Just in case you missed it, the Roseville Press-Tribune did a articule on us this last Saturday.
4/10/09 | 87 views
Spring chickens rule the roost
Raising poultry 'just clucks' for local couple
By Nathan Donato-Weinstein | nathand@goldcountry media.com
Philip Wood / Gold Country News Service
Life is good for this chicken that resides with Bonnie and Don Hayes in Roseville.
If you've been hunting and pecking for the freshest eggs this side of a henhouse, look no further than Bonnie and Don Hayes' place off Baseline Road.
Abutting a busy thoroughfare across the street from suburban Roseville subdivisions, it might not seem the likeliest place for a peep (yes, peep) of chickens. But for the last two years, the couple has sold just-laid eggs -- $5 a dozen – as part of the offerings of their Top Hill Farm.
The plot at 2195 Baseline Road is currently home to 14 hens, a rooster and 15 chicks. Ten more hatchlings are e xpected on Easter.
"I go out and talk to them every day," Bonnie said of her chicken charges. "I probably treat them better than some people treat their dogs."
This time of year, animal groups warn against buying young chicks as Easter gifts – and with good reason. They're often abandoned or surrendered when they grow into adulthood and the cute factor wears off.
But for those willing to make the substantial commitment, raising chickens for eggs can be a fun and profitable endeavor.
"There's nothing like fresh eggs," said Don, a retired surgical tech.
It's also on the rise in the most unexpected places.
Here's the (s)coop: Spurred by the locavore movement and the troubled economy, urbanites have flocked to small-scale chicken farming as an inexpensive way to generate eggs (most backyard chicken-raisers are not interested in meat).
Dozens of cities in recent years have loosened up ordinances regulating chickens, according to the Web site The City Chicken. Last year, Newsweek called the phenomena "the new Coop de Ville."
Roseville joined the trend in January when the City Council allowed the Police Department to make exceptions for the first time to the city's strict chicken-keeping rules. (Though they have a Roseville address, the Hayes actually live in unincorporated Placer County, which has more liberal livestock rules.)
So far, the change has amounted to chicken feed. Just one resident has requested=2 0a chicken-keeping permit, said Police Spokeswoman Dee Dee Gunther. But Don Hayes said more customers are inquiring these days on keeping their own chickens.
"With the economy, people want to be able to be sure they have eggs, and they enjoy the freshness," Bonnie said.
For her, the cluck-heavy lifestyle is a throwback to her youth. She grew up on a farm in Illinois, and once worked in a massive chicken ranch before leaving for a more urban lifestyle and a career in cosmetology. When the kids moved out, the couple opted for a country environment.
"When we rented the house, I said, `I've gotta have some chickens,'" Bonnie said.
On Wednesday, hens with names like Buck Buck, Feather and Pony roamed free under a protective net. They plucked at grass and let out little clucks while rooster Foghorn Leghorn strutted his stuff and pecked at a visitor.
No debate on who rules the roost here.
"We want more chickens," Bonnie Hayes said. "I just can't keep up with the people who want fresh eggs. Plus, the manure is great for the garden."
