The New Coop de Ville

I have many chickens and ducks and enjoy the fresh eggs from both, and if need be the meat. You do get attached, they have great personalities if you take the time to discover them.

i kept chickens when i lived in rural NM several years ago. we had six hens: miss betty, miss pearl, mrs. fortesque, miss daisy, miss dot and one gorgeous rooster, Mr. Bickels. they were great fun to watch, pet and love on and we had a steady supply of delicious eggs. we built a large coopy with a fenced (on all sides and the top) outdoor run to protect them from hawks, coyotes and neighborhood dogs. i miss them every day...

I've had chickens while living in the country, and chickens while living in the city, and the rules are the same: keep a clean coop, take care of your birds, and enjoy the delicious eggs every day. I have been encouraging folks to raise their own birds for many years now, and always will. They are a wonderful hobby and it's great to have a pet feed you and not just the other way around. Thanks Newsweek for the great article.

We not only had chickens in the yard during WWII, but had a victory garden and a milk cow. All in the city. There were a number of milk cows in the area and boys would stake them out in vacant lots on the way to school in residential areas go graze, tying them to a tree, and take them back home on the way back in the afternoon. Fresh eggs, milk and vegetables made life better during that time when so many food items were rationed. Periodically, we had fried chicken for Sunday Dinner. When the roosters got too plentiful and the hens got old or too plentiful, they would either be baked with dressing or boiled for a helluva chicken soup if they were too tough. The poop went into the garden. Try it. It's a good life. Just takes a lot of daily attention. Good for the kids if you are still young and good for the old timers if you are retired. Nice article.