds.

I will probably take a break this weekend and start back fresh on Sunday with new and exciting chicken stuff...