Lascivious Croatian Chicken beckons to you from the spit

A picture didn't do justice to the lascivious movement of the chickens slowly turning on the spit at the Michigan Upper Peninsula State Fair back in August, so I captured a video. Watch how the chickens turn and each flap of a wing or kick of a leg as they turn seems to beckon you to eat more delicious rotisserie chicken.




This booth had Croatian chicken, which appears to be spit rotisseried chicken, but with extra spices and a crispy skin and I am sure extra fat and butter somehow cooked into it. It was so good that we had it for lunch that day and then on the way home got another one for dinner.

The rotisserie was a hue mechanical affair, run by a motor. The tenders made sure that there was charcoal enough to keep the chickens hot and cooking and would move the big spits as appropriate.

Just thinking again of how delicious it was makes me want to get more. Just have to wait until next August and travel to Escanaba, Michigan again to get some.

Update on easing restrictions on raising chickens in New Castle County

I have received an e-mail last week from Nellie Manlove who is Council member Tansey's legislative aide, that the ordinance to ease restrictions on raising chickens in New Castle County will be discussed (.pdf agenda) at the Council's Land Use Committee meeting on Tuesday 9/15 at 3:00pm. This is open to the public and public comment is encouraged. It takes place in the 8th floor Council Conference Room of the City/County Building, 800 N French Street, Wilmington, 19801.

I expect to attend the Land Use Committee meeting tomorrow at 3pm, though I am not sure what to say or what is expected. I certainly can speak in support of the change to the ordinance. My concern is that I am not a Land Use professional so I am not sure what the objections to the change in the amendment are.

I stand by my earlier comments that the county ordinances already allow chickens (and other farm animals) on parcels of greater than one acre, and that this easing of the restriction is a small change addressed primarily at raising hens.

From a common sense perspective it seems that the council members might need to know the following to be swayed to adopt the easing of the restrictions to allow raising up to 4 hens (no roosters) on parcels of at least one acre no nearer than 25ft to property lines in New Castle County.

1.) Why was the first restriction against farm animals on parcels smaller than one acre first enacted.

2.) Is there a reason we cannot just discuss chickens (really just hens) and not open up the discussion to all farm animals.

3.) How many parcels in New castle County are one acre or more and could have chickens right now, and how many do have chickens right now. How many are a half acre or more, or would be added to the parcels allowed to have chickens? This would help us know the scope of the change and its effect. I suspect that there though there are probably a lot of parcels with 0.5 acre or more, we should consider only those that will be added as the change, and how many of those really have people that would want to raise hens. That is the new set of hens that anyone could raise an objection to.

4.) Are there other concerns. Health concerns, noise concerns, nuisance concerns, and doesn't New Castle County already have regulations for those. Thus should anyone who raises chickens and causes these issues can be addressed through existing ordinances.

5.) How many other counties or similar sized municipalities in the country have similar restrictions or ordinances? Is there something we can learn from them?

The ordinance should then come up for a vote at the 9/22 Council meeting, which takes place at 7:00pm in the 1st Floor Council Chambers, also in the City/County Building.

What do you say in support of an ordinance at a Council Land Use Committee meeting? Anybody gave any suggestions?

Help to get backyard chicken raising restrictions lifted in New Castle County Delaware

Currently in New Castle County, Delaware you can only raise chickens in your backyard if you have more than 1 acre of property. Mr. William Tansey has introduced Ordinance 09-974 (.pdf link) to ease restrictions on raising chickens in backyards of New Castle County. His reasonable change allows residents to raise up to 4 hens (no roosters) on property with at least 0.5 acres.

The council is set to vote on this ordinance change on Tuesday, Sept 8th, but many are already coming out against. We must change their minds. Please help me and your New Castle County neighbors by contacting your New Castle County Council member (click on their picture for contact info) by phone or e-mail today to tell them that you would like them to support this change.

I have included the e-mail that I am sending to every council member and their legislative aids below. I myself live in the 2nd district. Please feel free to use or modify my letter as needed.

Dear Councilmember (insert member name here),

Mr. William Tansey has introduced Ordinance 09-974 to ease restrictions on raising chickens in backyards of New Castle County. His reasonable change allows residents to raise up to 4 hens (no roosters) on property with at least 0.5 acres. I stand in full support of this reasonable rule regarding raising chickens in a suburban environment and I hope that you will support this change by voting for it at the next council meeting on September 8th.

In a state on the Delmarva peninsula, historically known for raising poultry, it is unfortunate that residents of New Castle County currently have such a restrictive ordinance preventing them from participating in the chicken raising tradition and allowing them to grow some of their own food. New Castle County also has the chance to join other forward looking communities by your support of an easing of this restriction.

I urge you to support ordinance 09-074 to allow the raising of up to 4 hens on property with more than 0.5 acres. I will look forward to your response on this matter.

Sincerely,
Richard Koehler
New Castle County Constituent

Comment if you send an e-mail or make a phone call. I would really like to get this passed, for the reasons stated in the letter above.

Let Delawareans have their Blue Hens!










List of council members, e-mail, office phone, legislative aids, e-mail and phone (all 302 area code below).

Council District	Name	E-mail	Office Phone
Council President	Paul G. Clark	pgclark@nccde.org	395-8340
CP Legislative Aid	Lynne Phifer	LPhifer@nccde.org	395-8360
1st District	Joseph Reda	jmreda@nccde.org	395-8341
1st Legislative Aid	Christine Roberts	croberts@nccde.org	395-8361
2nd District	Robert S. Weiner	rsweiner@nccde.org	395-8342
2nd Legislative Aid	Louis Hinkle	lhinkle@nccde.org	395-8362
3rd District	William Tansey	wtansey@nccde.org	395-8363
3rd Legislative Aid	Nellie Manlove	nmanlove@nccde.org	395-8363
4th District	Penrose Hollins	phollins@nccde.org	395-8344
4th Legislative Aid	Nique Traylor	ntraylor@nccde.org	395-8364
5th District	Lisa Diller	ediller@nccde.org	395-8345
5th Legislative Aid	Renee Bensley	rbensley@nccde.org	395-8365
6th District	William Powers	wepowersjr@nccde.org	395-8346
6th Legislative Aid	Ruby Dillmore	rdillmore@nccde.org	395-8366
7th District	George Smiley	gsmiley@nccde.org	395-8347
7th Legislative Aid	Tara Finnigan	tfinnigan@nccde.org	395-8367
8th District	John Cartier	jjcartier@nccde.org	395-8348
8th Legislative Aid	Christina Bloemendaal	ctbloemendaal@nccde.org	395-8368
9th District	Timothy Sheldon	tpsheldon@nccde.org	395-8349
9th Legislative Aid	Stephanie Rizzo		395-8369
10th District	Jea P. Street	jpstreet@nccde.org	395-8350
10th Legislative Aid	Charneece Jackson	cljackson@nccde.org	395-8370
11th District	David Tackett	dltackett@nccde.org	395-8351
11th Legislative Aid	Susanne Hussey	shussey@nccde.org	395-8371
12th District	Bill Bell	jwbell@nccde.org	395-8352
12th Legislative Aid	Joseph A. Cochran	jacochran@nccde.org	395-8372

Today, May 4 is International Respect for Chickens Day

I have replaced the regular Crazy Blue Hen roundup with a salute to chickens of all types the world over. Today is International respect for Chickens Day so here are a few suggestions for how to show your support. The press push started on May 1st with this Yahoo news picture.

This day is not a day when you should cook a chicken in your favorite recipe, the United Poultry Concerns organization seems to indicate that eating and raising chickens is actually bad and that the conditions they are raised in are uniformly bad. In 2005 they asked us to show the world that "chickens are people too". Given their lack of opposable thumbs, culture and any legislation to that effect, I will respectfully disagree, with the one exception of YouDee, the University of Delaware mascot.

For my contribution to chicken culture, I would like to collect money to get all of these chickens sunglasses. The National Band and Tag company started in 1902 with one of their most unusual products, chicken sunglasses. These rose colored glasses (we all need a set), prevented the chickens from seeing blood so they wouldn't peck each other to death, but lifted when the bent over to peck at their food. I am sure that once one chicken got one they all wanted them because they are rather stylish.

My love of chickens is well known, especially if they are cooked in an award winning recipe.

The Dish is in!

Obvious relief from everyone involved now that Lynn has turned in her delicious chicken recipe.

Let's hope that "Plantain Chip-Crusted Chicken with Mango Sauce" is a winning entry.