Uncle Sam Wants You to Raise Chickens

Reader Contribution by Robin Mather
Published on November 18, 2011
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… Or he did, back in 1918, as this poster illustrates.

Funny how things change, isn’t it? These days, people have to fight and petition and beg and plead in many municipalities to get their government to let them keep a few backyard hens. And even when city leaders permit it, they lay out complicated rules about how many, where and how the birds must be housed. And please! No roosters!

 As the poster so rightly points out, two hens per person will keep a family in eggs. The flock will take minimal effort, cost little and provide plenty of enjoyment, because chickens are fun to watch.

City life, with its sirens, alarms, cars with stereos blaring heart-stopping bass throbbing, could do with a little of the natural beauty of a rooster’s sunrise crowing. Suburbs could also benefit.

But a few hens don’t make much noise anyway. So I can’t understand the objections.

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