Roosters and hens are a motif commonly seen in country kitchens and more rural domiciles. But don't relegate these birds to back roads. There are plenty of clever crafters on Etsy who've adapted chickens to a more modern, urban-oriented home. Check out a few of my favorites in the slideshow!
My friend Beth, who I've known since high school, recently started a blog to update her friends and family on her latest domestic adventure — raising backyard chickens. Since Beth never does anything halfway, she and her husband Craig built a chicken coop that is super cute and matches their 1922 Craftsman home.
She writes, "I paid my way through college 10 years ago raising and killing chickens and also had laying hens. I wanted to get another batch of layers, but was resigned because a) we have a teeny tiny backyard; and b) my husband isn't much of a farmer."
However, all was not lost. Beth notes, "This spring, I convinced the man who drank a case of Diet Mountain Dew each week when we met (he has thankfully kicked the habit since) to build raised beds and start an organic garden. I gave up on the idea of having chickens, but he took up the cause and was convinced we could fit a small coop next to the garden."
To find out more about Beth and Craig's chicken-raising adventure, and to see how well their chicken coop matches their home, read more
I vividly remember a childhood birthday party I attended at a farm where they had lil chicks in a plastic kiddy pool – they were unbelievably soft and sweet. It's definitely the most recent experience that I played with these downy animals, but also the last time I visited a farm. How many of you have owned chickens either as babies or as egg-laying, alarm-sounding adults?
Animal-rights activism group PETA has come out with yet another inflammatory campaign. This year, they kicked their off Halloween festivities a few weeks early: On Saturday, more than 100 people gathered outside a Herald Square KFC dressed as blood-drenched zombies, holding signs that said, "I'd rather be dead than eat at KFC!"
The protest was part of the Kentucky Fried Cruelty campaign, which addresses concerns about KFC suppliers' treatment of chickens on farms and slaughterhouses. "Even flesh-eating zombies have nothing on the Colonel's cruelty," says PETA's Dan Shannon. "We're urging consumers not to set foot inside a KFC restaurant until the company stops these abuses."
Did any of you see the protest? Do you consider it to be effective at sending an important message, or is it just another obnoxious PETA ploy?
If you're dreaming of farm animals but you're lacking the farm, these enclosed homes are perfect for backyard egg layers! Your pet chicken won't feel cooped up in a classy eglu, and she'll have a detachable, fenced (fox-proof!) run for more strutting. Created by UK-based Omlet, there are two models – chickens and rabbits – offered stateside. Each chicken eglu ($515 including two birds and $495 without) includes a slide-out tray for cleaning, a roosting area, and a nesting box . . . if you're dreaming of omelets for real, you can run out to collect eggs from your own property and get started in the kitchen!
I'm happy to see a couple of these nice homes in the US and I'm hoping more will become available here soon. Last year, the company released that Eglu Cube (seen at the top left) and even offers useful Omlet courses run by an "eggsperienced egluowner" in England (ha!) to cover all the everyday skills required to look after your new feathered friend.
Wow, am I punchy in all this nasty weather!? Even though there are no acorns to fall on my head, rain and twigs are enough to make me think the sky is falling. As I'm scratching out a living here, I wanna know how well you recall chicken sayings – match the right phrase to the picture shown above. Are you scared . . . or I should I say chicken? Doing well will definitely give you something to crow about!
Old MacDonald had a farm – do you? Some people are lucky enough to have the space to include outdoor animals at their homes or have had those farm animals as a kid. So, excluding those furry, feathered, and finned friends that live inside, I'd love to hear either what you have or what you'd crave!
