A boost for backyard chickens

Palo's passage of an ordinance allowing backyard chickens brought out the calls, including one from Sharon and Vernon Eden of rural Iowa City. Vernon, 78, has raised chickens for years, but his health is failing and he needs to sell them. They have about 25 Araucana chickens, 10 guineas and 2 Pekin ducks. The ducks are a pair and need to stay together. The Edens thought the Araucanas, which lay green and beige eggs, would make great urban chickens.

 “These are about one year old and they're laying like crazy,” Vernon said.

The chickens are fed table scraps in addition to chicken feed and need a pen with a covering. “They're just neat chickens,” Vernon said. “They're just as tame as tame can be.”

 The couple will also sell chicken feeders and related equipment, though Vernon isn't quite ready to part with their three coops yet.

For backyard chicken novices, Vernon touts the magazine, Backyard Poultry, saying it offers quite a few helpful hints to get started.

 If you're interested in buying the chickens or ducks, the couple can be reached at: (319) 337-9009.

 And here's a link to today's story in the Gazette:

http://thegazette.com/local-news/government/2010/05/24/palo-passes-backyard-chicken-ordinance