Save Sewanee Chickens

"Delta Sky Magazine" Features Chickens

2008-09-09T23:17:00.005-05:00

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

2008-09-09T22:54:00.011-05:00

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???

2008-09-05T18:09:00.004-05:00

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

2008-09-01T21:37:00.004-05:00

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"

2008-08-31T11:46:00.010-05:00

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

2008-08-25T23:08:00.007-05:00

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

2008-08-25T17:27:00.008-05:00

"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

2008-08-24T21:44:00.014-05:00

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

2008-08-23T15:26:00.009-05:00

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"

2008-08-20T21:35:00.006-05:00

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

2008-08-19T22:22:00.013-05:00

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

2008-08-18T23:56:00.005-05:00

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

2008-08-17T22:48:00.006-05:00

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

2008-08-11T21:53:00.007-05:00

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

2008-08-09T23:37:00.005-05:00

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

2008-08-07T17:44:00.007-05:00

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

2008-08-06T17:49:00.022-05:00

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

2008-08-05T23:35:00.008-05:00

Elisa sits on her nest of bamboo leaves

Noise

2008-08-03T12:13:00.013-05:00

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

2008-07-30T18:51:00.005-05:00

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

2008-07-28T20:23:00.014-05:00

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

2008-07-27T20:47:00.014-05:00

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...

2008-07-25T09:16:00.005-05:00

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???...

2008-07-24T21:00:00.008-05:00

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

2008-07-23T19:34:00.000-05:00

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!!

2008-07-22T19:57:00.001-05:00

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

2008-07-21T20:53:00.001-05:00

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

2008-07-17T20:17:00.001-05:00

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...

Lease Committee Meeting and Radio Interview

2008-07-16T22:38:00.002-05:00

My dad leaving the lease committee meeting.

What a day... WPLN, Nashville Public Radio, broadcast our brief interview http://wpln.org/newstranscripts/?p=2531 this morning and the Lease Committee Meeting was this afternoon.

My job at the University is quite public and it was fun today to have people stop by & say they'd inadvertently heard the interview on NPR. We weren't sure when it would broadcast, so most everyone heard it just because they listen to NPR anyway.

The lease committee meeting was interesting and enjoyable. Interesting to me to be part of a process, and enjoyable because most of us were at ease while reasonable, natural conversation flowed. The meeting takes place in the "Regent's Room" - a very nice board meeting sort of place with a large center table. There were 2 chairs at the end of the table for Dad & I, microphones and 8 University representatives. Once more for the record, it's a very small town - if we didn't all know each other, we were certainly acquainted. If only I'd been bold enough to take pictures for the blog!

Prior to the meeting, my father, who is on my lease, wrote a very direct letter to the members of the lease committee with copies to me and the neighbor who complained about the chickens. In the meeting today he restated the contents of the letter - focusing mainly on the lease agreement - which prohibits livestock, but not poultry. (I deal with this issue in depth in June posts of the blog). He touched on the integrity of the complaint as well as the issue of ultimately creating backyard chicken policies on the Domain.

I spoke of my research into backyard chicken ordinances across the country and how I would like to help Sewanee develop and implement such policies. I questioned how many complaints the lease superintendent has received from my neighbor (not solely about me, but total). That information was not available, but there have been 3 complaints against me that I'm aware of and others not directed at me were acknowledged.

There were several valid questions asked about chickens and the keeping of them. The history of chickens on campus was pointed out. Others have been forced to remove chickens. "On what grounds?" my father asked (since it's not prohibited in the lease.) Because of the lease, we were told. The policy (which is not in writing as part of our lease agreement) goes back before our current lease superintendent.

The question of noise was raised by my father because that was the original complaint. No one questioned the fact that my 3 hens do not make sufficient noise for any reasonable person to justify a complaint.

Unfortunately only two members of the lease committee ended up coming to see my chickens in person. Others, I assume, relied on the blog. No one at the meeting appeared to question my particular setting. My feeling was more that they just weren't sure what to do about the topic in general.

After the meeting, I found that I had a voice mail from WPLN following up on the story.

This evening I received an email informing me "the Lease Committee deferred the question of chickens to the August Community Council meeting."

Good, I don't blame them. Pass the buck....

Chicken Personalitites and Advantages

2008-07-15T20:01:00.001-05:00

Antoinette - poking around by her old house Chickens can be quite eccentric. When I upgraded my hens from their white trash house to the cute cottage where they now reside, they were not at all appreciative - even though construction only went a week over and came in a mere 10% over budget...

I built them a nesting box in which to lay their eggs, but they flat out refused. They would sit in that house all day crossing their legs and when I came home to let them out - run to the garden and lay under the lillies.

I'm smarter than a chicken.

One day I took an egg from under the lillies and put it in the nesting box in their house hoping to encourage them to lay where they're supposed to. The next morning I found Antoinette and Elisa rolling the egg out of the nesting box with their beaks.

So I put 2 eggs in there and the next day they were repositioned also.

The girls still won't lay in the box, but at least now they keep the eggs in the house to humor me.

Advantages to raising Chickens

Chickens have individual personalities just like dogs and cats. They can be very loyal and are more often than not - VERY amusing. I've heard many, many stories in the past couple of weeks, ranging from a chicken in Charlotte who goes to visit nursing homes, to chickens that go on outings with their owners just like dogs. (Imagine the Sewanee bank giving out corn kernels at the drive through in addition to lollipops and dog biscuits!)

Unlike typical pets, chickens have three distinct advantages :

eggs - I covered the benefits of fresh pastured chicken eggs in previous posts.

fertilizer - there appear to be many uses, "Man builds giant chicken manure catapult to battle vandals" http://www.boingboing.net/2008/03/19/man-builds-giant-chi.html.

A more conventional application - according to the University of Florida IFAS Extension,
"Animal manures have been used effectively as fertilizers for centuries. Poultry manure has long been recognized as perhaps the most desirable of these natural fertilizers because of its high nitrogen content." http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/AA205. Chickens wandering around your yard will fertilize as they go. Their coop will also be a wealth of fertilizer once composted. Some people house their birds in a chicken "tractor" which can be moved around the yard to fertilize different areas.

pest control - chickens love to eat bugs - ticks, mosquitoes, fleas, grubs, aphids, slugs, snails, grasshoppers.... in all stages - eggs, larvae, adults.

An unexpected advantage for me - I've cut back considerably on the use of nonorganic products in my yard because I don't want to harm the chickens.

The honey bees said, "thank you!".

The Lease Committee Visit

2008-07-14T20:41:00.000-05:00

The lease committee was invited to my house today at 5:00 to see the chickens and their setting.

The reason I started this blog was to show people how my chickens and I live, thereby proving that they are not livestock and not prohibited on my lease. Initially I contacted committee members and associates asking for advice and inviting people to see the yard. No one was interested in coming to my house (I live about a block from central campus - not exactly out of the way). My father, who is on my lease, specifically asked the lease superintendent to come see my yard and she agreed.

As time went on: we refused to remove the chickens based on the fact that we believe they are not in violation of our lease, the lease committee was invited to view the blog in hopes of settling the livestock question without all this fuss, we stated our intentions to appear at the lease committee meeting and address the issue, my father sent a formal letter with our objections to the complaint.

We received no response at all.

Next came the specific invitation to all 9 committee members to see the yard and meet the birds in question. One committee member called me right away. Neither my parents nor I heard from anyone else.

Today, that one very nice gentleman came promptly at 5:00.

No word from anyone else.

The meeting is Wednesday - the day after tomorrow.

The lease superintendent was emailed again this evening, requesting that she look at the yard in person tomorrow before the meeting.

So I wonder... have they already made up their minds? Do they not care? How do they treat other complaints?

And still I research... of course I am biased, but it's seeming like more cities and towns allow chickens than ban them. My mother said tonight, "until you, I've never known anyone who kept chickens as pets". Maybe that's the key - they're there, you just don't know it...

Child Gets Chicken Law Passed

2008-07-13T22:21:00.000-05:00

Folk art painting on my front porch

In California, "San Carlos child gets chicken law passed.

City leaders approve 9-year-old's proposed ordinance."

Enough said.

http://www.redwoodcitydailynews.com/article/2008-5-17-sc-fowl-law

Bird Flu

2008-07-11T21:18:00.000-05:00

Casey and baby bird Baby bird perching on chicken house door

Casey and her new best friend
My daughter has a very petite "faux Siamese" cat named Casey. Casey likes to think she's the great hunter, but she rarely harms butterflies (when she's able to catch them). This spring Casey came trotting around the corner with a baby bird in her mouth. I was quite impressed with her stealthy skills, although sorry it was a baby bird and not a MOLE (or a deer, for that matter). Still, it's the "circle of life" or whatever and she was doing what cats are supposed to be programmed to do.

A while later I noticed Casey coming out of the chicken house. When I peeked in, I found the baby bird laying there unharmed. Casey had put the bird in the bird house where she thought it belonged! Good Kitty.

More Chicken Facts - Bird Flu

According to the TN Department of Agriculture, "Since 1924, there have been three incidences of highly pathogenic bird flu in the United States in domestic poultry. There were no human illnesses reported in connection with these outbreaks, the most recent outbreak in 2004 was confined to one flock and quickly eradicated. " http://tennessee.gov/agriculture/regulate/animals/birdflu.html

According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC)

"We have a small flock of chickens. Is it safe to keep them?
Answer
Yes. In the United States there is no need at present to remove a flock of chickens because of concerns regarding avian influenza. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) monitors potential infection of poultry and poultry products by avian influenza viruses and other infectious disease agents." http://www.pandemicflu.gov/faq/bird/1098.html

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), "Avian influenza is not transmitted through cooked food. To date, no evidence indicates that anyone has become infected following the consumption of properly cooked poultry or poultry products, even when these foods were contaminated with the H5N1 virus.
Does the virus spread easily from birds to humans?
No. Though more than 100 human cases have occurred in the *current outbreak, this is a small number compared with the huge number of birds affected and the numerous associated opportunities for human exposure, especially in areas where backyard flocks are common. It is not presently understood why some people, and not others, become infected following similar exposures."

* Current outbreak refers to Asia, there is no evidence of Avian Influenza in the U.S. http://www.who.int/csr/disease/avian_influenza/avian_faqs/en/index.html#consequences

While there is no need for concern over bird flu in backyard chickens in the United States, there is cause for awareness, common sense and taking precautions. As with any animal, sanitary practices are imperative for many reasons (common sense). Knowing your animals and noticing of signs of illness - again, common sense. Bottom line - if you are sensible, you should be allowed to have backyard chickens.

Radio Interview and Hen Laying Info

2008-07-10T21:34:00.001-05:00

Interview with Nashville Public Radio from my parent's house

I had a very nice phone interview with Blake Farmer from Nashville Public Radio this morning. WPLN-FM 90.3 will broadcast the interview on Monday morning, July 14 during their newscast. http://wpln.org/home.php .

I just came from the home of an established Sewanee family who, once again, suggested there be a pro-chicken group outside the Lease Committee meeting next Wednesday at 3:30. The meeting takes place in Regent's Room. I don't know... what do you think?

Answers to more questions - Chicken Facts - laying eggs:

Chickens lay eggs for about 3 years - more if they're pets - but they'll slow down as time goes on

They usually won't lay until they're at least 6 months old
During their most productive years, often they'll lay one egg per day in warm months
A rooster is not necessary for a hen to lay an egg

An egg can not hatch into a chicken without being fertilized by a rooster
Some, but not all, breeds of chickens will go "broody" even without a rooster or eggs to sit on
"Broody" means that a hen will "sit" for 21 days - ideally she is hatching eggs, but in the absence of fertilized eggs (or any eggs at all, for that matter) she will sit anyway - it's a hormonal thing
A hen will not lay eggs while she is broody
Many hens will not lay many eggs in the cold months when there is little daylight
Some people install lights on timers to go on in the early morning to encourage egg production during the short days of winter

Many hens molt, primarily in the fall, and will not lay eggs while they're molting
"Molting" means losing older feathers and growing new ones. Different breeds molt at different rates.
Different breeds of chickens produce eggs at different rates. Some will lay an egg a day - some not so much. Some chickens are bred to lay, lay, lay

Depending on the breed of chicken, eggs come in many sizes and colors - pretty darn small to awfully big - white, brown, green, blue, teal - and I've even heard - pink!

Fresh eggs are good at room temperature for several weeks (they cook better at room temp) and several months in the fridge.

One week to go...

2008-07-09T22:35:00.001-05:00

In preparation for greeting the Lease Committee, Chloe gets a little trim around her face. She wants to be able to look them in the eye without impairment from her big poofy hat.

The lease committee meets one week from today and will potentially make a decision on whether or not they feel that I am within my rights to keep my 3 pet chickens on my leasehold. They have been invited to visit my garden next Monday. It will be interesting to see how many come. I've only heard from one since the invitation went out two days ago. There are nine members. My father has invited them to view the blog twice since July 1. We haven't heard a peep out of them.

However, since July 2 when I began tracking the blog - there have been 1151 visits from 17 countries.

This issue will not go away and just because I trim their "hair" doesn't mean I should be the only one in town who gets to have chickens. We all have the right, if we desire, to keep pets than are no more intrusive than dogs and cats. My cat doesn't lay eggs. Does your dog?

About Eggs

2008-07-09T21:40:00.001-05:00

Bouche de Noel-those are little merienge mushrooms - I was very proud of them!

Okay, so I cook too. I like to make fancy desserts when I have the time and I still might make an occassional wedding cake for someone really special (like Abby). The difference between eggs from my backyard and store bought eggs is almost indescribable - especially for cakes and custards - and I LOVE cake and custard!!!

Eleanor and Austin's going away party cake

Gateau Saint-Honore' (Parisian pastry)

Joe and Darby's Wedding Cake
According to , http://www.indyweek.com/gyrobase/Content?oid=oid%3A163261 "The reasons are diverse and overlapping, but a growing number of Americans are fed up with the industrial food system. For laying chickens, industrial agriculture means they are often debeaked, kept in stacked "battery cages" with less than 8 square inches per bird, and given feed laced with antibiotics and arsenic. Those eggs then travel thousands of miles to the local supermarkets—by which time they are usually a couple of weeks old. The manure from these factories presents an environmental problem. Backyard chickens, by contrast, often spend at least part of their day foraging for bugs, seeds and vegetable scraps. They are voracious consumers of fleas, ticks and unwanted garden pests, protein-dense foods that greatly contribute to "pastured" eggs' nutrition. Their droppings are almost as treasured for the nutrients and fertility they contribute to gardens and lawns.("Pastured" is the term most commonly used in sustainable agriculture circles to describe eggs from chickens allowed to eat, sleep and nest according to their species' needs. The oft-used "free-range" and "cage-free" have no regulatory definitions in the United States—meaning they can be stamped on eggs from chickens that were never given access to pasture.)"

Mother Earth News, http://www.motherearthnews.com/eggs.aspx a magazine dedicated to self-reliant and healthy living, found that "eggs from chickens allowed to forage naturally have, on average, seven times more beta carotene (which is what makes pastured egg yolks so orange), three times more vitamin E, two times more omega-3 fatty acids and two-thirds more vitamin A than their factory farm cousins. Pastured eggs also have one-third less cholesterol and one-quarter less saturated fat, on average."

Ordinances

2008-07-08T23:44:00.001-05:00

Antoinette cleans the kitchen floor. Murphy the "outdoor cat" does nothing - ever.

SO many cities all over the country allow residents to have backyard chickens. Just a FEW examples of MAJOR CITIES are: NYC, LA, Dallas, Miami, Chicago, Minneapolis, Denver, Atlanta, Baltimore, Hartford, Indianapolis, Oakland, Boston, Houston, St Louis, Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, Asheville, Mobile, New Orleans, Chapel Hill, San Francisco, Madison, Honolulu, San Antonio, Charlotte, Seattle, Phoenix, Tampa, San Jose, Portland...

So if all those large cities with small yards can figure out a way to regulate the residence of a few chickens, common sense would dictate that it shouldn't have to be a big deal in our small town of 1 acre+/- yards with protected old growth trees and extensive vegetation.

Common factors of many Chicken Ordinances include:

a limit on total number of chickens allowed per residence and/or maximum number of chickens allowed without a permit (generally 3 -6). Some cities determine number of chickens by size of lot
no roosters
chickens must be enclosed and not allowed to run free (from yard to yard)
coops must be situated (generally 20 - 25 feet) away from neighbor's residence.
enclosures must be kept in neat and sanitary condition and must be cleaned on a regular basis to prevent offensive odors.
coops and feed must be secured to prevent problems with pests and predators.
no slaughtering

There are, of course, many variations to the above. The point is - it's going on all over the country and there is WAY more information on the benefits of back yard chickens than the detriments - because, well, there are no detriments...

"They're so productive for the garden," said Owen Taylor, training and livestock coordinator of Just Food, a New York-based non-profit group. http://www.justfood.org/jf/ "They aerate the soil, eat bugs and they look like little tractors, tilling the soil."

"You hear the same argument (that) they're loud, they smell ... that there would be wild chickens running amok in Seattle, but that hasn't been the case,' said Angelina Shell, of Seattle Tilth, a non-profit organic gardening and urban ecology group. http://www.seattletilth.org/events/citychickenstour

May 3rd of this year, Georgia Organics http://www.georgiaorganics.org/events/event.php?id=535 hosted a tour of chickens coops in Atlanta and Decatur, GA called "Chicks in the City".

The Wall Street Journal wrote an interesting/frightening article on wealthy chicken owners and their stylish backyards http://homes.wsj.com/homegarden/20020603-bhatia.html and the New York Times has an article that I found pretty honest and realistic about families in Darien, CT with chickens. http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/17/nyregion/nyregionspecial2/17ctchickens.html.

There are plenty more articles, but for now - I recommend watching this breif, cute documentury from Missoula, MT about the legalization of their backyard chickens.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XJJm3fz0w9I

More July 4th pictures

2008-07-08T09:52:00.001-05:00

Sewanee School of Letters' float.Children pet the chicken as I answer questions on the sidewalk in front of my house.
The Cravens Family Reunion LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the chickens

Sewanee Gardener's market float

The very honorable Judge Walters heartily supports the chickens (Chloe is exhausted and takes a nap).

With the fourth of July behind us, I'm now back to researching chicken ordinances in others cities and towns. I want to make a proposal to the lease committee to create a policy that will benefit both those of us who would like to keep backyard chickens and our neighbors.

I read a great quote today from "The City Chicken Guide" from Just Food of NYC www.justfood.org/jf/ , "It is your right to keep chickens in New York City. It is also your duty to keep chickens within the limits of the laws." I think the quote is an important illustration of how imperative it is for all pet owners to act responsibly.

I am beginning to make contacts across the country with experts in this topic. Odd as it may seem, urban chickens are becoming a mainstream subject. There are many, many cities where raising 3-6 chickens within city limits is perfectly legal and not altogether uncommon. NPR is producing a piece on it and there is a full length documentary by Mad City Chickens coming out.

In the near future I will also post general facts about raising chickens to dispel any fears or misconceptions.

4th of July

2008-07-05T12:58:00.000-05:00

Stirling's Coffee House LOVES chickens! Chloe explains herself to a couple of passersby

The 4th of July is adorable in Sewanee, TN - population somewhere around 2,000. It involves all the lovely things about living in a small town - cat & dog shows, cake contest, dunking booth, children's games, music, craft fair, parade, street dance, fireworks and more... Many people come back to visit so you'll always find generations of families walking around.

I live on the main drag, University Avenue, so I'm in the middle of it all.

Late morning my niece and nephew came over with their friends and made more "Save Sewanee Chicken" signs. I took Antoinette out to the street to greet her public. People spend the day wandering up & down the street to the various booths & events and most wanted to stop & pet the chicken.

Little kids asked, "how much does it cost to pet the chicken"
My nephew Joshua, the young entrepreneur, replied, "Fifty cents."
I could have made a killing.
(No money actually changed hands)

The kids were walking around with their signs singing their version of, "Ain't Nobody Here But Us Chickens". http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVyHi5PTqdc Antoinette seemed to enjoy the attention and few people had seen a Frizzle before. No one accused me of handling livestock and few could believe anyone would question my right to keep this bird as my pet. It was great. I got to explain the joys of a small backyard flock and swap chicken stories with fellow chicken lovers.

After a while I took Antoinette in for a well deserved water break and brought Chloe out for a visit. People would stop and say, "Is that the Sewanee Chicken?" She's so distinctive looking, everyone recognized her picture from the blog. We took a walk up the street. Chloe had fallen asleep in my arms and I almost forgot I was carrying a chicken around.

Before I knew it - it was almost time for the parade to start. I rounded up all the chicken signs and raced down to the line up for the parade. I walked past the floats handing out signs to anyone who wanted one. One went to my closest neighbors who have always delighted in the chickens.

So, although we opted not to be in the parade, we had representation throughout. With the environmental theme this year (Sewanee goes green for the red, white & blue) we couldn't have blended in better. It was a great deal of fun and we got wonderful exposure and support.

3rd of July

2008-07-05T09:41:00.001-05:00

With apologies to vegetarians - our point on the 2nd sign is that my chickens are not livestock as prohibited in my lease .
We decided to be in the parade. Many people had expressed interest. We set up a time to meet & make costumes, signs, banners, whatever. I sent out an email inviting anyone who might be interested.

The thing about parades is - if you've been in more than two - you know it's generally more fun to watch than participate.

The replies to my email rolled in. "YES! You should be in the parade... no, sorry - I've got friends, relatives, no one, in town and can't join you, but it's a great idea & we'll be cheering you on!!"

I don't blame them, I really didn't want to be in the parade either.

However - my family, dutiful as ever, and a great deal of fun - along with a life long family friend and an almost headmaster who went to college with my brother - spent Thursday evening on my porch creating signs out of recycled materials and glitter and recycled glitter.

EMERGENCY!!!

2008-07-03T23:26:00.000-05:00

Christmas card 2006
Elizabeth, holding Casey, the almost Siamese.
Me, holding Gertrude, my other hen turned rooster.
Lauren, holding nothing.

Remember my chickens? I'll refresh your memory. 2 older chickens and 3 youngsters. Out of the 3 little ones, I knew Guinevere and Francesca were boys although they had not yet crowed, so I would only be able to keep Chloe - the little blond. The new home for the boys was not ready and they had such great personalities that I was in no hurry to see them go, but I knew it was only a matter of time.

I came home from work yesterday and let the birds out as usual. I started cleaning my house in anticipation of weekend guests and a "decorate for the parade" party the following night - when I heard, "peep, peep, peep, EERRAAACK!!" I burst outside crying, "What are you doing????!!!" Guinevere had picked yesterday afternoon to give crowing a try. When a rooster first crows it's much like a boy's voice cracking as he becomes a man. And once a rooster experiences his first crow he wants to keep practicing!

So here I've spent the last week telling the world that backyard chickens are less intrusive than many typical pets and now, of all times, my little girl starts to crow. I grabbed him and put him in the house, put a cage in the car, grabbed the other potential crower and put him in the house. What to do...what to do... I called their new owner & left a message. "I have to move my roosters out NOW. Call me back." I got them in the car and was plotting their escape when I heard Chloe freaking out in the back yard. She is not capable of being very loud, but she was giving it her best shot. The 3 little birds were a team, and Chloe, as the most vulnerable, depended on the 2 guys. All the while, Guinevere was in my car practicing his new found voice. I put another cage in the car and went to get Chloe - which was not as easy as anticipated given the chaos.

OK, finally (it actually all happened in less than 15 minutes) I was on the road, top down, dust from the cages flying, chickens ruffled, me on my phone calling for back up.

"Sanford, I have an emergency!"
Brief pause.
"Guinevere Crowed! I have to get her out of my yard ASAP!"

"Do you have a cage?", "Ok, you can bring them out."
"Good, thing - I'm already on my way..."

I sang to the birds on the way there to calm them down - just as I used to do with my children when they were little girls.

I have some great friends who live on a large tract of protected land a few miles outside of town. They are committed to living a quiet, sustainable life and at least two of them raise chickens. I knew somebody would take mine in for a few days until they could movefrom the "safe house" into their permanent home. (Perhaps it will be necessary to change their names for their protection.)

Sanford's chickens are regular chicken size and his rooster is quite a big boy. He's just beautiful - proud and regal with long graceful tail feathers. As I've mentioned before, my little ornamental birds can't be readily mixed in with a new flock. So we set my cage of 3 in Sanford's yard and his birds came around to check them out. My little guys were VERY excited! Nothing like visit to the country!

As dusk came and his chickens started going into their house for the night, it was time for Chloe and I to go home too. We said our good byes and pulled away.

The next morning Sanford called and said Guinevere and Francesca were doing great. They were very happy, ate out of his hand and the big rooster was hanging out with them showing them the ropes. They were still in their cage, but happy as could be.

Back home things were not so good. Antoinette was causing quite a ruckus. She was clucking around like she actually missed the little boys. Chloe, as usual, was confused. I ended up having to put Antoinette in my kitchen. Can't have these chickens clucking up the neighborhood - especially after I've promised they're quiet! This evening things had settled down considerably. A couple of things I have learned about chickens - they're much smarted than I could have guessed, but they have SHORT TERM MEMORIES!

My favorite thing that happened today

2008-07-02T21:25:00.000-05:00

I ran into Ron Daniels today in the Sewanee Market. Ron retired from years and years on the police force last year. After chatting for a minute I went outside & there was an old Ford tractor parked out front. I poked my head back in the Market and said, "did you drive your tractor here?" Of course he did. He was climbing up on it drinking his soda as I pulled away.

I love this town.

Unexpected Repercussions

2008-07-01T22:56:00.001-05:00

My supportive family. Corporate Retreat 2004

back: Mom, Greg, Elizabeth, me, Lauren, Aunt Diane, Dad, Grandfather

front: Stephen, April, Julia, Joshua, Rachel

When I got the phone call just one week ago telling me to remove the chickens from my yard ASAP I never could have anticipated the effect it would have on my life, my family's and the community . Never, ever! Yes, my incredibly loyal and supportive friends would say all the right things, but to have people in the community that I barely know stop me and say, "good luck with your chickens" gets me every time. They are, after all, just chickens.

But apparently they're not just chickens - or pets even - they are rights and regulations and common decency and all kinds of things to all kinds of people.

The emails have been pouring in. People I don't even know are writing to the lease committee. Many positive, productive conversations are happening.

I am blessed with a wonderful family. Naturally when this happened, I let them know right away. Actually, they've kind of made fun of me over the years with this whole chicken thing. I know it's weird - it's one of the reasons the birds appeal to me. If they were dogs - they'd be Poodles and I am definitely not a Poodle person (no offense intended - just personal preference). So, I assumed they would humor me while I was sad and life would go on.

Then my mom came over last Saturday to take pictures for the lease committee and told me that my dad was really bothered. She said it was keeping him awake. When I checked email I found that he sent me a message at 4:oo AM with his thoughts on the matter. He supported me! He didn't find me frivolous OR in violation of my lease.

Now the plot thickens... My father was in the administration at the University for over 30 years. He was a policy maker. He is well admired, knows how how things work and thinks in terms of the best interest of the University. For these reasons, his support gave me a whole new way to look at the situation.

My lease is in my parent's name as well as mine. We started brainstorming...

Behind the scenes, my brother Stephen and his wife April were positively irate. They had been calling and emailing with ideas - obviously giving the matter a huge amount of thought. Their 10 year old son Joshua announced his intent to write a letter of complaint. April set me up with the bog.

Meanwhile back at the ranch (not really, you saw the pictures) - the chickens were getting a lot of attention. Chickens love attention. It makes them quite friendly - except for Chloe, she's still very confused by being a star. Stephen, April and their children came over one evening equipped with cameras, sound equipment and a nice bottle of Chardonnay. Stephen is a professional adventure photographer http://www.picturestoryblog.com/who's work takes him to the most remote places in the world. At home we rarely see him with a camera because he needs to separate himself from work. April works for National Geographic, their 10th anniversary is on the 4th and they're going to Guatemala the next day. It's not like they have a lot of free time.

My sister and her husband are in Colorado working the Denver angle.

As I implied, we're a close family, but the way we have come together on this issue is unprecedented.

Frequently asked questions

2008-07-01T19:50:00.000-05:00

1. "How can I help? " is the question I hear the most.

You can write a letter or send an email to be received by July 15, 2008 to:

Lease Committee
c/o Barbara Schlichting
735 University Ave.

Sewanee, TN 37383

bschlich@sewanee.edu

PLEASE, only send serious messages. We want to make a change, not bother Barbara with funny, irrelevant or harassing correspondence. If you want your opinion to be considered by the lease committee, you must give your name and address - not that you'll be contacted, but I want to stress the fact that this is not the place to be amusing.

It would be helpful if you stated your relationship to this cause and or Sewanee and the University.

If you want to be funny, post a comment!

2. "What was the complaint?"

Noise. - which no one else in the neighborhood seems to hear.

3. "Who complained?"

I don't think it's appropriate to answer - especially here.

4. "Are you going to be in the 4th of July parade?"

I'm still not sure. I've been very consumed with research, correspondence and this blog and haven't had time to give it much thought. There is definitely interest and some cute ideas. Let me know if you're interested and I'll see what we can come up with. (I'm all about last minute parade prep - remind me to tell you about my brother's rolling wedding reception July 4, 1998)

5. "What's the name of the facebook group?"

Save Sewanee Chickens. http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=54313080231

I don't belong to facebook and didn't know about the group, but hear it's growing like crazy!

6. "Do you want a bunch of people to go to the lease committee meeting with you?"

Well yes, maybe - BUT - it is NOT an open metting so only the leaseholders (my parents and I) will go.

The bird house

2008-06-30T23:47:00.000-05:00

I have enclosed my entire back yard in deer netting to prevent the chickens getting out and dogs getting in. The deer netting runs through the entire length of bamboo on one side of the house, it is attached to trellises which act as a back drop for the garden in the back and through trees on the other side of the house. It is barely visible.

The chickens live in a 4'x4' house which I built from a child's playhouse kit and it is painted to match my house. It has a window box, shutters and awnings and is incorporated into the yard, but sits on the opposite side of the complaining neighbor. Attached to the house is a 6'x12'x2.5' (high) screened in porch/yard with white trim and gingerbread. The girls spend the day in their house or porch and I let them out after work and on weekends to roam my enclosed yard freely where they eat bugs, fertilize, frolic in dry dirt taking dust baths, but mostly follow me around because they LOVE me.

The house and porch are built to chicken specifications to keep out rodents and predators. The windows of the house are covered in 1/2" x 1/2" hardware cloth. The sides and top of the yard are covered with the same as well as traditional porch screen on the outside. The house and porch sit on the ground and have chicken wire running underneath which is very securely attached. There is also a 6" skirt of hardware cloth around the perimeter of the porch which has been landscaped so it will prevent digging while not being noticeable. As you can tell, I did extensive research.

The bird food is kept indoors to keep out pests. The chicken house is clean and does not smell. I use pruned bamboo leaves from the yard to line the house and porch floors. I compost the bamboo liter, and use it in my gardens. I layer leaves on the compost so it does not smell either. It makes WONDERFUL soil and feels like such a great use of resources. I am an ornamental gardener. I grow flowers, a few herbs and 5 tomato plants. I have ornamental chickens which complement my garden.

My Garden

2008-06-30T20:59:00.000-05:00

When my children were little girls they used to call the yard the "yarden". I have spent most of my adult life gardening in my free time. I lived and worked on a large nursery in CT for several years. http://www.ctgrown.com/index.cfm I was in the landscaping business upon moving back to Sewanee.

When I moved into my house about 13 years ago most of the back yard was covered in underbrush. There was a little overgrown rock garden in the back covered in privet that we used to call the "Secret Garden". No one (including the former owner) thought that grass could grow in the front yard. My awkward shaped, narrow, just under an acre yard has been reclaimed for years now, but like any gardener knows, it is always growing, evolving and changing.

All the gravel, mulch, rocks, soil and plants were placed where they are by me. Until 2 years ago when I got tendinitis, I had an annual dump truck of mulch delivered. It had to be dumped in front of my carport because the truck couldn't get through to the back yard. Over the course of several weeks I would wheelbarrow it to all the flowerbeds in the yard. I don't know why, but I enjoy this.

I've always grown flowers. I dabble at vegetables, but haven't had much success. Luckily many of my friends have beautiful vegetable gardens and are very generous. My garden is ornamental, not practical. It's a lovely place to have dinner parties on summer nights.

Research on the University's sustainability goals

2008-06-30T17:40:00.000-05:00

The more people I talked to, the more it became clear that the University is very seriously and deliberately moving towards a more environmentally conscientious campus. I read the May 2008 draft of the strategic planning committee's addendum to the 2004 Strategic Plan on "Environmental Education and Sustainable Living".

I learned that among many admirable goals "the University shall be a place of reasoned discourse among academic disciplines and between academia and the wider community." - I'M part of the wider community! I'm very reasonable. I want to help!

Also of note to me, "we should launch a bold sustainability campaign based on the Plan. It is important to get broad support from all stakeholders: students, faculty, staff, administrators, Regents, Trustees, and the larger Sewanee community. We should raise awareness and establish an ethos of sustainability that is immediately palpable to all who come to Sewanee. We should motivate our campus and community through education, communication, promotion, and collaboration. " I love Sewanee. I love the University. This is something I believe in and want to be a part of!!

While I realize that these are proposals and recommendations rather than final plans, number 2 of the following was of particular interest:

"RECOMMENDATIONS:
1. Provide students with classes and internships that use food production as a means to rigorously explore the relationship between people and the environment.
2. Facilitate local sustainable food production by leaseholders by a) continuing and adding new community gardens; b) lifting the current blanket ban of livestock on the Domain.
3. Extend campus dining services? commitment to local and organic foods.
4. End the throwaway culture for catered events.
5. Change the name of the new ECO House to GreenHouse to suggest a new focus on sustainable food production by students in a nearby central campus garden.
6. Build a new FarmHouse on or near the site of the Old Dairy with a large organic garden."

I am so proud to be part of a community that is thinking this way. We are all in the business of educating people - even ourselves.

Word gets out

2008-06-30T15:04:00.000-05:00

As I began talking to friends about my plight, I was truly astonished and very touched at how outraged they were. Because it's so clear that Antoinette, Elisa and Chloe are pets and very dear and important to me, they couldn't understand the reasoning. (The birds also live in a very beautiful garden setting.) I understand - and explained that if you hear someone has chickens, you think muddy, messy, smelly, farmy.

Naturally, in these times, the other issue is that of sustainability. As word spread, more and more people expressed exasperation and the desire to help me. There was talk of joining the 4th of July parade (the theme this year is red, white and green), picketing, silent protests, t shirts, mean things I won't mention, attending the lease committee meeting in mass - it seemed everyone wanted to write a letter.

I called a couple of University people for advice and to see if anyone would come look at my lovely yard to understand how my pets live. I re-asked my closest neighbor if my chickens bothered him. No, he doesn't even hear them.

I put together an email list of people who expressed interest, those I thought would, and neighbors, and sent out a message asking for advice.

A neighbor excitedly flagged me down saying, "I want to see your pets!" He had no idea I had them and expressed no reservations or concern - only appreciation for my gardens.

And still I thought, "How am I going to get rid of these chickens? Maybe I could get rid of Elisa and just keep Chloe and Antoinette..." Each evening in the garden was a melancholy and thought provoking time.

My special breeds

2008-06-30T14:49:00.001-05:00

I began talking to friends about having to get rid of "the girls". It turns out that you can't mix crested ornamentals in with regular chickens. Other birds will pluck at their crests and harm them. My birds are small also, and can not be mixed with average size chickens. They have been hand raised and treated as pets so it's not unlikely that they would not survive in a farm setting. While my birds do lay eggs which I gladly eat, the breeds are not raised for their eggs and meat so they're a hard sell to anyone who wants them for anything but pets.

Antoinette, who I've had for the longest, is a Frizzle. http://www.thefrizzlesocietyofgreatbritain.co.uk/index.php. She is all black and has a crest (feathers that stand up on her head). A frizzle's feathers start growing normally and then bend up and back making her look like a boa. I named her shortly after seeing the movie Marie Antoinette because she is VERY fancy and clearly the queen. She LOVES me. She makes a gentle, soulful moaning sound - nothing like you'd imagine would come from a chicken. If I were going to rename her, I'd look towards Billy Holiday as an influence.

Antoinette goes broody about every 3 weeks in warm months. That means she spends 21 days in her house sitting on a "nest" and trying to hatch imaginary eggs. Imaginary, because she doesn't lay while she's broody and I collect any eggs she lays prior to it. If she were to sit on actual eggs, they wouldn't hatch because there is no rooster fertilizing them.

Chloe is a Bearded Buff Laced Polish. http://www.backyardpoultrymag.com/issues/2/2-2/Terry_Beebe.hml She's only about 10 weeks old. I bought her and her 2 "sisters" when they were 3 weeks old and had to keep them indoors under a light for several weeks because a Polish chicken is the ULTIMATE ornamental in my book and it was worth the effort! I believe her "sisters" are roosters, although they have not crowed yet, and they now belong to the only other person I know who raises pet chickens. They are visiting until improvements are made to their home. It is very difficult to sex chicks so it's hard to know what you'll get. It was certainly worth raising 3 to get one hen. They are too young to utter more than gentle "peeps".

Chloe is yellowish/tanish and will have a very large crest on her head. I affectionately refer to her as my "dumb blond" because it's hard for her to see so she's rather skittish and often goes in the opposite direction of the others. I trimmed her "hair" yesterday, so that has helped. I took her name from Greek Mythology. She was so sweet and loving and always fell asleep on me as soon as I picked her up when she was new. Chloe means "green shoot" in Greek and it just seemed to suit her.

Elisa is a Blue Bantam Cochin. She is short & stocky and has furry feet. She lays little eggs. She's fussier than the other two, waddling around like you'd image a busy body hen in a cartoon. She cracks me up. She cackles a bit, but again, only one neighbor has told me they've heard her and she's much more quiet than a dog. She also purrs - seriously, like a happy cat. None of the chickens make any noise at night. My daughter Lauren named Elisa - she's her favorite.

Facts about livestock

2008-06-30T14:12:00.000-05:00

In researching my lease, I found only that I am not permitted to have livestock. It takes one glance at my back yard to know that I have no livestock.

It turns out that "livestock" is a rather ambiguous term - although not according to the TN dept of Agriculture:

Merriam Webster - "animals kept or raised for use or pleasure; especially: farm animals kept for use and profit" http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/livestock
Encyclopedia Britannica - "farm animals, with the exception of poultry. " http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/344757/livestock#tab=active~checked%2Citems~checked&title=livestock%20--%20Britannica%20Online%20Encyclopedia
Your Dictionary.com - "domestic animals kept for use on a farm and raised for profit" http://www.yourdictionary.com/livestock
Dictionary by Farlex - "Domestic animals, such as cattle or horses, raised for home use or for profit, especially on a farm." http://www.thefreedictionary.com/livestock
Wikipedia - "term used to refer (singularly or plurally) to a domesticated animal intentionally reared in an agricultral setting to make produce such as food or fibre, or for it's labour. The term generally does not include poultry or farmed fish." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Livestock
American Livestock Breeds Conservancy - distinguishes between "livestock breeds" and "poultry breeds". http://www.albc-usa.org/cpl/wtchlist.html
TN Department of Agriculture - "Livestock is defined as cattle, equine, swine, sheep, or goats". http://www.tennessee.gov/agriculture/regulate/animals/faq.html

The beginning of it all.....

2008-06-29T22:54:00.000-05:00

Wednesday, June 25, 2008 - I received a call from the University Lease Superintendent asking if I had chickens, telling me a neighbor had complained and that I needed to remove them as soon as possible. I responded that I did not know it was against my lease, these are my pets and what I can do? I can appeal at the lease committee meeting on July 15, but must remove the chickens now.

When I checked voice mail, my message said I need to remove the chickens ASAP, "like today would be good."

I was not told who complained or what the complaint was. I was told that only one neighbor complained.

I went home, let the girls out and pondered whether I had the emotional energy to fight this battle. I love these chickens. They bring me great joy and anyone who knows me well will verify this and expound on it. We walked around the yard. I picked a couple of weeds. I just couldn't image not having them there following me, chasing grasshoppers, wiggling their fluffy bottoms and looking up at me sideways. (They have to tilt their heads sideways to look up since their eyes are on either sides of their heads).

I had no idea what to do. It's just as hard to give chickens away as a litter of kittens or puppies. People that have chickens already have them, they don't need more. You can't just put a new chicken in with other chickens - especially mine - they're small and very fancy - not at all like a typical farm chicken.

Then I started researching my lease...