UCP Episode 049: Michigan’s Right to Farm Act – No Longer Progressive Protection for Urban Chickens & Farms

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Backyard Chickens in Danger in Michigan

Backyard Chickens in Danger in Michigan

Are backyard chickens, beehives, gardens a “farm” is the owner sells part or all of the bounty of the eggs, honey and vegetables from his/her yard? Until recently in Michigan, the answer was “Yes” urban, suburban and other micro-farming set-ups were considered “farms” under the guidelines governing certain state agricultural laws.

As a result of liberally protecting both non-traditional and conventional farms by law, agriculture has flourished under these state protections in Michigan. Michigan enjoys being the third largest agriculture producing states in America and is only second to California on diversity of its agriculture.

However, recent changes to the progressive farming laws in Michigan have had HUGE ramification on the future agriculture and more particularly urban chicken-keeping. Continue reading →

photo by: mazaletel

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UCP Episode 048 – Fermenting Chicken Feeds the Right Way!

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Swedish Flower Hens eating fermented feed - photo courtesy of Leigh Edwards

Swedish Flower Hens eating fermented feed – photo courtesy of Leigh Edwards

Fermenting certain foods is a very traditional method of food preservation and also enhancing nutrition.  When it comes to feeding our backyard flock, fermentation is an excellent method to improve the diet and health of our flock through improving the gut chemistry of our birds.

Today’s guests on the Urban Chicken Podcast are Leigh Edwards and Sue Strantz – both experts in holistic, natural chicken keeping.  Leigh and Sue join me on the show to discuss all of the ins and outs of how to properly ferment various types of chicken feed.   Continue reading →

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UCP Blog 013: Listeners Have Hens Who Spontaneously Sex Reversed!

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Lucy the Crowing Hen - photo courtesy of Karen Seelert

Lucy the Crowing Hen – photo courtesy of Karen Seelert

Synchronicity has struck in the Urban Chicken Podcast family. Last week brought two seemingly unrelated emails from separate Urban Chicken Podcast listeners about the same unusual topic – spontaneous sex reversal in their hens! That seems more than just an odd coincidence.  Continue reading →

UCP Episode 047 – Langshan Chickens: Matt Stillman Discusses this Ancient Chinese Secret?

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Bantam Black Langshan - photo courtesy of Matt Stillman

Bantam Black Langshan – photo courtesy of Matt Stillman

Question: How do you make the most strikingly beautiful, large, feather-legged, dark brown egg-laying chickens?  Answer:  Ancient Chinese Secret!

Langshan, Cochin and Brahma are the three breeds that comprise the entire Asiatic Class of chickens recognized by the American Poultry Association.  All three of these originated in China and have been causing a stir in the western poultry world since the 1800s.

Matt Stillman Langshan Breeder - photo courtesy of Matt Stillman

Matt Stillman

Today on the Urban Chicken Podcast, we are going to discuss at length the rarest of the Asiatic Class birds – the Langshan.  Matt Stillman, a breeder of both standard and bantam Langshans and District One director of the American Langshan Club, joins me on the show to share the fascinating history and attributes of this marvelous Chinese chicken.  Continue reading →

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UCP Giveaway #5 – “The Chicken and the Dog” autographed book and calendar

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The Chicken and the Dog Calendar

Last month, the Urban Chicken Podcast held a drawing for an autographed copy of the adorable children’s book, “The Chicken and the Dog” and a second place prize of a 2014 calendar of the book’s illustrations.  These gifts were both generously donated to the UCP for the giveaway by Amanda Maxwell, the co-author of “The Chicken and the Dog” book series.

Two winners were drawn at random from all of the entries in the contest.  The autographed book was won by Patrick Hallene of Ohio.  Patrick incidentally, raises chickens as part of his permaculture project which you can follow at his website: http://www.littlecountryhouse.blogspot.com/.  Laura Pollock of Arizona was the lucky winner of the second place prize of “The Chicken and the Dog” calendar.

Congratulations to both winners!  

 

UCP Episode 046: The Good Egg – Cookbook Author Marie Simmons Teaches Egg Cookery

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Many Eggs - photo by woodleywonderworks

Many Eggs – photo by woodleywonderworks

It started off as a match made in heaven.  You got some backyard chickens and they started laying you delicious eggs.  It seemed perfect at first.  That handful of hens though, turn out to be fruitful birds… I mean, REALLY productive.  Now you find yourself awash in eggs.  Sure, giving some away is a neighborly, friendly thing to do.  However, raising chickens in order to keep your neighbors in eggs is not what you had originally envisioned.  Your unimaginative egg cooking skills though have burned you out and landed you squarely in an egg-eating rut.  Don’t despair!  There is a way to find that egg cooking spark again so you once more luxuriate in the bounty from your backyard flock.

To help you rekindle your love for eggs we are joined this week on the Urban Chicken Podcast, by Marie Simmons – a distinguished cooking instructor, food columnist, and award-winning cookbook author. Marie shares how ideas and tips on how to spice up your egg-eating love life.  Continue reading →

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UCP Episode 045: “The Chicken and the Dog” – An Urban Chicken Tale for Children

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The Chicken and the Dog - picture courtesy of Amanda Maxwell

The Chicken and the Dog – picture courtesy of Amanda Maxwell

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade – so the old saying goes.  Amanda Maxwell and her husband Andre followed the wisdom of that age old advice when tragedy struck their small backyard flock.  Continue reading →

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UCP Blog 012: One Listener Just Got Her First Flock & New Coop (Exciting!)

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Swenson Family Coop - photo courtesy of Kimberly Swenson

Swenson Family Coop – photo courtesy of Kimberly Swenson

Urban Chicken Podcast listener, Kimberly Swenson and her family finally got their first flock of backyard chickens after thinking about it for the past few years. Yay!  The Swenson Family flock consists of 2 Barred Rocks, 4 Black Sex Links, and a single Australorp.  They bought their new feathered family members on February 16th this year from a local farmer in their area.

Luke Swenson built the family hens their comfortable new digs, which turned out quite nicely.  The coop is 6×6 ft and outfitted with 3 nesting boxes.  Kimberly will soon get to learn that though there are plenty of nesting boxes for all of the hens to use, they will fight over one of them while two other adjacent boxes sit empty.  Ahhh…the joys of silly chicken fights within the flock.  The coop was purposefully built up off of the ground in order to provide the hens a shady place to escape hot summer sun.  The attached run is 6×15 ft to give the flock plenty of room to exercise.

Sprouted Grain Fodder - photo by Kimberly Swenson

Sprouted Grain Fodder – photo by Kimberly Swenson

Kimberly has already been sprouting grains to use as fodder for the flock to eat.  The birds seem to love it.  I am impressed by the fodder sheet shown in the picture.   This technique is a nice and healthy way to augment your hens’ diet. Check out their girls gathered around the fresh sod block in their run in the photos above.

Welcome Swenson Family to the world of backyard chicken keeping! Have you named your girls yet?

 

UCP Episode 044: Pending Arizona “Chicken Bill” (Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Chickens!)

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Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and fights for chicken rights!

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and fights for chicken rights!

Currently, there is an important property rights bill being considered in Arizona, Senate Bill 1151, also known as the Homegrown Freedom Act.   This piece of legislation, which some glibly call the “Chicken Bill,” will have significant ramifications for the chicken (and other fowl-keeping) community, if passed.  The “Chicken Bill” protects the rights of individuals to keep backyard chickens (and other fowl) – regardless of municipal bans on the practice.  That is huge!   Continue reading →

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UCP Episode 043 – Listeners Q & A Session #3 – Squawking Hens & Using Sand in Your Coop

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Squawking Chicken

Today on the Urban Chicken Podcast I answer more chicken questions posed by listeners in Session III of Listeners’ Q & A series.  The chicken issues being discussed and considered in this session are how to break your backyard hens of their early morning squawking habit and the pros and cons of using sand as a chicken coop and run litter.   Continue reading →

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photo by: Five Furlongs

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