Raising Chickens at Home Gaining in Popularity Nationwide

Raising chickens is gaining in popularity all over theswap at the local Tractor Supply store. Chicken
country. The sluggish economy, health concernsswaps, which have been described as small livestock
about processed foods, and the green livingyard sales, have been held in southern New
movement are some of the contributing factors.Hampshire for about two years, primarily at Tractor
After being laid off from her job, New HampshireSupply, Blue Seal and grain stores.
resident Mary Bendix decided to plant a backyardMost of the swaps are organised by Greg Collins of
garden and raise a few chickens. It wasn't an entirelyHookset, N.H. Collins is a volunteer who runs the
new venture for her however. As as a girl, Bendixswaps and records sales and forwards the
attended a convent boarding school in Harvard, Mass.,information to the state Department of Agriculture.
where she worked in the gardens, fed the chickensThe state depends on the records to track sellers in
and milked the cows."I loved it," she said. "You werethe event of an animal illness. Collins says from six to
outdoors. It was healthy. We did it together."eight swaps are held monthly across the state.
Bendix was a little apprehensive at first, not knowingBendix also has 2 compost piles in her backyard. One
if her neighbors would be receptive to the idea.pile is for food scraps from her kitchen, and the
Instead, the neighbors have welcomed the zucchini,other contains yard waste and bedding from her
cucumbers and other fresh produce Bendix shares,chicken house. She says that growing her own
and they also know that if either of the twovegetables and raising chickens has lowered her food
roosters starts crowing in the middle of the night, itbill and provided other values as well. She uses the
will be dinner for the family tomorrow.garden to teach her grandchildren the value of natural
Bendix got her flock started by attending a chickenresources and the principles of sustainable living.