When chickens are outlawed, only outlaws will have chickens

[Atash Hagmahani]

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

Chickens are easy to keep. Chickens are common in many urban areas of the world. Chickens make use of a lot of scrap food humans won't eat; I just fed mine some slightly molded muffins.

Unfortunately, though, western governments increasingly want to regulate everything, and they want to maintain lifestyles that are no longer relevant.

[Beeherder]

Here in Colorado we are seeing some of those over zealous rules and regulations overturned. The town/city of Louisville recently amended the city ordinance to allow beekeeping. Longmont already allows both bees and chickens. My unincorporated neighborhood recently had a big blowout about chickens too. Seems that some use the obviously specious argument that you are endangering THE CHILDREN if there are chickens in the neighborhood because they will attract predators. Who are these folks kidding besides themselves? I know of at least two fox dens within 200 yards of my house, and i see Mr. and Mrs Fox on a regular basis. At least two Apiaries within 10 miles of mine have been destroyed by bears in the last season and i expect the new beekeeper in my neighborhood to loose his this year too. I had him over to see my bear exclusion fence and tried to explain that it needed to be STRONG. He choose to use some wimpy construction wire with no strength at all and an el cheapo fence charger. Betcha 50 cents he looses his woodenware and his bees in the next 6 weeks. Don't think he is a threat to me or anyone else though. Nor do i think chickens present any threat to THE CHILDREN. How about we exercise a little common sense and common courtesy for the choices of our neighbors? Why would anyone call animal control for a loose chicken? Come ON.

I just loved George Carlin's routine about THE CHILDREN.

[opsec]

One of my favorite George Carlin lines: "If we're here to serve others, then what are the others here for?"

You might tell that guy with the wimpy fence that for fairly cheap he could bury some lengths of 3" PVC pipe into the ground and then fill the pipes with concrete. It's pretty cheap and certainly bear proof and it's an electrical insulator.

[Beeherder]

That is a very similar approach to the one i use with "bullpen" fencing, using the insulated posts to elevate the charged wire above ground. See my post in Livestock/bees regarding electric fences.

One of the apiaries that was destroyed last year was at my CSA. i am recuiting that 30 + year beekeeper for the design team of the cooperative but he just doesn't get it with the bear thing. He has had bees on that property for at least 10 years maybe as much as 15 and this was his first bear encounter. That bear will be back this year to that apiary.

Bears are VERY smart critters. They remember where the good food treats can be found and return year after year until they become "nuisance" bears. Once a bear has caused problems for humans it is usually trapped, tagged and transported to someplace far away. Trouble is bears are very territorial and if you are a bear dropped into some other bears territory then you have only two choices, fight or leave. So 10 years ago when the neighborhood bear started causing problems she and her two cubs were trapped tagged and transported to the southern boundary of the state to be released into a State Wildlife Reserve. She was back but with only one cub the next spring. I'm certain she was destroyed though have no personal knowledge of the event. Bear license are sometimes issued to residents soley on the basis of problem bears in the area. I hear they taste good but are a little fatty.

George asked some of the most important questions ever posed.

[opsec]

I hear they taste good but are a little fatty.

Bears always carry parasites. You have to be sure to cook bear meat well done, and don't eat the liver. It has toxic levels of vitamin A.

[Beeherder]

That might explain why on the one occassion when i tried bear meat it had been cubed, fried to a crispy outside and tender but well done inside and served with a sweet and sour sauce like it was chinese sweet and sour bear and served over rice. It was tasty.

Chicken would be an easier meal to catch and to prepare, and the eggs are there even without killing the chicken. I have been giving the chickens in the veggie garden area idea some consideration. Mr. Fox would be very happy to harvest those chickens if he could so it is not something i will do without careful planning and consideration. Maybe next spring or maybe the year after, depends on how busy i get this winter with the bee coop.