Backyard chickens nothing to crow about

I was born and raised on a dairy farm. We also had 800 chickens. Believe me, I know all about chickens. They do not belong on a small town lot.

Ask yourself this - do you want to be awakened at dawn with a chorus of rooster crows? Do you garden? Do you want your neighbor's chickens digging out your flowers and/or vegetables? How about taking a dust bath in your yard where there is any exposed dirt? Do you like walking in chicken doo-doo? How about the poor chicken keeper? Do you enjoy the odor of chicken manure? This can be a health hazard.

Properly fed chickens don't eat our food scraps. Coyotes and wild mink, fox or weasels will, of course, be very happy. Children can learn about chickens and their food source at the library or petting zoo. What next? A cow in the backyard? A farm with much surrounding land is a good place to raise chickens, not a town lot.

Ruth A. Kramer

Carpentersville