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February 20, 2007
Keeping chickens in Clinton Hill
We're thinking about getting a few chickens for our backyard in CH. No, seriously. Fresh eggs are amazing, chickens are easy, and--as long as they're female--not loud or problemtic. Also, it's legal. Are we crazy? We'll sell 'em to you cheaper than the Co-op...
Comments
We live in Park Slope, and we have a llama.
Posted by: Anonymous at February 20, 2007 7:09 AM
I hear you can have two dairy cows in Bed Stuy.
Posted by: Anonymous at February 20, 2007 7:31 AM
I live in Sunset Park and it's not so unusual out here. Sometimes I would wake up to a rooster crowing. This was cute the first couple days but very annoying as time went on. Then on day the crowing stopped for unknown reasons ( It probably became sweet & sour chicken. ) As long as you can do without a rooster the neighbors shouldn't mind your chickens.
Posted by: Rick at February 20, 2007 7:32 AM
When I was looking for a house in the South Slope ten years ago, we saw more than one house with a backyard chicken.
Posted by: Anonymous at February 20, 2007 8:37 AM
You might be able to adopt chickens (that need homes!) from Farm Sanctuary:
http://www.farmsanctuary.org/adopt/index_faan.htm
They even have placement assistance. I checked the site and there are chickens. :-)
Posted by: annon at February 20, 2007 8:45 AM
my wife wants to get chickens too (in carroll gardens). What happens in winter?
Posted by: Anonymous at February 20, 2007 8:58 AM
In winter, your chickens (and llamas) get cold.
Posted by: Bob999 at February 20, 2007 9:02 AM
How do you keep the stray cats from killing them?
Posted by: Anonymous at February 20, 2007 9:14 AM
A good backyard chicken link.
http://madcitychickens.com/index.html
Posted by: chopper at February 20, 2007 10:51 AM
there have been several NYTimes articles (or maybe New York mag, or both) about a family in Red Hook that has a chicken coop. If you look for the articles you might be able to contact the woman to get the info you need.
Posted by: Azul at February 20, 2007 11:10 AM
gross. seriously.
Posted by: Anonymous at February 20, 2007 11:19 AM
Talk to Just Food (justfood.org). They have a whole project dedicated just to this...Also, it is only legal if there is no rooster involved
Posted by: Anonymous at February 20, 2007 11:59 AM
if you want chickens you should live in the country. that is disgusting.
Posted by: anon at February 20, 2007 12:15 PM
I grew up in the country. Don't even entertain the idea if you are not prepared to deal with chicken waste products. Depending on how many you have, that can be a lot of smelly chicken poo. Will sanitation pick that up? Better find out how to dispose of it. Also, neighbors may raise a stink over the stink.
Posted by: Anonymous at February 20, 2007 1:11 PM
I wonder if this is for real. If so, the neigbors are going to go BONKERS over it... However, the debate that will ensue will be tres entertaining. The yuppies will be in an uproar!
Posted by: Anonymous at February 20, 2007 2:03 PM
Where can you get a stockpile of cipro for the impending avian influenza?
Posted by: Anonymous at February 20, 2007 2:08 PM
from thecitychicken.com...chicken laws for New York City. Unlimited. Must have permit for chickens. Must be kept clean. No other poultry allowed, no roosters.
I think its a wonderful idea as long as you're diligent about keeping it clean! I hope it works out.
Posted by: lucy at February 20, 2007 3:47 PM
OP, here. I suppose I AM a yuppie, if we still use that term. Hence, I'm talking fancy chickens. Those Aurancana jobs like Martha has, with the pretty blue eggs. You keep cats and racoons out with chicken wire, hence the name. And the chicken poo would probably be amazing in the garden, no?
Posted by: Anon at February 20, 2007 5:04 PM
I grew up on a ranch, and I think this is the grossest thing I have ever heard of. I hate to pun about such a serious issue, but chickens are FOUL, FOUL creatures. They smell really bad.
Oh, and straight chicken poo in your garden will burn your roots. It is quite acidic.
GO TO THE COUNTRY!!!
Posted by: Anonymous at February 20, 2007 5:24 PM
25 years ago, my housemates in London kept chickens in the backyard. The stench was foul, in spite of the fact that they were pretty conscientous about cleaning them out. They gave up after about 6 months.
Posted by: NeoGrec at February 20, 2007 6:16 PM
"Hence, I'm talking fancy chickens. Those Aurancana jobs like Martha has, with the pretty blue eggs. "
pretentiousness knows no bounds!!
Posted by: Anonymous at February 20, 2007 7:36 PM
OMG, Aurancana chickens are so 1996. You people are such losers.
Posted by: anon at February 21, 2007 12:38 AM
even Aurancana chickens poop & smell...yeah Martha may have chickens but she also has staff to keep things clean I'd be surprised if she was in the coop cleaning poop
Posted by: anonumous at February 21, 2007 2:33 PM
You guys are a bunch of wussy New Yorkers. How is owning a chicken more pretentious than owning a labradoodle? Like any other unusual pet, the clean-up and maintenance may be a little extra work, but as long as OP is up to the job, what's the big deal? Chickens themselves do not smell - at least no stronger than your average dog. I had backyard chickens when I was a kid and I was able to keep the yard clean. Unfortunately they all turned out to be roosters so my parents sent them to a "farm" - i.e. someone's dinner table.
The one caution I'd give is to make sure there have been no raccoon sightings in your neighborhood. They've been sighted all over Park Slope and would have no problem breaking into a coop and killing the chickens.
Posted by: petunia at February 21, 2007 3:29 PM
I hope you guys know that chicken do emit some stinky-ass shit - it may not be that smelly in the winter, but come summer time, Lord have mercy!
Posted by: NYC27YO at February 21, 2007 3:58 PM
it is no joke that roosters crow at the first stroke of sunlight. we had neighbors who adopted a chick from school and kept it in their garage for years and we could hear it crowing even from blocks away. hens are known to crow when there is no male rooster. your neighbors will love you! good luck.
Posted by: analog at February 21, 2007 3:58 PM
In Portland (Oregon) there have been urban chicken coops for years--it's actually pretty easy in that climate. One couple I knew was obsessed with the american gothic theme and built a neo gothic coop for their designer chickens.
Posted by: passing by at February 21, 2007 3:59 PM
I've got two sons under 7. In summer, I store them in the garden or the park where they make a lot of noise and bother folks. In winter, they're playing inside and bother us. This is the New Park Slope, dude. We don't need chickens.
Posted by: 8thand8th at February 21, 2007 4:41 PM
i live in bedstuy and i have a couple of cock fighting roosters that i keep in cages in the back yard really cool but every other weekend me and the buds drink a few brews and bust out the roosters for a little fun
Posted by: Anonymous at February 21, 2007 4:49 PM
Cockfighting in Bed Stuy?
I've never been to a cockfighting match in Bed Stuy--not even a little friendly pickup match.
I do all my cockfighting in the Slope.
Posted by: Anonymous at February 21, 2007 6:33 PM
"How do you keep the stray cats from killing them?"
That's the other part of what roosters are for - kicking ass on local predators.
Posted by: Anonymous at February 21, 2007 7:03 PM
"How do you keep the stray cats from killing them?"
That's the other part of what roosters are for - kicking ass on local predators.
Posted by: Anonymous at February 21, 2007 7:04 PM
Friends in bushwick live in what we call the Chicken Coop, been around for years. Chicken and pidgeon keeping is urban, especially in poor cities. It's called food. just because desterelized, sterile, disinfected, over-sanitized, hypochondriac, allergy-ridden anemics have weezed their way to this idea, doesn't mean it's new. Just means they're ready for some healthy bacteria to make their parkslope progeny tougher than they were. EVOLUTION IS GOOD! Good for you, yupp-oes
Posted by: Anonymous at February 21, 2007 8:11 PM
Friends in bushwick live in what we call the Chicken Coop, been around for years. Chicken and pidgeon keeping is urban, especially in poor cities. It's called food. just because sterile, disinfected, sanitized, purified, hypochondriac, allergy-ridden anemics have weezed their way to this idea, doesn't mean it's new. Just means they're ready for some healthy bacteria to make their parkslope progeny tougher than they were. EVOLUTION IS GOOD! Good for you, yupp-oes
Posted by: Anonymous at February 21, 2007 8:12 PM
Hey keeping chickens is the fastest growing hobby in the US so you all better get used to the idea of seeing chickens in your neighborhood. Anyway so long as you only keep a couple and no roosters can't see what the problem is I got my coop from this site www.omlet.us its really easy to keep clean and keeps the racoons out.
Posted by: hanns at February 22, 2007 6:45 AM
I live in the country, we raised chickens for eggs, the chickens attracted RATS, we ate the chickens.
Posted by: corapegia at February 22, 2007 10:00 AM
any soda with that?
Posted by: General Tso at February 23, 2007 4:32 PM
Chickens in the city! Another brilliant idea from another precious bonehead who wants to live in the largest metropolitan city in the world with all the acoutrements of the country. That's great. And along with the eggs you can sell buttermilk crusted fried chicken with a refreshing mint-yoghurt dip that the other darlings in Clinton Hill and Fort Greene can carry on to the Q train and enjoy along with the other competing food smells. Hope you have a good organic rat poison on hand. NYers make the very best neighbors. Long live the Cult of Disregard!
Posted by: Judge at February 23, 2007 10:20 PM
I have 2 chickens and I live in PS. I push them around in a double McClaren and pretend I don't see anyone around me when I'm on the street or in small stores. We're loud, we take up as much space as possible,and we expect people without chickens and strollers to yield the right of way when we are in their path. We block doorways, sidle up to other diners in restaurants with total disregard while our chickens scream and flail and God help the poor sucker who dares to point out our selfish, innapropriate behavior. I know there was a time when people thought twice about raising chickens in the city but we make enough money to create whatever fantasy we desire, wherever we choose to be. We're rich, we're a litttle neurotic and stressed out, but I say, Get Used To It. If you don't want to be around chickens and cows, move to Tokyo!
Posted by: Maury at February 23, 2007 10:32 PM
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