Get out and meet your urban chicken neighbors at the 4th annual Henside the Beltline Tour D’Coop.

More than twenty residents of the downtown Raleigh area will be opening their homes to visitors interested in this fast-growing hobby. Tickets are available Saturday morning at several area distributors. Admission is a donation of cash or non-perishable food, 100% of which will go to support Urban Ministries of Wake County.

You may ask: “Why raise chickens?” Lots of folks have lots of different reasons, but for us, there are four. They provide us with entertainment and relaxation, as we watch them peck around the yard and form their own little chicken bureaucracy (aka “pecking order”). They eat most all of our kitchen scraps and their droppings can be raked, thrown in the compost pile for a few months, and will produce excellent fertilizer for our small garden. We love their eggs, which are tastier and richer than any you will find at the stores. And, finally, we have major misgivings about supporting large poultry farms, even those that claim to raise their birds organically and cage-free. We know our chickens are happy and healthy.

So visit one of the several ticket locations Saturday morning and enjoy a day of Raleigh chicken watching. WARNING – this chicken bug is catchy. Once you visit all the coops on the tour, chances are you’ll start taking steps to acquire your own flock!

Finally, please be courteous and respectful of the homes, gardens, and coops you visit. Do not bring any pets with you, as some chickens are not used to them. And please keep small or rambunctious children under control.