Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Chicken Wednesday

Chicken Tractors!

No. While the name might bring forth images of chickens drag racing down South Lowry in souped up John Deere tractors you are wrong....but the image is a bit funny.

Chicken tractors are for people who have a small number of chickens. Instead of a fixed coop, they have a mobile coop. This allows you to move the chickens around and have them 'care' for other parts of your lawn.



This gallery of tractors at City Chicken shows the wide range of sizes and models for those interested...who do not live in the Brentwood clone town of Smyrna. It also shows the neat clean nature of backyard chickens that goes against the worst case scenario that town spoke of when I brought the issue in front of them last year.

They also have a page of laws that shows Tennessee is far behind the home movement to care for, and produce neighborly your own food. Nashville has a very sensible law.
Nashville, TN. Has an unlimited chicken law assuming “No person shall keep chickens within the metropolitan government area in such a manner that a nuisance is created” and are kept penned, no “fowl at large.”
We should feel shame faced that the words "the Nashville government is more sensible then ours" has a chance to be said. I mean come on people! Nashville!

4 comments:

village farmer said...

I built one of these for my wife to keep her 'fancy' chickens separated from the regular working chickens. Its great for keeping 6 to 8 chickens. You do have to move it regularly or the birds will eat every blade of grass and than dig up the roots.

Also, I agree we are better than Nashville arn't we? They have Antioch for G's sake.

village farmer said...

Gunner I just thought of something we can do to bring the idea of neighborly chickens to a larger crowd. During Depot Days I can bring my chicken tractor with half a dozen chickens to display. How I am not all that good at talking to the public so maybe you and some others could help out in that area. We could have a petition drive to see what the interest in chickens is like in town. I'll have to look into the cost of a stall, but I'm thinking I can cover that my self.

David The Good said...

That's a great idea. I'd be happy to write some PR for it too.

Anonymous said...

i have been thinking about getting some chickens for eggs. I did not realize that I can't have them in Smyrna. There are some up the street from me. I guess i need to look at the city limits map....becuase my "neighbor" is closer to Smyrna proper than i am. How can we change the ordinance? I am sorry to hear that our Nashville neighbors can have chickens and we can't!