We made the newsletter!

As it is no surprise. I was specifically mentioned in our town newsletter. In short that I proposed to modify or change the ordinance pertaining to "farm animals" and such. The short blurb was accurate and to the point. This certainly won't be the last time that my name will appear, count on that!

Hens Adopted!

As much as we hated to, the decision was made to put the girls up for adoption. Long story short, I placed an ad on Craigs List. I can't beleive how many emails I received. Nor can I beleive some of the emails I received. From "are they still available?" to "I want them chickens, call me now." The sure fire way to get me to avoid you at all cost!

One email did stand out. I received it around 10 Pm, about 12 hours after placing the add, and after about 11 hours of off and on reading and checking my email. The email stood out because it described the farm the hens would be going to and what kind of life they would have. Including additional information, the fact that the family had children and all the animals had names. The children had names to of course.

I replied to the email the next day to the sender. After a phone call on Saturday, I knew it was the right decision. The family was down to earth, warm, and friendly. Everything we wanted for our hens.

We were invited to come out to their farm. We did, with no regrets. After about a 40 minute drive, including turning around and navigating an alternative route do to a nasty wreck, we arrived at the farm in Getaway, OH. For those of you who have never been to Getaway, well they call it getaway for a reason! Not much around accept farms, big and small.

The family greeted us with a warm, and excited welcome. Something a rarity these days. We exchanged introductions, met the new golden retriever pups(who were just as happy to meet us), and then got to see 12, yes 12 new chicken hatching's. We hadn't even made it out of the driveway yet!

The family was even generous enough to write down the names of girls. Not that you can tell them apart, but its the thought, and hens have names just like any pet. We then proceeded to carry the container, housing the chickens, up to the chicken house. On the way we passed a horse who was in his 29th year, a few older chickens, and a duck. I beleive some goats were roaming around as well. The chickens seemed to take quickly to their new environment. Only some soft cackling to say hello to the others.

We spoke in mixed conversation about the history of the farm, and goings on of a day for the animals. All and all very educational, as to how a REAL farm operates. The sights, sounds and the smells. Not what you see in pictures in glossy magazines. A real family, a real family farm. Our family has the utmost respect for this dedication.

We packed up our vehicle and said our goodbyes. We promised to stay in contact. As we left the family farm, with sadness in our hearts, a scenic drive in view, we are now more determined then ever.

Council Meeting #1, 5/17/11 Epic Failure

We went to our first ever city council meeting on May 17, 2011. Its a shame that it had to be on such dire matters. Oh well. Funny though that we were the only people in the audience. The 3 of us. After the council hee-hawed around and finally got down to business, we learned some things. First, the city doesn't seem to appreciate political signs being left all over the place. In yards, in parking lots, etc. Secondly, "Gus" the K9 pooch had a new home made for him so he wouldn't have to sit in the cruiser. I was confused at this, cause I doubt he lives in the cruiser? I could be wrong. I was once before. Nextly, the council members decided to vote on the matter of spending $15000, yes 15 grand, on a new lawn mower. Does this mower have gold plated hardware? Anyhow.. I was allowed to speak.

I will admit, I was a little nervous. The police officer who raided our "Urban Farm" was there. Come to find out he was chief of police. I really didn't mind him, he seemed pretty reasonable. Of course when you have your service revolver strapped to your side, you are allowed to be considered reasonable. I just kept having visions of the meeting getting out of control, him ordering "Gus" to attack, the mayor and council being escorted to the safe room.

Anyways, I stated my argument about the joys of backyard chicken keeping. At first, I almost thought I made an impression. The mayor recanted a story of his childhood, about going to his grandparents for Sunday dinner. And slaughtering a chicken. Things started going down hill very quickly. Another council member decided to share his intricate knowledge of barnyard animals and how changing the ordinance will result in everyone else wanting an exception.

The meeting ended with the mayor stating, and I quote: "I'm not interested in changing the ordinance."

I really didn't have anything to add. The meeting ended. The journey had begun.

That night, May 17, 2011, "Chickens In Barboursville" became a living, breathing thing. Its a collaboration of ideas and determination. Its about having a few pet chickens. Nothing more, and we won't accept anything less.

Who We Are, And Why..

Never does the question "why" cease to amaze, and amuse me. Whether it be pertaining to "Why do you want/have/need chickens? Or even "Why do you have a garden, what are you going to do with all that food?" Or even more bizarre "Why do you make your own butter?"

My simple answer is "because I want to.." But the real reason is so that we may reconnect to lost skills that our parents and grandparents grew up on and knowledge used on a daily basis. And its just plain fun. Have you ever tasted homemade butter? Have you savored the first bite of the first tomato of the season out of your very own garden? Have you ever watched chickens run around in circles chasing each other, flapping their wings... playing a game of chicken tag I suppose.

So who are we? We are a family of 3. We live in a small town. We have 2 cars and a mortgage. We have an upstairs and a downstairs. We have a front yard and a backyard. We have a cat (possibly a distant cousin of Garfield) We have a garden. We like d.i.y, we like knowledge. We like good food, we like abundance. We like chickens....

We decided that we wanted chickens. Im honestly not sure where it came from. We talked about it off and on. Finally I went to our town hall to discuss the issue. I was told that chickens are considered farm animals and thus not allowed. I was given a copy of the ordinances pertaining to such matters and sent on my way.

After I read the 13 or so pages I came to the conclusion that the ordinances themselves were poorly worded at best, contradictory at worst. I made another trip to the town hall to point this out. The individual that was assisting me, in not so many words, congratulated me on my astute logic and approach to the situation. She then asked me "will the chickens be confined?" "Of course they will" I replied. The employee then proceeded to explain to me that the city had better things to do then hunt down chickens, and unless someone complains, it wouldn't be an issue.

We naturally completed the next logical step. Order up some chickens. Eventually the chickens arrived, and I went to work building a chicken coop. Occasionally I would be asked by a neighbor or passing stranger, "what'cha build'n out there?" My response, "a chicken coop". Never once did a sour expression come across the face of the questioner, only a smile or more questions. Never once did anyone say "what? are you some kind of idiot?" That never happened. Everyone I talked to was friendly and almost happy for us. That or they were lying to my face, which is possible! I did have one neighbor who said he would love to have a pig... but thats for another story.

The hens had been outdoors only two whole nights when our "Urban Farm" got raided. Well, not so much raided as more a friendly visit from the city police. I knew what was going to happen next. I was handed a copy of the ordinance and told that someone had complained. The chickens had to go. Sad indeed.

We decided to go to the next city council meeting and discuss modifying the ordinance to allow a small backyard flock. Check out that post to see what happened.

In short, the negativity at that meeting resulted in our mission to allow city chickens. We are fueled by desire, by the love that chickens can offer. And the tasty eggs. :0)

Join our mission. If you live in the Barboursville, Wv area and have a desire to see diverse agriculture come back, shoot us an email. I would love to hear from you.

The Mission, The Obession....

All around our great nation, cities small and large are recognizing the benefits of allowing citizens to keep a few back yard chickens. Free fertilizer, fresh eggs, and real life agriculture that teaches children (and some adults) where some of our food comes from.

Unfortunately some cities, including our own, fail to recognize the benefits. Instead they confuse chickens with barn yards and have made it perfectly clear that any animal other then a cat or dog is not welcome.

Our mission begins here! To educate the lawmakers, the public, and anyone who cares, that chickens are perfect for backyards. Chickens are not a nuisance (when properly taken care), do not detract from property value, and offer free entertainment!

Lets begin the journey...