Spring
2005
Lucy the outlaw chicken, relaxing at home near Houston, TX |
Buy
the Kids Some Chicks for Easter A New Take on an Old Tradition Los
Angeles, Calif. - For years parents have been warned
against buying kids an Easter chick. Even if the tiny bird
survived, it usually turned out to be a rooster. Often a kind
intention only continued a cruel hoax, with the small ball
of fluff fated for an early demise. |
Allison MacLeod is passionate about everyone raising backyard chickens and says that its time for Easter chicks to get their chance to grow up and be part of a growing national hobby.
"Raising your own eggs means you get a healthier, fresher food and a hen gets to live its life the way chickens always have, as a pet in the company of humans," Allison said, "instead of being caged in a 5000-chicken factory barn where it never sees the light of day."
This television producer put her skills to work so novices can learn the basics of poultry keeping. "The Beginner's Guide to Raising Chickens" packs a lot of information into 26 minutes of VHS video. Over 3000 copies have been sold since its initial release last year.
"If an elementary school class buys a typical hatchery minimum order of 15 female chicks, the kids can follow simple the instructions in the video and easily make an inexpensive brooder as a class project that will allow them to raise the young hens to five weeks old," she continued. "Then, parents can take the individual, nearly-grown hens home and keep them as pets -- and for eggs. The video shows how uncomplicated it is to do, and it's a great project that introduces kids to learning about how to care for animals."
With celebrity lifestyle mavens like Martha Stewart promoting suburban chicken keeping, Allison has expanded this idea to include a wider audience, including city dwellers that live in apartments.
"Chickens are a great pet for an apartment. They're soothing to watch like fish, and they become affectionate if they're handled."
When asked about the legality of keeping chickens in the city, Allison pointed out that some urban chicken owners refer to their birds as large, ground-dwelling South American parrots. "Outlaw chickens are everywhere!" She laughingly stated, "In some places almost everyone has chickens whether they are legal or not - even in New York City."
Allison even has a bumper sticker available for people who keep city chickens. It reads "Wherever chickens are outlawed, only outlaws will have chickens."
For more information about raising Easter chicks, check out Allison's website www.chickenvideo.com.
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Note to Editors / Journalists:
* Contact Allison MacLeod via email at chickenvideo@socal.rr.com or (323)816-8820
* Review copies of the "Beginner's Guide " are available
* Producer Allison MacLeod is happy to do interviews -- "Let's talk chicken!"
