Great video on deciding if chicken keeping is for you...

http://www.tcdailyplanet.net/article/2009/04/09/chickens-city.html

Attention Woodburians....and all those interested in ordinances

Article in the Star Tribune about upcoming vote.

"Woodbury combs through, amends animal rules The city joins a growing list in the metro to wrestle with the question of whether certain animals should be banned."

I think they should also vote against puns like "combs through..." just sayin'.

Ugly Coops!

Here's a great thread over at BackYardChickens about ugly coops - really just creative realistic coops - love some of the reuse ideas.

How does everyone get such pretty pictures of their chicken tractors...

My theory is that they are recently built because they are soooo clean! I spent a few hours (or what felt like a few hours) snipping the wire flooring out of our tractor - it developed some holes (after 2 years of service) and the bottom was getting all poop-pieces of plant snacks-caked. We carefully put it on its side and with a wire-cutter and wire scissors I cut each little link and put the poo-cakes into the compost. When my husband first built our tractor we were concerned about animals burrowing under it and getting to the chickens. But in our fenced in backyard patrolled by our chicken-loving-pit bull, we haven't had any problems (knock on wood). The hens stopped by to see what I was doing from time to time and I finished before too long. Meanwhile my husband started clearing out their winter coop which we use in the summer to store tools and the lawnmower, flower pots, whatever we need handy for the garden. Moral of the story: if you are thinking about getting chickens you should either A: like having a few projects do do that require time on the weekends, or B: have enough money to hire someone to do these projects. Either way works!

The real poop on backyard chickens!

Welcome to my new blog on having city chickens in northern climates. My husband and I have a small flock of 5 chickens in Minnesota on our city lot. We have learned a lot in the last couple of years! My goal is to post real information about the ups and downs of raising chickens for eggs. Some sites make it look kind of glamorous and believe me, it's not. But the eggs taste incredible. And its fun watching what the chickens get up to. Why a blog on Northern city chickens? There are a lot of things you have to consider when it gets to be -30 in the winter... and more times when you wonder if its worth it or not!