chicken condos

Sep 9, 2012

I am not sure how closely you follow the goings on at our City Council meetings, but I just heard that the new ordinance (ord 6-2012-13) permitting Clarksville residents to have chickens (only 6) in their backyard just passed its second reading. Way cool!

I’ve always thought it would be interesting to have a few chickens. I am especially fascinated by Ameraucana and Cochin varieties. The Ameraucana lays lovely eggs and the Cochin is just lovely—looking almost regal with its feathered legs. The thing I love most about the prospect of raising chickens, however, is building one of those coops that appear as though you’d host your own tea parties in it. I would love it!

Have you had the occasion to see some of these structures? If not, I will refer you to the internet. Pinterest is a good start; I’ve got my own board I titled “In the Henhouse.” They are charming and could actually increase property values in many neighborhoods—including ours!

My interest in chickens actually developed while we were living overseas. When we moved to Germany, one of the first things I did was attending the course for drivers’ license training. It was in this class I was taught to treat chickens with reverence, as we were informed that should we be unfortunate enough to run over and kill a German farmer’s chicken, we would have to compensate said farmer for the chicken. But that’s not all—we were informed we could also expect to pay said farmer for the anticipated progeny of the deceased chicken. As chickens continue laying eggs into the teens, this could be a very expensive incident. Thus, I became very alert to and aware of chickens.

Also, we were frequent visitors of the zoos in Germany (our kids were that age)—our favorite zoo was south of Heidelberg and had the best exotic chickens! (The kids would drag as to see the chimps and lions; I would drag them to the chickens.)

By now, my neighbors are probably a little worried about chickens moving in, but they need not. I said I would love to have one, I’d also love to have a 2 karat, sapphire cut diamond, but . . . well, okay—chickens are more likely.

I understand many folks feel it is a crazy notion to want to raise chickens “in the city limits” but let me quell some of your fears. By adhering to the restrictions established by the ordinance, your neighbor could raise chickens and you would likely never know. They are quiet birds—generally just clucking, save a few squawks when laying eggs. Most city folks wanting to raise chickens do so for the eggs—crowing roosters are not part of that plan, nor are they permitted. The issue of the odors associated with the birds is virtually non-existent considering the limit on numbers. Chickens must be tended daily and responsible owners know they must keep a clean coop in order to keep their hens healthy. Plus, the poop is great for gardens, so your chicken raising neighbor will likely have a flourishing garden, as well. If you’re nice to them you will likely benefit from their efforts when they leave eggs and zucchini on your porch!