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Growing flock of Bostonians embrace urban chicken-rearing
The Chickeness Khrysti Smith holds her chicken Tribble during the class on raising urban chickens she teaches at Green City Growers in Somerville. Nicolaus Czarnecki/Metro Photo:
Raising livestock is banned in most of the city, but many amateur chicken farmers keep birds on the fly.
By Spencer Buell
Metro
July 5, 2015
Excerpt:
A backyard chicken farmer of six years, Smyth offers classes, consultations and coop-building services. Her work has earned her the title “Chickeness of Somerville.”
“One way of looking at it is I’m a backyard chicken concierge,” Smyth said.
The venture, Smyth said, has been much more successful than a past service she offered giving consultations on green living. People didn’t want tips on composting, she said, they wanted help with hens.
Domesticated birds can be as easy to get along with as dogs or cats, she said, and with proper training, raising a flock is about as difficult as raising a guinea pig.
There is a lot that can go wrong for a first-time urban chicken farmer. Chickens are hardy creatures, and can survive New England weather, but an improperly built coop – be it too drafty or too stifling – can kill a flock, Smyth said. Without security measures, the birds can become prey to hawks, dogs, cats or raccoons, or end up sharing their coop with rats and other pests. Improperly installed heating lamps, widely considered unnecessary anyway, can catch fire and burn hens alive.
Read the complete article here.
Source: http://www.cityfarmer.info/2015/07/15/growing-flock-of-bostonians-embrace-urban-chicken-rearing/
