Mountain Biking: Rubber side down- Time for a TurnaroundWell, my friends, things are finally looking up, and good timing, too, since I’m sure you’re all sick of me bitching. Recent bike build, including wheels… fun! In what feels like a fairly short time, I’ve come from sitting around … Continue reading → […]
- This Raised My PulseHey, baby… wanna ride? I may be injured, but I’m not dead yet. I can still have racy thoughts. Here’s more info. In other news, UBI was an awesome success! I had a blast. I highly recommend it. Overhaul day…. … Continue reading → […]
- Time for a Turnaround
- Edgy Veggie
Raise your own chickens, sure, but be prepared!
After Longmont starting issuing permits last year to allow residents to raise their own chickens, many people, like Melissa Held, jumped at the opportunity to form a closer relationship with their food and where it comes.
While Longmont has seen few problems with urban chickens, a story in the Daily Camera shows that raising chickens may be more complicated than expected:
… the increased interest in urban chickens has drawn fire in other parts of the country. Farm Sanctuary, a national coalition of farm animal rescue groups based in New York, issued a statement last month urging cities to reconsider changing anti-chicken ordinances. The group decries what it says are inhumane conditions in hatcheries, where birds may be deprived of food and water for extended periods. The group also says its members are seeing a surge in unwanted chickens, particularly roosters, which are not allowed in most cities.
Held, who raises chickens in Longmont, purchased her chicks from a feed store in Fort Collins that guaranteed hens to buyers, removing the potential rooster problem. She says that people who want to raise chickens should do their homework.
She adds that chicken care includes cleaning out the coop about once a week, checking chickens for diseases, making sure they’re warm enough in the winter and are safe from predators such as foxes, raccoons and even neighborhood dogs.
This September, Longmont city planners will be making a recommendation about increasing or decreasing the number of chicken permits, so Held hopes that other people who want to raise their own chickens will be responsible so she and her family can continue to enjoy their own chickens and eggs.
–Lindsay Gulisano
