When Chickens are Outlawed, only Outlaws Will Have Chickens

Luckily, chickens are legal in Mesa, Arizona! Up to 10, even with roosters, as long as they aren't too loud. See here http://www.mesaaz.gov/animalcontrol/faq.aspx.


However, some city folk in Indiana are not so lucky, and are forced by the tyrranical government into the Chicken Underground!

http://www.indystar.com/article/20090818/NEWS/908180375/1001

Late Summer Watermelons

Amazing results for the watermelons, the only crop still standing after all this summer heat. Interplanting with the pumpkins turned out to be not quite the bad idea it looked like at first. The pumpkins have long died off, but watermelon vines are thriving, producing tons of little yellow flowers and lots of growing fruit.

The early variety of watermelon (sugar babies) already produced and died off, now the late variety (crimson) is kicking into high gear. You can see it here growing amid all the dried up corn stalks.

NY Times Notices Chicken Surge

Apparently there has been a boom market in backyard chickens this past year, nationwide. Makes sense to me! http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/04/business/04chickens.html

My chickens are reaching maturity, managing the heat just fine. They are pretty birds. I've always been a bird person, so they are great pets in my book. The fact that you can eat their eggs (or them!!!) is just a bonus point.

Many people comment on the fact that raising chickens for eggs is not economically profitable, but so far I have not seen an analysis done when the cost of feed is offset using permaculture methods. Raising your own feed can certainly help offset costs.

The main source of money loss that I have encountered is that the little sparrows will fly into the coop and eat the chicken feed! I need to get out there an tighten up the netting, but in all this summer heat, I have not made the effort.