To protect the chickens from germs, you have to wear booties and use hand sanitizer. Signs posted said "Chickens Have Cooties, Wear Booties."
This way to the chicken coop.
Some of the good looking cluckers.
Paula and her husband, David, in front of a backyard coop.
Many of the chicken owners also have gardens and are into composting and grey water recycling.
A coop decked out for the holidays.
It was billed as the Tour de Coops, "The valleywide self-guided tour of your neighborhood chicken coops." My daughter's birthday, the 8th of December, is five days after mine. We decided to spend Saturday morning doing the tour. Paula is getting ready to build a new chicken coop on the property they are moving to in Casa Grande. They already raise a few chicken in Tempe.
Neighborhood chicken coops? You've got to be kidding. Not that many people keep chickens in the city, do they? I was in for a surprise. The brochure we picked up at the Duck & Decanter deli where we purchased our tickets listed 20 locations on the tour. All of the chicken owners we visted resided in the central part of Phoenix. Ordinary neighborhoods. Urban chicken officionados!
Our first stop featured a chicken coop decked out for the holidays, complete with a wreath and ornaments adorning the coop. The chickens didn't seem to notice. They were busy pecking and scratching in the dirt.
The second stop was an education. The owner had a huge backyard. In addition to a coop that had a swamp cooler and paned windows, the couple had an enormous vegetable garden and a complete composting system. "We are part of our community," explained the gentleman chicken raiser. "My wife makes hand-made cards, which I take to the local coffee shop. I am paid in paper credits which I use to buy my morning coffee when I meet with my architect friends. I also get all the free coffee grounds I want, and I use those for composting. I take eggs to the local baker in exchange for bread and baked goods I pick up each morning. We share our crops with others as well." Part of a "community". I thought that was pretty cool.
