Chickens????? RUN!!!!!!!!!!!

There seems to be a small controversy in the lovely small city of Cary, NC. There is a lady there that wants to allow Cary residents to have chickens if they so choose. There would be no roosters to limit the noise factor (City folks can't take being awaken by natural sounds. They need loud, annoying buzzes.), no more than 10 hens per coop, forbid the slaying of chickens in the backyard, and impose a fee to over any city expenditures that may occur from having chickens in the backyard. Some residents like the fact that there would be fresh eggs nearby and the cost per dozen would definitely be less than at the grocery store. These ideas sound good to me. But, naturally, Cary's powers-that-be had other ideas.

At the end of their meeting, they voted 4-3 to not even consider looking into the idea of allowing laying hens in the city limits. When I read that statement, I laughed out loud. The reasons behind their conclusion to deny are absolutely inane. Below I will list the comments and reasons followed by my thoughts...

One dissenter said that they "'do allow chickens in Cary' in areas that allow homes on 40,000-square-foot lots. I don't think we need to expand it." What does that mean? Where is there a home on a 40,000-square-foot lot? A farm?? In Cary???

The next quotes come from the same man..."It's just kind of a Pandora's box I don't want to open." He cites smell, noise, predators and the possibility of children seeing a chicken running around with its head cut off as possible side affects. Smell. Isn't that just like a city slicker? Now, I will be the first to admit that chicken manure can be potent, but with a limit of 10 hens and regular cleaning, I don't think that would be a problem. Noise. Come on now! Hens do not cluck that loudly. And with no roosters, the noise factor is non-existent. Predators. Now he's showing his ignorance of life in the city. Predators had adapted to life in the city for many years now. Yes, Cary, there are foxes, raccoons, and various other meat-eaters roaming freely in your beloved city limits. And let's not forget the local pet dog or cat that may see a cooped-up chicken as a lovely addition to its fine dining menu. Predation is part of life (for now) and if there would be an occasional chicken lost to such an act, then the owner would just had to made the necessary adjustments to prevent it from happening in the future. I just hope it won't happen to Charlene--she's the family pet. And lastly, chicken-on-a-plate. How in the world are children going to ever learn where food comes from if they don't ever see it happen? I'm not saying it wouldn't be a bit traumatic for them, but I think that modern children are a bit too sheltered in that area. Are we only supposed to lead them to believe that meat comes from the grocer's freezer and pickles come from jars on the shelves?

His second comment (said at the end of the meeting) pretty much sums up the asininity of the whole night..."Quite frankly the only chicken I want to see is in the frozen-food section of the grocery store or on a plate right in front of me, because it's 12:30 and I am starving." Do I really need to comment on that? OK...I will. I couldn't have come up with a more perfect quote from a "city-ite" than this one. He obviously is so enamored with cement and large buildings, that he can't truly appreciate the fact that chickens are harmless and would provide many benefits to the area as long as there are the above mentioned controls. I think his parents sheltered him a bit too much. He needs to visit a few farms.

To sum this up, I think the whole discussion is pretty silly. I truly don't believe that every resident would have their own chickens and turn Cary into one giant chicken coop. What's wrong with having a few hens in the back yard if there is enough room and the proper shedding? Absolutely nothing.





But then again, I'm not a politician.

Have a blessed day!