Talking urban chickens on OPB’s Think Out Loud

This morning, I was excited to be a guest on OPB’s radio program Think Out Loud. The show today was about urban chickens, and online host David Miller came by with a remote unit to broadcast live from our backyard.

I think he was hoping to pick up on the mic some gentle clucking in the background. But as a testament to how quiet backyard hens actually are most of the time, the girls didn’t make a peep.

Three other Oregonians joined in as guests, and the conversation ranged from the legal (two nearby cities just declined ordinance changes that would have made keeping chickens possible/more possible) to the practical (health, cost, chicken safety) to the philosophical (what moves people to keep chickens in the city in the first place).

Several listeners called in and many more joined in the online discussion, and it left me with lots to think about. More on that in upcoming posts. It also left me grateful to live in a place where the law and the culture are accepting of keeping chickens. Thanks, Portland! And thanks to Julie Sabatier and OPB for putting together a great show.

You can listen to the program here.

P.S. David, you’re welcome back for eggs anytime.