Chicken evangelism! They are the easiest critters in the world and so funny. Redneck TV--I could watch them all day. Just make sure you've got hens, not a rooster, and go for it even if you're in the city. Lots of municipalities allow for backyard chickens; Portland is like the urban chicken capital of the US.

Backyard Chickens is a great site on the subject, and the book Keep Chickens is a great resource on small flocks; I highly recommend it. For a family flock you're talking between 3 and 12 (and 12 would be if you either had a huge super egg-eating family or wanted to sell eggs). We have three now--we lost number four, a Buff Orpington named French, while I was in the hospital. Four for us was the perfect number. We eat a fair number of eggs, so with four we had plenty to eat and a good number to give away. Best hostess gift in the world--a half dozen fresh pastured eggs! I miss French. She was a big fat fussbudget.

And the most surprising thing about chickens: They're absolutely gorgeous birds. I have a Production Red, a Barred Rock and another Buff Orpington, they're not even the fancy kinds of chicken but they're beautiful.

Lynn Siprelle, Editor