Central New York Chicken Invasion

If you woke up this morning and you thought heard a chicken clucking at your neighbor's house in Rome, don't worry, you didn't fly the coop.

I grew up on a farm with goats, horses, pigs, cows, rabbits, and yes chickens! My dad often tried to trick us into drinking the goats' milk by putting it in a regular milk carton; one that you'd find at the convenient store. One morning he surprised me when I saw him cracking eggs that were brown.  Huh? I'd never seen a brown egg before, and unless it was made of chocolate, I had no intention of eating one. One day I conceded; I gave in, and it was delicious!

I'm not sure what color eggs the chickens are laying here in Central New York, but for one reason or another, they seem to be flocking to our area. Is there something in the air? Are they here to protest our love for Riggies?! Whatever the reason, they're calling the Mohawk Valley their new home. Seriously though, the ever expanding chicken population is actually do to the fact that that we Central New Yorkers want fresh eggs, and we're willing to go through great lengths to get them; even if means raising our own chickens.

Tom and J'nell Geer from Vernon only had a handful of chickens a couple of years ago. Now they've got a flock, and they're producing nearly 70 eggs a day! An Oneida man is tending to some Old English Game Fowl. These special birds only lay eggs in the spring, and he's got dozens to attend to. Recently, a Rome child decided she wanted some chickens too.

A visit to her aunt and uncle's house in New Jersey sparked an interest in raising chicken for 9-year-old Danielle D'Aiuto. After clearing it with the codes department, her family decided to put up and coop and raise chickens.

A couple in Mohawk, and another in Herkimer would like to farm chickens as well. Lately, I've talked to people from all over the region who have expressed an interest in raising hens and roosters. I have a friend in Washington Mills who builds and sells chicken coops. Just yesterday he told me that locals are demanding them faster than he can put them together. Crazy right?! Now I'm all for chickens. I think they're great, but if everyone here decides to start a farm, the smell will be downright fowl!

Just Jen and I had a chicken chat this morning!