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Saturday, November 20, 2010
Ind. Gov't. - Backyard "Chicken Underground" expands to include turkeys
As these ILB entries attest, one of the ILB's favorite entries was this one from Sept. 15, 2009, headed "Chicken underground' emerges in Indiana." The entry surveyed the ordinances of several Indiana cities, including Indianapolis, which permit urban chicken farming.
Today Barb Berggoetz of the Indianapolis Star reports on Tina and Charlie Tyzzer of Fortville and their backyard flock of turkeys. The headline: "Backyard farmers tend to Heritage turkeys, who live the good life until it's time for dinner." Some quotes:
"There definitely is a lot greater interest and continues to be in backyard agriculture and backyard chickens, in particular," said Dr. Jim Combs, field veterinarian for the Indiana State Board of Animal Health and avian division director.Interest is growing, in part, he said, to satisfy people's back-to-nature drive and desire to raise their own food. "They have decided it's time to take nutrition into their own hands and have a little fun doing that."
While recent numbers are hard to find, Kyle Kohlhagen, an inspector for the Indiana State Poultry Association, said 2004 figures estimated 10,000 Hoosiers had backyard flocks, with 80 percent of them chickens and the rest divided between ducks and turkeys.
Chickens are more popular because they are smaller and less expensive to raise, requiring less land and food. They're also less susceptible to diseases.
Posted by Marcia Oddi on November 20, 2010 03:44 PM
Posted to Indiana Government