Frizzle Cochins

Hens are hot. That’s the message I came back with from a recent tour of the gardens of Portland, Oregon. People are blogging about them (see Dirt by Amy Stewart), gardeners are raising them in urban gardens and at one city nursery called Pistils, they’re selling exotic species like Silkens and Frizzle Cochins (these were a tad camera shy). In fact, cluckers are so popular in Portland, you can take part in a Tour de Coop, biking from coop to coop and learning all about these friendly fowl. Although it’s slim pluckings for Toronto residents wishing to raise hens, the web offers plenty of vicarious experiences, including:

• Chicken Cam at Flying Skunk Farm
• City Chicken
• Toronto Chickens