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My next Urban Poultry 101 class at the Artisan's Asylum in Somerville is NEXT FRIDAY!! I'll be covering all the basics you'll need to know to keep your own chickens, with plenty of time for questions and discussion, a chance to meet some of my Chicken Ambassadors in person, and a few fresh eggs to take home with you as a bonus. Click on the link above to register, and check out the Asylum's other awesome classes while you're there. Hope to see you in a week!
If you can't make it to this class, but would like to attend another in the future, please let me know! If we have enough demand we can run another class sooner rather than later.
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I gave a presentation to the City of Somerville a few weeks ago, and we got to meet a number of City officials, including the mayor! This event was just featured on the City's urban ag blog today, so check that out for a few pictures and such.
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Are you planning to get chickens? Do you already have some and want to add to your flock? Would you rather support a local breeder than a big hatchery?* Would you rather know that your chicks are being hand-transported from a beloved small flock than airmailed from a place with 1000s of birds who may never have interacted with people? Do you want to be more connected with the source of your food?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, did you know that I can get locally bred and raised chicks and hens for you? No? Well guess what... I can! (And I want to!) :D
As I've talked to more and more city folk about urban chickens, I've realized that most urbanites think that ordering chicks from hatcheries is the only way to get chickens. But I've been attending regional poultry events for the past few years - competing at bigger poultry shows and attending smaller social events known as chickenstocks or chickenswaps - and I've met many lovely, dedicated people within an hour or two of Boston who keep, breed, raise, and show poultry of all types.
Then one day I had an epiphany!
(picture me staring off into the distance with a surprised look of wonder on my face...)
I thought, "I can provide a connection between all of these fantastic local breeders and raisers-of-chickens with all of the city folk who have NO IDEA that these people exist! And in doing so, I can help some of the "country mice" find good homes for the birds they've lovingly bred and raised while providing a local, small-business source of high-quality chicks and hens for the "city mice"! How awesome would that be?!!"
And thus, the first eggs of a new bid'ness were laid. (N'AMEN)
SO... whatcha want? Cuz, ya know... I know a guy. (A few guys, actually. And a lot of girls too.)
The next big event is coming up on July 7th, so get your orders in now!
(If you'd like to see what these events are all about for yourself, check out all the info on the BackyardChickens.com July 7th "Sharkie" chickenstock forum thread. Let me know if you're planning to attend so I can say hello!)
And now... Lemme snooze oo-oo-on, like a chicky in the sun... :D
*Disclaimer: not all hatcheries are bad. Some are great. Some are doing a lot to preserve rare heritage breeds. Some are doing what they can to cater to the new wave of small-time, urban poultry keepers. That said, I think smaller and more local is generally better, and I don't think that my facilitation of a connection between regional breeders and buyers is going to put any of the bigger hatcheries out of business.
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