By PAUL WHEATON
To me, this comic artist (First Cultural Industries) is exceptionally brilliant at capturing and representing very common and complicated issues that can arise for people who have never raised chickens before. I think the desire to steward chickens is normal and healthy. And what is good for the chicken is something people typically want to understand, but the information from that perspective is scarce, even with the myriad of books available on the topic. This is a big reason why I created my raising chickens article and have created the Wheaton eco scale to help quantify the implications of the different ways one can raise chickens: Level 1 is using a coop and run and Level 6 uses a paddock shift with food forests system. The key, for me, is to not hate on the people behind me, but instead, try to figure out ways to educate them on the next levels. (More thoughts below the comic)…
I have to admit that I have bought chickens on-line. This cartoon makes a pretty good point about how that isn’t necessarily supporting “local” (should that be your reason for raising chickens). But … there are issues buying local too (potentially less selection, could be worse quality of care, fuel for travel to pick up, etc…). While I feel shame about some of my past choices, I recognize that most all paths have downsides. Since I did order on-line, I spent time checking reviews to see which hatcheries had the most live chicks arrive and made this my primary shopping criteria. I also had things worked out with the post office so they would call me the moment they had the chicks (one of the perks of a very small town). The folks at the post office seemed to really enjoy it because of all the peeping! I think in all of the deliveries, there was at least one dead chick. Damn.
“You know, we spent $200 on this vintage chicken coop and another $100 to fix it, then there’s that organic chicken feed at $3 a pound …. these are going to be rather pricey eggs … Don’t think about it that way! These are artisanal eggs. Each one is like an original work of art!” Experiencing the reality of this statement is what led me to paddock shift systems. I was selling eggs and meat for about the same price as the feed I was buying. I do believe the egg can be a work of art if the chicken is a forest animal and getting plenty of fresh veggies and bugs. But if all they get is dried up grain and nothing else, while penned in a small area where they stand on their own poop all day …. that is hardly “artisanal.”
Raising chickens is a lot of responsibility and, as is the common flaw with most systems, you cannot leave your responsibilities (unless you live in a community that shares responsibilities). This comic does a good job of showing how clueless jerks will often stick others with their responsibilities. It also illustrates the lack of preparation and knowledge with which first timers often jump into chicken raising, particularly around chicken life expectancy and what it means to raise a live animal (like death and harvesting). “Chicken Recycling…we offer a full line of karma offsets…..” These are new to me. But I could see these folks getting super rich offering this stuff! Brilliant! This video, on respectful chicken harvesting, is one every wanna be chicken owner should watch.
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BIO: Paul Wheaton is is the tyrannical ruler of two on-line communities. One is about permaculture and one is about software engineering. There is even one for Missoula. Paul has written several permaculture articles starting with one on lawn care that he presented at the MUD Project 17 years ago, including articles on raising chickens, cast iron and diatomaceous earth. Paul also regularly uploadspermaculture videos and permaculture podcasts. In his spare time, Paul has plans for world domination and is currently shopping for a hollowed out volcano in the Missoula area, with good submarine access.
See all of Paul’s contributions to MakeitMissoula on this Blog Homepage here.
It’s definitely a progression of knowledge…and not a journey to enter into lightly. At the same time, chickens are the easiest animals we’ve raised thus far. People just need to shift their views a little bit, have some helping hands along the way and enjoy the journey….or just eat tofu.
I remember when our first “who-knows-what-they-are” mix hens arrived at the farm, and then didn’t lay for several months…we felt like total failures. Learned two lessons there — one, they were still pretty young and two, buy from someone who knows more than you do and that you respect the way they are doing it.
Our latest batch, we ordered as chicks online from McMurray and luckily didn’t have a single fatality. They were all happy, healthy and cheeping at the post office. Our reason for online was more choice on breed. Now that we’re determining our favorites, we’ll probably try to go the next step to all natural – pick a breed, get a rooster, and have the hens raise their own chicks.
Did you know there are spent hen rescues in Portland, OR? Seriously people!? Talk about passing your problems off on someone else. To be honest, it’s not even a PROBLEM…we had our first braised spent hen this past month and it was DELICIOUS. Our old timer neighbor feels lucky to find an older hen to cook…they just have so much more flavor. No, it’s not easy after you’ve been coddling them for a year or two, but such is life.
Great post!
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I went to University in Missoula, but only learnt about Permaculture in my last year. I’m now living back in the UK, where i’m originally from, and teaching Permaculture. It put a smile on my face to read your blog! I got my first chickens a few months ago. They’re ex bat and they’re fantastic!
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Hi Rebecca,
Where about’s do you teach and how long does the course last for?
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Like some input on chickens vs. racoons. Racoons are very clever and have the brain of a teen ager when it comes to ‘getting their way’. I’ve got a very secure coop but the nasty buggers have outwitted me and have lost a few hens…. Has anyone found a sure fire solution to discourage such activity beside racoon traps? Live on the coast in Central Florida…
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I have given presentations about it. I think I have some stuff about it in my article at richsoil.
I suggest that you put out some electric fence where raccoons will go. With a super hot pop.
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Racoons are pretty darn intelligent, and you should plan your coop and run with that in mind. Our chicken run was built from a garage shelter from Horrible..err..Harbor Freight, curved metal poles covered by a tarp, (became the chicken run because the tarp disintegrated) used chicken wire to cover, overlapped with bale wire stitching. Set it where we wanted, then dug 2 feet down and put sheet metal in the ground as barrier all on the foot, with rocks as most of the backfill. The coop, 6x4x4, has two hinged roof flaps, and chicken wire doubled on the floor. My husband designed it to slide back off its rock foundation for better cleaning. I have 3 different areas for chickens to access for fresh feed, and yet i still need more runs under the plum trees, and the wild area with the chokecherrys. So far, no racoons have entered the coop or run, but only because i have three bad ass corgis that take their racoon duties very seriously…God help the poor racoon that makes it into our yard…( I think they have learned in 5 years to avoid us…)
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