Monday night, June 13, 2011 the Denver City Council had a public hearing on the Food Producing Animal (FPA) Bill to allow up to eight backyard chickens and/or ducks and two pigmy goats. The new bill would allow FPA residence without an expensive ($150) and lengthy (apply to Animal Control, apply to Zoning, post a sign for 10 days and return for review of Committee) process to keep chickens (no ducks). Fifty-four people spoke at the hearing, and only three spoke in opposition. The following is my three minute speech.
My name is Maggie Rice. I am speaking for College View Neighborhood Association, which is West Evans to Hampden Avenue, Pecos to Federal Avenue, and in some parts as far West as Knox Ct. We are a neighborhood of small houses with large lots. We have chickens and ducks and geese grandfathered in.
Modern American children do not know where food comes from. We can teach them to grow sprouts in jars and Victory Gardens are becoming a peaceful sight on our landscape. Adding Food Producing Animals makes sense when you look at the whole picture.
In the United States we spend billions of dollars on fertilizers, weed killers, and pesticides, even more billions on fuel to run large farming equipment and transport the food produced to market. All of which impact the environment and the economy whether or not you believe in Global Warming.
My chickens produce top quality organic fertilizer while they are catching the bugs, producing eggs, tilling the soil, and eating the weeds which they again turn into fertilizer. They organically compost the weed seeds and when they range free, they seek out the hated Canadian Thistle. One hicken lays on average 220 eggs a year. The chicks are a delight to children and adults. The chickens are safe, socialable and friendly pets.
And the eggs deserve a special mention. Free Range Chicken Eggs (as opposed to Commercially raised):
– have 1/3 less cholesterol
– 1/4 less saturated fat
– 2/3 more Vitamin A
– 2 times more Omega-3 Fatty Acids
– 3 times more Vitamin E
– 7 times more Beta Carotena
and recent tests show 4 to 6 times more Vitamin D. Eggs are one of the few food sources that have naturally occuring Vitamin D.
Speaking as a retired Chef, nothing is comparable to fresh eggs. When the eggs are laid, they are covered with a ‘BLOOM’ on the shell as a natural protection. An unwashed egg does not need refrigerating. The commercial process of washing, sealing with parafin, and storing refrigerated for weeks and months before sale compromises the flavor, texture and quality. In fact, most parts of the commercial egg producing process are horrific. Chickens are kept in barren wire cages so restrictive they cannot spread their wings, nest, preen or perform any other other instinctive behavior. They are fed minimum quality food not even equal to the mallow and thistle chicks forage in my yard. What the chicken is fed shows up in the eggs.
A fresh egg has a stiff white that sits up round in the pan circling an orange yolk. The whites are fluffier, the yolks more flavorful. When they wander into onion grass – the flavor shows up in the eggs.
I walk out in the morning, pick up an egg and head right back in the house to a sizzling pan of butter. I know my eggs are safe and what they eat is safe.
So for Denver City Council – The egg comes first. I want to share my bounty with you. Once you have tasted a “real egg” I hope you will not only understand, but want a chicken of your own. Thank you.
I offered them 19 (all the chicken eggs I had on hand) my ducks are still illegal – and several people offered to buy them off me before I got to speak. It was a good and informative 4 hours with City Council.
Resources:
http://www.motherearthnews.com/eggs.aspx
http://www.motherearthnews.com/Relish/Pastured-Eggs-Vitamin-D-Content.aspx