Lexington — smart city — permits backyard chicken-raising. This has attracted attention as far away as Pittsburgh, a city our city’s leaders recently find bedazzling. Berea, Kentucky, another city some of us revere for its beauty, commitment to crafts and art, and its green ways, has a controversy underway because backyard chickens in town are, so far, taboo.
Right in downtown Lexington, I have friends in four households where chickens roam around happily in a “run” and have good shelter for laying eggs and avoiding raccoons. This commitment to protecting and caring for rather vulnerable animals in exchange for eggs and the occasional roast hen continues to surprise me, although Newsweek reported on the phenomenon in Brooklyn and other cities quite some time ago. I applaud this self-reliant approach that our city and our neighbors embrace.
Resources: (Note: I do not raise chickens, so I am guessing about the value these may have.)
Extensive information on “Small Flock Management” from Cooperative Extension in North Carolina (recommended by Fayette County Extension Service)
Raising Chickens 101, from backyardchickens.com
Chicken care information from urbanchickens.org
Coop photos and information from Madison, Wisconsin’s madcitychickens.com
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Excellent idea, Anita. I was excited that Fayette County Cooperative Extension held a backyard poultry class this year, but only one, and it has already happened. Perhaps some of the more experienced backyard-sters will step in as tutors and cheerleaders.
Thanks for publicizing this little known fact. Just yesterday someone said to me, “Too bad you can't have chickens in the city of Lexington.” When I told him you could, he said, “Well then, maybe I'll do it!” It would be nice if someone held a workshop on how to raise chickens even if it was just in their own backyard for a few people. Or we could have a chicken tour (like the home and garden tours) or chicken mentors!