Fresh Eggs, anyone? Just ask Amelie Coleman.
Welcome 2011 and Happy New Year to all our readers. Yard decorations are headed for the garage now and trees are at the curb, with all the tinsel and lights stowed in the attic. Such fun to decorate for the Christmas holidays, but a tedious task to take down all the trimmings.
Time to act on those New Year resolutions and if one of them involves adding chickens to your household, we have a tip about a “Chicken Tractor Workshop” this Saturday where you can learn how to make a mobile chicken pen. We also have a proud grandpa photo to share plus a link to Cole Raseberger’s television appearance and One Last Word of note.
Grandpa Tim knows how to spoil Madeline!
PROUD GRANDPA TIM
Now that the Christmas rush at the Davidson post office is over, it is time to visit a bit at the counter with Tim Honeycutt. Just ask him to tell you about his 28-month-old granddaughter, Madeline, and he will beam. Perhaps even get a photo out of his wallet to share with you. Madeline is the first child of Ashley and Josh Nixon of Davidson. Grandpa Tim and Grandma Terri Honeycutt had a wonderful Christmas with their beautiful granddaughter. Asking about her favorite gift under the tree, they explained she was the happiest with the bubble wrap one of her gifts came wrapped in! (How well we parents remember those days!)
Cole holding his Young Heroes Award earlier last fall
CONGRATULATIONS, COLE
Remember when Around Davidson interviewed Cole Rasenberger about his efforts to get fast food restaurants to use recycled paper products? (See the Oct. 26, 2010, Around Davidson column.) He had great success with McDonald’s and now is focusing on KFC, with thousands of hand signed postcards from elementary students in our area.
WCNC-TV’s “Charlotte Today” show interviewed Cole live in their studio Monday, during the late morning broadcast. Appearing all by himself (with his parents Kerry and Ken in another part of the studio), Cole did a marvelous job. Hats off to this self-assured 4th grader at Davidson Elementary School for his tireless efforts on behalf of the trees and wildlife in Coastal Carolina. (Be sure to hear the complete interview by accessing this link: www.wcnc.com/charlottetoday.
Jennifer and Greg Coleman with one of their White Leghorn hens
MEET THE COLEMANS and their TWO AND ONE HALF CHICKENS
You probably read on DavidsonNews.net last month that the Town Commissioners have voted to allow residents within the town limits to keep chickens in their backyards – but only four. Creativity is front and center on Virginia Avenue where two neighbors are sharing five chickens now – but to stay within the town’s restrictions, each family claiming just 2 ½ chickens as their own. Splitting the bounty from the henhouse? No problem, Jennifer and Greg Coleman tend the chickens for one week and collect all the eggs before turning responsibility over to Rea and Doug Wright for the next week.
Making a chicken ‘tractor’
Grandpa Neil Coleman delights in time spent with grandchildren, Tristan and Amelie
Jennifer and Greg with their young children, Tristan (4) and Amelie (almost 3) moved into the former Kaylor home just over two years ago. With a ready-made shed, garden area and large lot, they immediately turned their thoughts to chickens. At former homes in Raleigh and Austin, Texas, they used chicken tractors – mobile chicken coops – for their laying hens and helped others to learn the technique of enclosed rotational summer grazing. Sound complicated? Not at all – and to prove it, Greg and Jennifer are holding a tour and demonstration of Do-It-Yourself chicken tractor building this Saturday, Jan. 8. Come to their home at 740 Virginia Ave. for the 3-5 p.m. workshop. There is no charge but they want to know how many to expect so please call 704-706-2373 or email them at gregfro@gmail.com to let them know you are coming. (For more information on building your own Chicken Tractor, check out the Coleman’s blog which documents the building of their first one in Austin, Texas: http://austincitychickens.shutterfly.com/ )
Is this for YOU?
Davidson is working hard on being “green,” but too many restrictions still apply if you live in one of the planned neighborhoods with pages of covenants to abide by. For those in town with larger lots or residents of the ETJ (the extra-territorial jurisdiction, or area beyond the town limits where Davidson has zoning authority), the chicken “business” is a great hobby with the benefit of daily fresh eggs. The Colemans use their chicken tractor for a summer home allowing the chickens to rid the yard of bugs while cropping and fertilizing the grass section by section. In the winter, they have a permanent coop with access to the fenced in vegetable garden where they turn over compost and help prepare the ground for late spring planting.
Come learn how to build you own mobile chicken tractor this Saturday!
For the Colemans, having chickens to help with the lawn and garden fits right in with their compost pile, clothesline, homemade preserves and fresh bread hot from the oven. Greg grew up on a cattle station in Yungaburra, a town of 500, on the plateau in Northeast Queensland, Australia. (No flooding for them at the moment since their land is at a higher elevation surrounded by rain forest.) As an added attraction to attending the Saturday workshop, you will meet Greg’s dad, Neil Coleman, who is visiting from Down Under for six weeks – and can share stories of cattle, chickens, corn plus much more.
Let’s pause for a minute to explain why we call Urban Chickens a hobby. Making your own chicken tractor can be done for an estimated few hundred dollars. Chickens ready to lay may run $7-$10 each. Corn mash prices are sky high right now – and you will need to supplement their diet with some mash. Long time chicken enthusiast Jan Tevepaugh will tell you that a few or a few dozen laying hens will not make you rich even if you sell the eggs. Nothing beats fresh eggs but hobby chickens are not cost-effective.
Getting to Know Greg and Jennifer
The Colemans met in Namibia where Jennifer (born and raised in Asheboro) was teaching for a year after college and Greg happened to be visiting while backpacking around the world. Married in 1995, this young couple took seven years to travel, including a trip in their 1978 International Scout from the States to the tip of South America – tent camping all the way. Now with additional degrees, Jennifer is working in our area as a mental health therapist while Greg is an environmental scientist with Coalogix Group in Mt. Holly. The Colemans love Davidson and we certainly are glad to have them here.
Even if backyard chickens are not on your list of things to try in 2011, do plan to visit with the Colemans this Saturday afternoon and let them introduce you to Chicken Tractors – a hot ticket item in this New Year.
Twins Nora (left) and Lucy Chadwin offered Steiffie some friendly tips on manners.
ONE LAST WORD
For those of us who think New Yorkers live in a concrete jungle and have zero appreciation of farm life, just ask twins Nora and Lucy Chadwin. Daughters of Alleen Barber and Dean Chadwin of Kew Gardens, N.Y., and granddaughters of Carol Barber of The Pines, these young ladies heard about Steiffie and came to visit him for New Year’s. Wearing his brown knee socks and appearing a bit unkempt, he took one look at the twin’s feed bucket and made instant friends with Lucy and Nora – who commenced to give him a few pointers on his manners. Maybe chickens should be next to befriend Steiffie! (See Dec. 30, 2010, “Steiffie update.”)
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Have news for Around Davidson? Write to Brenda Barger at hbarger@bellsouth.net.
