Public Hearing on Backyard Chickens!

Backyard Chickens in Your Backyard?

by Sharon Gaughan, PCLF Education Program Director

For those of you who live in the area and have wished that you could have backyard chickens of your own, you may be interested to know that the possibility is currently being discussed for both the Village of Grayslake and for unincorporated Lake County.

This Thursday, October 17 at 6:00 p.m., there will be a public hearing to discuss several local food amendments (including the possibility of allowing backyard chickens, as well as bees and hoophouses) in unincorporated Lake County.  The public hearing will be held at the Lake County Forest Preserve’s Independence Grove’s Visitor Center (16400 W. Buckley, Libertyville). 

 

Come let your voice be heard!

And if you would like to learn more about what’s involved in keeping backyard chickens, you might consider attending our upcoming workshop on that very topic!  Workshop info follows this photo of Rutabaga, one of the Learning Farm’s very own backyard chickens…

 

Backyard Chickens

Do you like the idea of having fresh eggs available to you on a daily basis?  Are you looking to add some animals to your yard that will also provide you with food, fertilizer, and pest control?  Are you wondering what it takes to keep a few backyard chickens?  If so, then this workshop is for you!

Backyard chickens are becoming increasingly popular in both urban and suburban areas!  We will discuss the basics of backyard chicken keeping – including chicken breeds and behavior, where and how to obtain your hens (or chicks!), how to feed and house your backyard flock, local ordinances, and other things to consider before you get your own hens.

As part of the workshop, we will also tour the Learning Farm chicken flocks in their different locations on our farm, discuss the similarities and differences between the flocks and how they are being housed, and tie those observations back to best practices for backyard chickens.

Date:  Saturday, October 26

Time:  9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.
What to bring:  Nothing required.
What to take home:  A resource handout on keeping backyard chickens and a sample half-dozen of our very fresh, pastured-poultry eggs!
Cost:  $30 per person
Instructor:  Sharon Gaughan,
PCLF Education Program Director