h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Entry: Backyard Chicken Keeping - A87844314
Author: Amy Pawloski, aka 'paper lady'--'Mufflewhump'?!? click here to find out... (ACE) - U180656

Alternate title suggestions welcomed! This is aimed at the person that never really thought about having chickens...

How about, 'Tips for Urban Chicken Farmers'?

This is wonderful. Makes me think of my grandparents, who had lots of chickens, and a very feisty bantam rooster...

Anyway, isn't it spelled 'Cockerel'? Just asking.

Back around 1900, everybody in Philadelphia had chickens in their backyards - although I think it's illegal now. I'll bet it was common. Growing up outside Pittsburgh in the 1960s, I'd wake up to the neighbours' rooster.

Well, I wanted the entry to be more for the person that's wandering around and hears a chicken in someplace strange (I looked up ordinances, and Brooklyn's only restriction is no roosters--which is why I picked it for he intro. I figured Brooklyn's a fairly familiar place name for an international audience, and thus would be surprising...)

*Looks up spelling* Ack! Well, at least I was consistent

Oh, and out of curiosity, I looked up Philly's ordinance--If you have at least 3 acres, you can have an unregulated number of hens, no permits, and no regulations on housing But a person with an average-sized lot can't have any.

Fixed the spelling

That's what I thought - which is funny, because up until around 1900, those tiny backyards in Center City were FULL of poultry. In fact, during the 18th Century, they grazed their cows in the park squares - and kept them in the backyards. Funny how things change.

I see what you mean about the title. I'd work the city into it, though - backyards could be anywhere. Maybe something like 'Keeping Chickens in the City'? Or 'Eggs and the Urban Chicken'?

I agree - Brooklyn's known the world around, and it would surprise people to find chickens there these days.

They're allowed in LA, too, but somehow I thought that would be less surprising--Californians are , after all

Too true.

Titles never have been my strong suit (titles and transitions--I love how headers and subheaders make transitioning so much easier) Here's a bit from the conversation after my last journal snippet (my part only):

"... that's kind of why I wanted to get an entry on it on h2g2--so people could stumble upon it who weren't necessarily searching for chicken info. Maybe I should title it something like 'Backyard Chicken Keeping For the Non-Chicken Keeper'. Or not. That title's pretty bad"

I know what you mean - you want the title to intrigue. But you also need the title to satisfy SEO. Otherwise, it won't get found in a search...

So make sure the word 'chicken' is in there somewhere. And something about the location, either backyards, or cities, or 'urban', whatever...

Take this chicken-related entry:

'Robert E Lee and His Pet Chicken - A Study in Southern Gentility'

The operative terms are 'Robert E Lee", 'chicken', and 'Southern', so it shows up in searches. So go google.

When I did it, the h2g2 entry showed up as the second entry on the list. The first wasn't as interesting, and the third wasn't as accurate - which anyone should realise when they read 'sonofthesouth.net', anyway. So we've accomplished our SEO goal, I think.


So get in 'chicken', and 'city' or 'urban', maybe.

How about:

'Backyard Chicken Coops: An Urban Surprise'? Or similar?

Oh, and I just found this headline:

'US City Dwellers FLock to Raising Chickens'.

Nice title

*Googles found title* Oo, I was thinking I needed something showing recent popularity, and that article's perfect!

Added links (mostly h2g2 with one outside one) and a sentence to allow one of the h2g2 links.

Amy here is a National Geographic book review of a work you might find interesting:

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2014/12/141221-chickens-civilization-avian-flu-locavore-turkey-ngfood-booktalk/

A very good Entry, i enjoyed reading it.

'Has information on other types of poultry, as well, such as ducks, geese, turkeys, peafowl, swans, quail, pheasants, emus, ostriches, and rheas. There's even been information on keeping cassowaries!'
People really keep all these in their backyards?!

Oh, I have a question: if you keep chickens in your garden, don't they eat from your vegetable patches?

It's not common here to have your own chickens, maybe because there are enough farmers around who sell their own free range eggs. Keeping chickens in cages is also not allowed anymore here.

In 'Who can have chikens' could you explain 4H and FFA in the footnote? I don't think an Entry should require me to click a link.
Also, if you are not certain about the laws, can't you just ask at the town council or something? Maybe get some kind of written permission?

Why would anyone add vinegar or garlic to water?

Good questions--I'll go make those bits clearer when I have time

Good point on not making people *have* to click a link for 4H and FFA, so I'll fix that, too

Changes made

Now y'all have stuck me with 'Chug a Lug'. '4H and FFA on a field trip to the farm...'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iS0w49R4SG0

thanks for the changes