IN DEFENSE OF KEEPING CHICKENS

This is my attempt to get all of the thoughts that I have had over the last number of weeks on this subject together in one place. Since sometime last year, after the loss of my father and brother, sometime before the estate of my father-in-law was finally settled in December, I have been longing for a pet. I know that we can't have a dog right now. Neither is a cat practical for us. The reasons are very involved and concern the fact that my husband, Jay, has been diagnosed with Huntington's Disease. The wants and needs of a cat or a dog are too great for me to care for when I am already caring for Jay, more sometimes than others. I know, to the bystander looking on, Jay seems rather normal. But things are very wrong with some of his neurological and mostly logical processes. The specialist told him back in December of 2011 that he should not be driving, that the progress of his disease already made him a danger to himself and others on the road. I had seen that, but wasn't expecting for him to lose his wheels so soon. So, here he is, stuck at home most of the time. In the winter, unless there was snow to shovel, there was little for him to do. Now that spring is here, he has been riding his bike down to breakfast, almost daily. Even though breakfast out every day is not necessary and can get expensive, I don't begrudge him this routine break from being stuck at home with no human interaction most of the week. He is also able to work in the yard and the garden and is interested and industrious at doing so. 

But the best thing for his morale has been the chickens we obtained on April 6th of this year. We started with six hens. At least, we thought they were all hens. They were pullets when we got them, most were 13 weeks old. So it turned out that our Little Blackie, the Black Australorp, was a rooster. He first crowed at me on Mother's Day. Thanks. I knew that meant he would have to go. With every crow, the poor thing was exalting in life, not knowing he was enforcing his own death warrant. I hate having to put any animal down, much less a young, healthy, happy animal. But it had to be done to keep the neighbors happy. Jay didn't want to do it. He extended the life of the rooster by at least three weekends, trying to defend the rooster. Maybe Blackie really isn't a rooster. Maybe "she" just crowed as a fluke. He wanted to wait and see. And then, so what if he was a rooster? Does that necessarily mean we have to get rid of him? Well...the neighbors.

As it turned out, one of the neighbors had already filed a complaint. But the neighbor didn't just want the rooster gone. He wanted all the chickens to go. The county agent who dropped by on May 21 told us that the neighbor had complained, and that the county had an ordinance. You can't keep a farm animal in Elkhart County unless the land is zoned properly and you have at least three acres of land. Chickens are farm animals. Wait a minute. Did you know they just changed the city ordinance so that you can keep chickens in Elkhart in city limits? You mean we can't keep these chickens, even if we are keeping them as pets? No. Not unless you have three acres, or you can file a special use permit, but it will probably be declined.

We made a trip to the County Zoning Board. They told us all that is involved in filing the special use permit. You have to fill out a form six pages long. You have to include the legal description of your property, pictures of the property, an explanation of why you want the permit, and enclose $150.00 when filing. You have to explain what changes you plan to make to the property in relationship to the project. You have 30 days to file for the permit. It will then be scheduled on the next Zoning Board of Appeals public hearing meeting. Every neighbor who lives within 300 feet of the property will be sent an invitation to come to the public meeting and can argue against the special use permit. 

Meanwhile, back at the ranch...we have grown so fond of these chickens. Each of the five who remain have a different personality. Queenie, she is called that because she is at the top of the pecking order, is also the friendliest to her humans. Merryweather is a little more shy than Queenie, but still there is a bond. I would have to say she is my favorite. They are both laying eggs now. Queenie is very regular, we get one from her almost daily. Merryweather is more hit and miss. Little Goldie is friendly, but a little more skittish. She is the lightest color of honey gold. I can't wait to see what color of egg she lays. Pluckey is a pluckey little burger. She and Hoolihan are the smallest and they kind of hang out together. Major Margaret Hoolihan, whom we also call "Hot Lips" is the smallest and the most skittish of all of the five. I just thought it would be fun to have a chicken named "Hot Lips". Does a chicken have lips? Last time I saw lips on a chicken, I was looking at the wrong end! (Sorry, but these conversations sometimes come up in my head and I can't help but give them space. Lol.)

Jay thinks the chickens are more fun to watch than TV. And you would not believe how they have changed things around here. Up until the time the county agent came and told us we would have to give them up, I couldn't wait to get home from work at night to see what they had been up to during the day. There was something about sitting out in the back yard in a lawn chair, watching them pecking around in the yard, that was so stress relieving for me. They were doing the same for Jay. It's not like having a dog or a cat that wants you to pet it, or throw it a ball, or sit on your lap. They just calmly go about their business. They challenge each other sometimes, over a treat or a tid bit. Nothing very serious ever comes of it. They face off for a minute and then they go back to what they were doing. When I come out the back door, they come running and flapping to see what I have for them. Their favorite treat is dried mealworms. I buy this for them under the name "Happy Hen Treats" from Big R. I sprinkle them on the ground and Queenie tries to gobble them all up before anybody else can get to them. She jumps straight up in the air at the bag if I don't get them out fast enough for her. It makes me laugh right out loud. I NEED TO LAUGH! Out goes the stress.

Those chickens give Jay something else to focus on. He feeds them and gives them water. He lets them out to run around in the yard. And sometimes they wander into the neighbor's yard. And that is why the neighbor complained. He doesn't want them in his yard. I can sympathize with that. We can build a more permanent pen for the chickens so that they aren't able to wander anywhere they are not wanted. 

We want to talk with all the neighbors who have property that borders ours. We want to find out what are the concerns. If it bothers people that they may wander over there and poop, we will contain them so that doesn't happen. If they are concerned about odors, good animal husbandry practices ensure that there won't be a problem with that. We are composting all of the nitrogen rich poo from the coop to use in the garden. It is mixed with pine shavings from the bedding and when we have a more permanent coop, we will switch over to a sand base which can be scooped like cat litter. We will use the deep litter method which eliminates smells and grows beneficial nematodes that break down the poo quicker into compost. It isn't going to be any worse than having a dog running around pooping in the yard, and dog poop never breaks down into such good fertilizer. 

If the neighbors are concerned about the noise, once again, we have taken care of the noise problem. The rest of the chickens are quiet and don't make even as much noise as a flock of geese or any other birds flying overhead. They are certainly quieter than any yapping dog would be. 

The fact that the hens lay eggs is a side benefit, really. Hens do not lay year round. Some do, especially young ones, but that isn't our focus. Still,  it is a benefit that does not come from a dog or a cat. I can hardly wait to watch them as they go after a grasshopper. I have heard that this is very entertaining to watch. I believe it because I have already witnessed one of my girls go after a fly. So, I guess, that should be listed as another benefit, they kill nuisance bugs. And they are entertaining and therapeutic to watch. 

I know that some people would probably not want other people to have ANY pets at all, if it were up to them. Maybe they would begrudge us a cat or a dog also, but there is no handy ordinance to get rid of cats or dogs. However, there is a handy County ordinance to see that your neighbors can't have pigs, goats, sheep, or chickens. Maybe it's time to change the ordinance, at least where chickens are concerned. Even though our property is zoned for agricultural use, we can't keep a few chickens, not even for pets. I intend to challenge this ordinance. I don't know, yet, what must be done. But, you can bet on it, I am planning to do what it takes to challenge the ordinance.

In the meantime, until a decision is reached on the special use permit, which will be scheduled for July 18th, I am here...WE are here, with our chickens.

November 4, 2012

We were in Chicago this past weekend. We went there because my cousin, Karen, was there for business and I had not seen her in 38 years. It was great to see her.  We didn't really get to spend a whole lot of time together. We ate at the Webber Grill Restaurant on the corner of Grand and State Streets. We then went to her hotel and sat in the lobby for a little bit and talked some more. Then we parted, promising it will not be so long until the next time we see each other. Maybe I will go see her at her home, and my other cousins, her sisters, and their mother. Maybe she will be back in the Chicago area again.  But, I wanted to talk about something else that happened to me while I was in Chicago this weekend.

We were in Chicago to see my cousin. But I also saw other people. I mean, hey, there are always a LOT of people in Chicago. But the particular people that we saw that I keep thinking about were the people on the streets. I mean, the ones that live there, if that is what you can call living, on the streets. The photo at the top of this page, you may not be able to tell, is a man sleeping on the street. He was there Sunday morning on my way to Dunkin Donuts to get myself some breakfast and some coffee for Jay. He was trying to sleep there, on the street, around the corner from my hotel. I found myself slipping into the mode of "should I or shouldn't I?" I wondered if his mother knew he was there, sleeping on the street. How long had he been there? He had an old suitcase at his head, he was covered with his coat and his little yellow blanket. It was about 38 degrees out there all night. Did he have any place to go? What is he going to do when it gets colder? He was not the only one. There were others. People sat with little signs. "I have a wife and two children. Wife and I lost our jobs. WE ARE HUNGRY. Please Help." His wife was across the street with a similar sign. They sat silently, heads bowed, faces covered by the signs.

Now, I know a thing or two or three. I know I could not help all of these people. I know that some of them are there because of drug or alcohol addictions. I know that if you "help" even one of these people, they are still going to be in the same spot in 24 hours or less. In fact, I have also been taught not to give money to these people, if you really want to help them, it would be better to actually buy them a sandwich than to give them money for one that they can use for more drugs or alcohol. And, in fact, I did not help any of these people at all. But I keep wondering about them, especially the guy in the picture above. I consider myself a Christian, and I keep wondering what was my responsibility toward these people? In the city where I live, we don't run into street people very often. There are organizations here to keep people off the streets. Homeless people can get help...food...a place to stay. But Chicago, I don't know, maybe there are too many of them. Maybe they don't know where to go. Maybe they are conning people. 

I don't really have any answers. Maybe you have some ideas. How do you deal with these people and their needs? I mean, this is humanity. Most everyone else did the same as I did this weekend. You just walk past, don't make eye contact, don't give them anything. They are PEOPLE! What if we took a minute and just treated them like people? I don't know. I do know that I am not finished thinking about this. My main purpose in writing this blog was just to help me think it through some more. Thanks for reading.

Love,

Lorri

Six Months

 
 It's going on six months. Six months ago yesterday evening I lost my older brother. Six months ago tomorrow morning, my sister and I sang "Softly and Tenderly (Jesus is Calling) to my Dad, and ten minutes later he went to be with Jesus. It still hurts me to the point of tears whenever I think about how that all  came about. My brother had been on dialysis for months, had known two Christmases ago that he was going to need a kidney transplant to survive. He probably also knew that his time was ticking away and that he was not going to get on "The List" in time. He was getting weaker and weaker. He was angry with the specialist because he rescheduled his appointment, at least once, if not twice. (That part is kind of fuzzy in my mind.) And who could blame him for that?
   Dad was fine, as far as we knew, this time last year. We had gone down to celebrate my sister's August Birthday while my niece was home from Ireland. The day after that celebration, something wasn't right with Dad. That something wound up being diagnosed as cancer. Still, we hoped that it was treatable/curable.
Things went along in due course. He came through the surgery in January just fine. But something went terribly wrong during the course of his recovery. And, it's still a mystery to me, but both Larry and Dad wound up going to two separate hospitals on the same day, January 28, both via ambulance. And they both died within two days of each other, less than a week later. The rest of our family, my two younger brothers, my sister, my mom, and all of those whom belonged to each of us, were left reeling. My poor mom, they had been married 56 years. It would be like tearing half of your heart out and burying it in the grave. How do you "move on" after that? People expect you to, so you put on a brave front. But when nobody is there, you cry. You cry a lot.
   I am not ashamed that I still cry about this at least once a week. If I stop being "busy", I think about it. In unguarded moments, even sometimes with people all around, it just hits me. When I think about when we all first walked into that funeral parlor and were confronted with twin caskets, the shock of that...then the emotions take over.
   I know they are in a better place. There is a degree of peace that comes from that. Larry doesn't suffer anymore. Dad doesn't suffer any more. And there are people who have it a lot worse than we do. I think of the Ginthers, who lost three sons in one car accident. I think of the pastor of that church who lost his whole family, his wife and all of his kids in a senseless car accident.One of my Aunts lost her husband one year and then two daughters within five months of each other the next year. I guess we all have to deal with our own pain in life. And people would remind me that God doesn't give us more than we can handle, which I don't know if that is exactly true, because sometimes I feel like this is all making me a little crazy. Somehow, we have to hang on and learn whatever it is that we have to learn by going through this stuff. Maybe it is just so that we can comfort others when they are going through it. We know what others say and do that helps prop us up, so we can maybe help others.
    But maybe this is all just part of human existence. Maybe there are no lessons. Maybe we just go through this because the longer we live, the more likely we are to experience the pain of loved ones passing, one by one or in multiples (and God please forbid that we should lose multiples again). Maybe we are made more human because we have to face our own frailty. We have to admit that we can't control these things. I do have to think that if I was God, which I never will be, of course, I wouldn't have let this happen this way. I can't find the sense in it. Some of my friends don't believe that there even is a God, and I don't know how they deal with these times in their lives. But for me, I have decided that God is still mysterious. I haven't got Him all figured out. To me, He is in control and I am not. So, even though it doesn't make sense to me how or why these things happen, I am going to go on with life. I am hoping that some day I will have worked through all of this. But even if I never do, I know in my heart that God does not hold it against me that I am struggling with all of this right now. That is all.

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Moving...again

We have been living happily in Middlebury for the last thirteen years. For the last three years we have rented this house at 402 W. Berry Street. It has been a tough three years, but the highlight has been living here, so close to downtown that we can walk down two blocks to our bank, a restaurant, a hardware store, and a few other great places. We can walk a couple more blocks and be at one of the greatest parks in the area, Krider Gardens. We live only a block from a leg of the Pumpkin Vine Nature Trail. I have so loved living here, and I will miss it greatly.

Many of you know that Jay lost his Dad in October. We had just had lunch with him at Olive Garden for Jay's birthday the Saturday previous to the week that he died. It's still hard to believe that he went so fast. At any rate, Jay's Dad and his wife, Edna, were living in one of the duplexes that are now part of the estate that he left behind. Edna is moving out and we are moving in. We may have to rent it for the first couple of months, until the estate gets settled. But, when the estate gets settled, we will be living there for free. In our situation, free is good.

Another advantage to this move is that it will be closer for me to get to work. I will be able to go home over lunch. I'm excited about that. I'm also happy about the idea of having Krull Cabinets again. My husband built all the cabinetry in the duplexes. I have missed having Krull Cabinets while I have been in Middlebury, though we had them briefly in the basement kitchen in the house on County Road 35.

I know that the move will bring some welcome changes to our situation, financially and otherwise. But, oh, how I will miss my dear Middlebury! I will miss being so close and in such a safe environment that I can get up in the morning while it is still dark and walk for an hour, and never feel threatened. We will live close to a number of shopping areas in Elkhart's north side, but I will not feel safe to walk to these areas due to the traffic count and just the general crime rate in Elkhart. I will find a place to walk, but it may be an indoor spot.

This is Andy and Tricia surprising Grandpa at what will soon be our front door.

Anyway, moving is always an adventure. I have to find homes for a lot of items I can no longer keep because of space considerations. It's a good thing we downsized when we moved here, but we need to super downsize now!

Baking Goodies

It doesn't surprise anybody who knows me, but I love to cook. I also love to bake. It's a good thing that I have a job and can't devote more time to these two hobbies, because I also like to eat the things I cook and bake. I would be "roughly the size of a barge." As soon as it turns cold outside here in northern Indiana, my oven gets a workout. There are apple pies made from fresh picked, locally grown apples. There is pumpkin pie, sometimes made from pumpkins from my own garden, but not recently. There are dozens and dozens of cookies. There are cakes and brownies.  I think my favorite thing to make and eat around the holidays are my homemade crescent rolls. They have a ton of butter in them, so no wonder they melt in your mouth. I got the recipe from a cookbook my mother-in-law gave to me a long time ago called "Nutbread and Nostalgia" which was put together by the Junior League in South Bend.  You have to use real butter in the rolls, not margarine. I suppose they are mostly bad for your health, but they are oh so good in your mouth!

Another thing that I really love this time of year is home made beef stew. I think if I were going to overeat, I would rather overeat savory foods rather than sweet ones. I usually fill up on a meal and don't have room for dessert. Beef stew is like the ultimate comfort food for me. For some reason, it always reminds me of my mother. She is the one who taught me how to make it. I don't have a recipe. It turns out a little different every time, yet consistenly yummy! When it is cold outside, there is nothing as wonderful as coming into the house and having the savory fragrance of beef stew greeting me from atop the stove or in the crockpot. It's still good a week later. (Insert words of nursery rhyme here..some like it hot, some like it cold, some like it in the pot nine days old!) I am hungry now, and it's only 9:00 a.m.!
At any rate, this is the time of year that I kick the baking into high gear. There has to be a turkey, at least that is what I think there has to be. Sometime during the season, even if I am not hosting the gathering, I have to roast a turkey. There have to be the crescent rolls. I have made two batches already this season. We need at least three kinds of cookies. There are the chocolate chips, the peanut butter with chocolate kisses, and there should be cookie cutter cookies decorated with colored frostings. Tricia will want my pumpkin swirl cheesecake with the ginger snap cookie crust. I want pumpkin pies and almost always, pecan pie. Those are just the basics for the season. I somehow find time to do all of this from the end of November to the beginning of December. Well, I feel I have to do this. IT MUST BE DONE!

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