Rebecca Sweet talks about Backyard Chickens on Garden Rant

The Flip Side of Suburban Chickens (Rebecca Sweet's guest post on Garden Rant)

...Everywhere I turn I’m reading magazine headlines promoting the "Joys of Chickens in your Suburban Backyard", "Suburban chickens – the Way to Go," "What’re you waiting for? Get a chicken – it couldn’t be easier!" I’m here to let folks know that some people’s definition of ‘easy’ is different than others! And here in Northern California, "Suburban" usually means 1/3 acre or less...with lots of neighbors around...

Okay – don’t get me wrong. I love chickens. I absolutely love chickens. In fact, I’ve had at least a dozen chickens in my own suburban backyard over the past decade. Note the word "had"...

Here’s the problem: Chickens poop – a LOT. And they don’t go in one spot either (like a dog). They go all OVER the place, about once every 5 minutes or so. And it isn’t cute little poop either (like a rabbit’s). They’re golf-ball sized bombs just waiting for you to step on them. Read on...