Get Chickens. Part One: How to get chickens

This is where our flock began.  My mom saved this snippet from the Charlotte Observer back when Abe and I were newlyweds living in a third story one-bedroom apartment. The fact that I still have the clipping in my planner tells us that I really need to clean out my purse, and that it was surprisingly difficult (at least then) to find out what kind of backyard farm is legal in Charlotte.

If you live in Charlotte too (holla!), this link will be useful.  If you aren't so lucky, Municode also has city codes for other places.  Just remember that if your neighborhood is governed by a homeowners association, they generally have additional policies you may have to  argue and protest abide by.

In the ideal world where you readers live in my imagination, you have a wonderful hardware store nearby where you can purchase your chicks. If not, check your local Craigslist, which is actually where Abe and I got our first chickens.  Or dress up like a fox, wait til midnight, and raid someone else's coop, if you don't mind the legs all dangling down-o.

You'll need a coop first, and the internet is full of ideas for constructing your own.  Next time, I'll talk about converting a regular old garden shed into a coop and provide helpful suggestions for naming your new pets.