Chickens in Deerfield?

There was an article in the Deerfield Review last week about the Village discussing the possibility of allowing residents to keep chickens. I was so excited to read this! I would love to have chickens, so if the village of Deerfield decides to allow it, maybe my suburb will get on board. Keeping chickens in urban areas is becoming popular, although many people still aren't too keen on the idea. People worry about noise, cleanliness, destruction of gardens, etc. The Library just got a new book that's perfect for people who are thinking about keeping chickens, or if you just want to know a little more about keeping chickens in an urban setting. Free-Range Chicken Gardens by Jessi Bloom shows how you can keep chickens in your yard while still having a nice garden. She illustrates how to design your garden and coop and provides suggestions for plants that are chicken-friendly. She also provides descriptions of different breeds of chickens. Did you know that there are some breeds of chickens that are smaller and quieter, making them better suited to urban living? I would encourage Deerfield residents who are on the fence with the chicken issue to stop by and check out this book.

If you're interested in reading more about urban farming, check out our ebook, The Backyard Homestead Guide to Raising Farm Animals by Gail Damerow. It's a great resource for keeping animals such as chickens, bees and goats.