| Well, the sad day came and our chickens have a new home. If you recall, I've wanted chickens for a long time, and when I began dating a man with two kids, he and the kids decided they wanted chickens too. We've got all of our plans in place - the only problem is that chickens are illegal in our city. So we're trying to change the law. Meanwhile - and totally unrelated to our chicken efforts - my boyfriend is running for city council. Thus, he doesn't want to get caught with illegal chickens.
This past week, I received an email that a few chickens were found in the street and they needed a home immediately. I picked them up Tuesday night. One was a naked neck and I don't know the breed of the other. They were small, clearly not full grown yet (unless they were bantams), but not baby chicks either. We rigged up a makeshift chicken coop in the yard and the girls settled in happily. One of them - the one we ended up calling Elizabeth - became so used to me bringing her big, fat worms to eat (from the compost bin) that she would try to nibble my fingers every time I put my hands in the chicken coop, even if I was trying to pick her up or change her water and I had no worms.
Our kids met the chickens on Wednesday and immediately fell in love with them. Our smaller daughter named the Naked Neck "Anika" (I have no idea where she comes up with these things, but it's a name I've always liked, even if I never would have considered it for a chicken). Our older daughter named the other one "Elizabeth." The chickens spent most of the day scratching and pecking around the yard, eating bugs and pooping. I've never been so excited to see any living being poop. I felt like thanking the chicken for fertilizing my plants every time I saw her go #2.
After the first full day of chicken ownership, I asked my boyfriend when we had to get rid of them. He said he'd think about it. Today he said they had to go. After a few chicken escapes from their coop, he was afraid of what might happen unless we made them a more permanent home. I made the necessary arrangements and a man who lives nearby with a flock of 20 chickens came to get the girls this evening. Our youngest daughter cried crocodile tears, and although I secretly wished her dad would give her her way. But he didn't. So off the chickens went to a new home, and - as part of the arrangement - we'll be able to ask for them back once the law changes or we decide to break it, whichever comes first.
The other development is that our city's fiscal year begins and ends on July 1, so I am hopeful that their update of the General Plan, including reviewing their chicken laws, will happen soon after the new fiscal year begins.
Previous installments of The Chicken Project:
Part 1: Initial Planning for Chickens
Part 2: Oops, it's not legal
Part 3: My public comment at City Council
Part 4: My letter to the city
Part 5: Bad News
Part 6: City Council Tables the Issue
Part 7: We Made the Local Paper!
Part 8: The San Diego Paper's Anti-Chicken Editorial
Part 9: San Diego Responds to the Union Tribune
Part 10: San Diego Paper Prints Our Letters
Part 11: We Foster Rescued Chickens |
