Raising Chickens? Keep Your Hens Happy

With the price of eggs skyrocketing due to inflation and a shortage due to avian flu in commercial flocks, more people are looking into raising chickens for themselves.

As of March 3, Scotts Valley Feed is selling chicks, according to Linda Wilt, working the sales counter Thursday.

The store has all the necessary supplies on hand.

For those thinking about raising chickens, Anastasia Gil-Torres, who lives in Santa Cruz, shares her experience via email with this cautionary note.

“Chickens aren’t a commodity,” she wrote. “You don’t just stick them in a box and collect the eggs.”

She has five chickens plus six ducks – “they lay larger eggs, which are also delicious,” she wrote.

She has been raising ducks for 15 years, and got chickens about a year and a half ago.

What does she enjoy most about it?

“Chickens have big personalities and they are total characters,” she wrote. “I wasn’t expecting them to be so exuberant and social. I also love the fact that they can eat most food scraps, which really cut down on my food waste. And the ultimate benefit is, of course, the delicious eggs they provide.”

“Happy Hens” page 7

Local Sports

2022-23 All-League Boys Basketball

Tristan Roure, senior on the Scotts Valley High basketball team, was named to the Santa Cruz County Athletic League all-league first team.

Sophomore Will Shilling was named to the all-league second team.

Junior Taylor Knox, senior Davie Bruce, sophomore Zach Schilling, and junior Evan Anderson, were honorable mention selections.

The young Falcons, coached by Gabe Gonzales, finished 5-5 in league — third after Aptos and Santa Cruz, both 9-1 –and 15-14 overall.

In the CIF playoffs, Scotts Valley defeated Stevenson, 61-56, Oceana 73-49, and Menlo School, 58-53. The season ended when Scotts Valley lost to Half Moon Bay, 66-62. n

Top honors:

MVP: Santa Cruz senior Aden Cury

Coach of the Year: Aptos Coach Brian Bowyer, in his sixth season.

Special Award Most Inspirational: Skylar Thayer, SLV senior

The rest of the All-League selections:

First Team: Isaiah Ackerman, Aptos sophomore • Ben Dotten, Santa Cruz junior • Demeke Smith, Santa Cruz junior

• Braylon Noble, Soquel junior

Second Team: Trevor Brady, Aptos senior • Kevin Hamlyn, Aptos senior •

Kirby Seals, Santa Cruz sophomore •

Skylar Thayer, SLV senior •

Honorable Mention: Harrison Bloom, Aptos senior • Hudson Garvey, Aptos senior • Lawrence Ingram, Aptos junior

• Demarco Hunter, Santa Cruz freshman

• Mosiah Cumberbatch, Santa Cruz sophomore • Jackson Douvia, Santa Cruz senior • Damian Aguilar, SLV senior • Jacob Sanders, SLV sophomore • Aiden

Nounnan, SLV junior • Nash Campbell, Harbor senior • Matt Munro, Harbor senior • Nico Ramirez, Soquel sophomore

• Cade Peterson, Soquel junior