magazines
Backyard Poultry Magazine - Dedicated to increasing and improving small-flock poultry. Each issue contains informative articles on breed selection, housing, management, health and nutrition, rare and historic breeds, news and views, plus other topics of interest to promote the raising of small-scale poultry.
Portland Spaces - This links you to the magazine's January 2009 article "Belles of the Backyard," a concise, well illustrated explanation of different breeds, plus coop tips and more. The Garden Coop even makes an appearance on page 6!
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general websites/blogs
ChickenKeeping.com - An elegant site, written simply and cleanly with gorgeous photography and lots of good information to get started with a backyard flock. Check out the Just for Fun page, which includes links to the author's HenCam site, children's books, and one of my favorite cookbooks!
UrbanChickens.net - This blog about urban chicken farming covers a whole range of topics, from choosing your chicks to changing your local ordinances.
DigginFood.com - So you're growing your own food -- now what do you do with it? This site is dedicated to answering that question, with growing guides, recipes, and stories about growing and enjoying real food. There's also plenty of good info specifically about raising chickens.
BackyardChickens.com - Nice, comprehensive site on raising chickens in the city, suburbs, and country, including an image gallery for coop ideas.
MichaelPollan.com - Pollan is one of the most articulate writers on the subject of food and food quality today. His classic The Omnivore's Dilemma is a must-must-must read, especially if you're going to be raising and enjoying your own farmstead eggs. All of his books and writings are linked from his site.
Small Scale Poultry Housing - This fact sheet from the Virginia Cooperative Extension is a concise summary of what to consider when building a coop.
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community websites
Growing Gardens (Portland, OR) - This organization supports low-income households with gardening resources, offers afterschool garden clubs, sponsors workshops and work parties, and teaches gardeners all about growing, preparing, and preserving healthful food. The link takes you to the chicken resources area of their site.
UrbanChickens.org (Albuquerque, NM) - Educational and networking site run by city farmers KT LaBadie and Mark Scully in Albuquerque.
SeattleTilth.org (Seattle, WA) - This nationally recognized non-profit organization works to cultivate a sustainable community in Seattle, one garden (and chicken coop) at a time. The link takes you to a great collection of local chicken info.
COOP: Chicken Owners Outside (And In) Philadephia - This group is a friendly cooperative of Philadelphia-area chicken owners. Check out their nice feed of chicken-keeping-related news. And if you're keeping chickens near Philly, get in touch with them.
Pioneer Valley Backyard Chicken Association (Western Massachusetts) - This community group features chicken workshops and consultations, an annual coop tour, a chicken-sitter list, and more to help chicken keepers in the area.
JustFood.org (New York, NY) - This organization has been working since 1994 to build a stronger regional food system in the New York City area. Their City Chickens resources page tells you more about them and offers links to everything you need to get started.
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organic gardening
Independence Gardens (Portland, OR) - Karen and Isabel help people start their own food gardens, consulting on design and building just about any garden structure you might need—including chicken coops.
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chicken feed and supplies
Urban Farm Store (Portland, OR) - Thoughful, healthful, quality foods and products for your chicks and chickens, right in the heart of the city.
MyPetChicken.com - Offers everything you need to get started—baby chicks, accessories, books, coop plans, gifts, etc.
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architecture and design
Portland Architecture - I've enjoyed reading this blog for years. The writing is engaging and covers a broad range of topics from architecture in town and around the world to historic preservation, sustainability, and more.
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people food
Abundant Life Farm (Dallas, OR) - If you're in Oregon's Willamette Valley and are looking for pasture-raised poultry, beef, lamb, and pork, the Jondles raise some of the best meat around using principles they learned working with Joel Salatin of Polyface Farm in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley. The Jondles are good people and excellent stewards of the land. And their eggs are as good as from the backyard! We get a dozen or so whenever our own flock takes a break from laying.
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films and fun
Mad City Chickens Movie - This documentary film (2009 release) weaves together stories about city chickens and their keepers, featuring voices from the fast-growing international backyard chicken movement. Includes interviews with Mother Earth News Editor-in-Chief, Cheryl Long, a behind-the-scenes look at Murray McMurray Hatchery, nutritional info on pastured eggs, and more.
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local chicken coop tours
Funky Chicken Coops Tour (Austin, TX) - April 3, 2010, 10am – 4pm
Chicken Coop Tour (Pioneer Valley of Western MA) - April 11, 2010
Chicks in the City (Atlanta, GA)
- April 25, 2009
Henside the Beltline Tour d'Coop (Raleigh, NC)
- May 16, 2009
City Chickens Coop Tour (Tucson, AZ)
- May 23, 2009
Albuquerque Chicken Coop Tour (Albuquerque, NM)
- June 6, 2009 (always the first Saturday in June)
Tour de Coops (Salt Lake City, UT)
- June 27, 2009
City Chickens Coop Tour (Seattle, WA)
- July 11, 2009
Mad City Chicken Coop Tour (Madison, WI)
- July 20, 2009
Tour de Coops (Portland, OR)
- July 25, 2009
Tour de Coops (Phoenix, AZ)
- December 5, 2009
Please email us if you know of a local tour that's not in the above list.
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