Forget Mars and Venus. At least in terms of mid-life crises, with men it's traditionally been young women, motorcycles or fast cars. With the femmes d'un certain age of my acquaintance it seems to be livestock, though for the life of me I can't figure out why. Maybe it's living out those horse-loving fantasies we had as young girls reading National Velvet or The Black Stallion that's causing several of my friends to take riding lessons. A couple have even bought their own. Or perhaps it's because, unlike the members of our families or our employers, they don't talk back or make demands on us, and the relationship is on our terms.So, whatever the reason, lately I've found my ears pricking up whenever the subject of chickens comes up. Yes, chickens. The live kind that would eat the bugs and slugs in my garden and provide fresh eggs for the omelettes I'm also obsessed with. And I can just see the eyes rolling back in the heads of you male readers out there (Dave? Brendan? Bruce? Rick?).
But no matter the scorn, I'm signed up to attend a presentation and discussion about keeping chickens in the city at Pistils Nursery on May 5. Lizzy Caston, author of PDX Chickens and chicken maven extraordinaire, will be there to share information and answer questions on the delights of city flock-keeping. So don't laugh or you might not be getting any fresh eggs from me.
Details: Chicken-Keeping with Lizzy Caston at Pistils Nursery. May 5; 1-2:30 pm; $5, register by phone at 503-288-4889. Pistils Nursery, 3811 N Mississippi. Phone 503-288-3889.
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8 comments:
Ask TOK (the other Kathleen) -- I've been talking chickens for years. I'm waiting to come back from big world travels and then it might be time. Maybe we could have chicken park meetups sometimes? Mine are going to live on the flat roof, I think. Which reminds me . . . first I need to install green roof.
We have to talk types, egg production, etc., first...after you build that roof, that is. I'll take notes and share after the workshop!
and when I return to the land of green, I TOO want a flock. Or at least one or two.
will the dogs eat them?
Miss L
Chickens? What about the horse idea? I like that better. We went horseback riding at the beach while in Peru. It was glorious...galloping at the water's edge. We loved it and really ‘chickens’ just don’t compare. D and L built a coop and are looking into getting their chickens. Big choices as we need good egg layers and dave wants organic chicks. These you have to order. Chicks arrive just born and having never been fed. Store has to set yours aside and feed them only organic feed and no antibiotics. These little guys are notoriously smaller and less healthy than the ones getting the antibiotics. That is my update on our chicken, or soon to be chickens, situation.
- NL
I know, I love the horses, too, but the whole horse thing is so expensive. And I ride Western, which is so totally not in fashion around here. Plus we can keep chickens in the yard, a difficult thing to do with horses on a city lot! Now to convince Dave...
The blog is lookin good. Keep going!
I'm ALL FOR the chickens. Why stop there? How about a goat? Or a petting zoo? I toyed with the idea of a goat (instead of a gas mower) but then had second thoughts.
- LH
Thanks...it's still really fun. And I've known people who've had goats and, while they love them, they can be problematic in that they literally eat everything and you have to keep them quite confined with tall fences or they can leap over them. Larger livestock just seems too problematic in the city. Though you should talk to Dave about his electric mower...he loves it!
As for the dogs eating them, it might be tricky...Rosey was at Carbon's house and they have a chicken named Buttercup. Initially Rosey was doing her usual wandering around, but all of a sudden she went into "prey" mode and started toward Buttercup, who was clueless that she was about to be a Corgi snack. Fortunately someone yelled and dissuaded her from going in for the coup de grace!
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