We are at a weird time in our culture. We want to recapture the spirit of victory gardens and feeding ourselves. But we don't necessarily want to fundamentally change our lifestyle or upset the neighbors too much.
And that's how we end up with chicken babysitters -- Just Us Hens -- a company in Portland, Oregon, that is willing to watch your backyard chickens while you're on vacation. Welcome to the world of boutique urban farming.
While it's exciting that people are reconnecting with food and thinking about what they eat, it's a bit disconcerting that we need a chicken consultant in order to do that. And in trying to fit farming into our current lifestyle, I wonder if we're missing the entire point. One of Just Us Hens' clients, Renee Wrede, unintentionally illustrated the issue in an interview with CNN:
"We do have a house-sitter, but she has no idea about chickens," Wrede explains. Rowland [Sharon Rowland, one of the founders of Just Us Hens], on the other hand, was hard-working expert: "She even scooped the poop!"Farming requires sweat equity. Technology can help, but there is still sweat equity to be paid. Would be farmers will need to decide if they love farming or they simply love the idea of farming. We'll know it's the latter if we start seeing baby chicks being toted around in designer purses.
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Wow, that is quite bizarre, but change has to start somewhere and having your own chickens is better (good meat, great fresh eggs) than store bought chicken products, babysitter or not!
So I shouldn't be chauffeuring Chirp, my speckled hen, to the espresso stand for her daily mocha? LOL naw, I can't quit that.
I think it's GREAT folks are figuring out where some of their food comes from, and taking the responsibility to provide for their family a wonderfully healthy, natural food. We have been trained away from that. Many folk from the last generation think all food comes in a cardboard box or on a plastic covered styrofoam tray from a concrete building.
Chicken consultants are fantastic! Not everyone is born knowing everything, so when one has questions, it's great to have someone to ask that has the answers.
APHIS? Sounds like NAIS to me... be VERY careful.
Want the government to know each and every bird you have on your property and what you plan on doing with it? Go ahead and contact them. When someone has a sick bird 10 miles away, they will know where all the birds are that need to be culled, according to them. Doesn't matter if your bird is sick or not, if they want to cull, they will cull, you have no say in the matter.
For the best information on backyard chickens, I would search the internet for an email group about them. That's how I found this article... through Portland Backyard Chickens (PDXBackyardChix on Yahoo). There are lots of 'chicken consultants' on that list alone that are more than eager to help anyone out with any chicken problems. Stop by for a visit!
Thanks for the chuckle. I found this post both humorous and insightful. Actually the chickens I have known have been much too smart to be carted in any purse, designer or not!
On a more serious note, one thing that people about to raise backyard chickens should know is that the Animal and Plant Inspection Service (APHIS) of the USDA does have a website on poultry health. It's a good base for both seasoned and new poultry raisers.
APHIS, to promote awareness of poultry health, is sponsoring a "name the bird" contest for its Rooster mascot.
You can get more information at this APHIS website page:
http://web01.aphis.usda.gov/na...
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