Urban Chickens

So yesterday, I resisted the ice cream. It was too cold outside to tempt me..

Today - Tuesday, Jan 5
Tea - Local from Wedge
Wheatabix from MA
Brown Sugar ?? (bulk @ Wedge)
Milk - IL
Water - II so far, going to fill up a 3rd glass when I click 'submit.'
Banana - Equador. So far, not so local. But relatively healthy.

And the bananas were fair trade, so I'm not supporting the havoc in the banana industry. (http://www.bananalandcampaign.org/JoinUs.html)
Unfortunately, bananas require the most energy to get to MN, coming all the way from S. America, but I have yet to find a replacement that is as easy and clean as a bananas to eat when sitting in an office - and they are relatively filling. Maybe I will just have to start bringing extra napkins, or do the messy work with other fruits at home.

Onto a different subject, I've been thinking a lot about urban chickens. After mentioning the eggs from North Branch, I thought I'd expand on the topic as there has been a lot of talk lately from urban gardeners/sustainable communities, about bringing chickens into urban areas. Organic, free range eggs are expensive at the store and in some cases, free range isn't the 'free range' you might be thinking. Instead of researching every brand available, wouldn't it be easier to collect eggs from your backyard? Many people may not agree with me - its a nuisance. I certainly wouldn't promote having roosters in the city. Anyone remember the chicken on the roof in the Sex/City episode? Enough said...

Anyway, I think realistically, hens could be ideal for urban backyards, granted you dont have 50 of them. I am thinking more along the lines of 3-4 (for my backyard, if in the future I decide to take this route).

Then you have to figure out what to feed them (aside from chicken feed, you can give them your left over food; non-compostable scraps like bread or compostable scraps - fruit cores), build an area for them to live - but they're pretty simple animals - an 'Eglu' for them to roost (if you don't want to build a coop) and an area where they can be outside on the grass, living, grazing, exercising away. (http://www.omlet.us/products_services/products_services.php?view=Chickens&about=the%20eglu)

Bonues include: frequent egg collection, and having chicken poop around to provide a great, natural fertilizer.  From the video posted below, leaves can be raked into the coop for bedding and when removed, you can use it as a sort of mulch for your garden.  Yard cleanup and a place to 'store' your leaves is never a bad idea...I can't stand to see all those bags of leaves in the fall, waiting to be dumped (even though Minneapolis has an organic collection, I haven't looked into where they actually go).

My problem is the killing part. I have a weak stomach when it comes to the actual slaughter and handling the meat. I could probably eat it, if it were already cleaned for me. But realistically, who is going to do that?
Interesting video from Britain:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/video/2010/jan/01/ask-lucy-chicken-green-living

This topic might come up again, I have many thoughts on the subject - but this is enough for today.


Having to work tonight, my food is pretty much planned out for the day:
Chili from last night will be for lunch with a piece of Jewish Rye (Rudy's Organic Bakery in Boulder, CO)
Banana and more chili/bread for dinner.

Hasta!