www.valleyrecord.com
Snoqualmie Valley
Snoqualmie Valley Record • August 29, 2012 • 7
Home & Garden
Secrets of the suburban chicken Feathered friends make life interesting for Snoqualmie neighbors By Seth Truscott Editor
Trudy the dog keeps her eyes on the Harrison family’s flock. She noses in for a closer look at a big, white hen. The hen eyes her back, safe on the other side of a layer of chicken wire, then goes back to her business, patrolling a dirt-floored pen for food. Other hens take dust baths, cluck gently, or maintain their pecking order. Several keep their eyes on the nearby Harrisons, hauling in groceries from the car, hoping for a treat. To dad Ryan Harrison, the best part of owning 11 hens in his Snoqualmie backyard is the entertainment value. “Chicken TV,” he calls it. “You can sit out here and watch them all day long. They just do their thing.” For mom Leah, it’s all about the fresh eggs. After getting accustomed to eggs fresh from the coop, storebought eggs look, taste and smell funny. And for daughters Leah, 8, and Fiona, 7, the chickens are feathered friends. And their human friends love the birds; one playmate ended up with a few hens at her home as a result. “I think it’s good for the kids,” Leah said. “They learn where eggs come from. They can see them grow from when they’re small.”
Hometown birds
Seth Truscott/Staff Photo
The Harrisons of Snoqualmie—Ryan, Leah and daughters Fiona and Leah, raise hens at their downtown home. The fowl provide fresh eggs, entertainment and life lessons.
The Harrisons aren’t alone. In their neighborhood, several families keep chickens. While there are pros and cons to raising chickens in suburban Valley neighborhood, the birds, which can be found foraging in yards or, occasionally loose, exploring alleys or parks, seem to be here to stay. “Many people are interested in keeping chickens,” said Carnation City Planner Linda Scott. “Occasionally, I do get calls” from someone wanting to get some hens. “We go back to the code and figure it out.” In Snoqualmie and in unincorporated King County, chickens, poultry, squab and rabbits are limited to a ratio of one animal per square foot of coop, up to a maximum of 2,000 square feet. Such animals, however, are prohibited on Snoqualmie Ridge. In Carnation, residents are allowed four small domestic animals, including chickens, on lots less than half an acre in size, with no more than five additional birds per additional acre. See CHCKENS, 9
FIND ALL YOUR PROJECT NEEDS AT ACE September 8th
See our website for details.
North Bend Ace Hardware 330 Main Ave. S. in Mt. Si Village
425-888-1242
(425) 888-0001
50% OFF Select Spring
44800 S.E. North Bend Way, North Bend, WA 98045
blooming perennials and all glazed pottery
30% OFF
Pieris, Rhododendrons, Buckthorn, Azaleas, Osmanthus, Rockrose, Golden Lanterns, Spirea
MT. SI 668059
Hardware
Climate Control & Covered R/V & Boat Storage Video Monitored Security System - Controlled Access Resident Manager Fax/UPS Pickup/Copies/Moving Supplies/Notary
THOUSANDS of QUALITY PLANTS www.thenurseryatmountsi.com 42328 SE 108th St. • North Bend • 425.831.2274
655403
Taylor Bridge Fire Benefit Concert
Call about our Move-in Special “STORAGE TO MEET YOUR NEEDS”
MINI STORAGE
3 Sizes Available
(425) 888-1319 NORTH BEND
655390
Nursery & Garden Center Lawn & Landscape Paint & Sundries Check out Sporting Goods our Pet Supplies HOT BUYS! Hardware Much More!
668065
• • • • • • •
We have a Truck To renT for LocaL Moves