It’s like the Parade of Homes, but this is a Parade of Chicken Coops.
On Saturday, dozens of chicken owners, mostly in St. Paul and Minneapolis, but as far out as Stillwater and Anoka, will open their backyards to visitors who want to see what it’s like to have very, very fresh eggs in the morning.
It’s a self-guided tour, form 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and there’s a map with addresses on the web page.
Some of the owners describe their coops:
Janelle Hiland, 3209 17th Av. S., Mpls:
The coop was constructed from a chain-linked dog kennel. Plywood walls and cedar shake shingles finish the exterior. In the winter, foam insulation covers the wall. I very rarely used heat, but if I did I used a Thermo cube and a red heat bulb.
Marcy & Laura Rede, 3537 16th Av. S., Mpls:
Henhouse is a small converted rabbit hutch, winterized and adapted to chicken living. Run is walk-in – easy cleaning!
Claire Thomas and Toby McAdams, 821 Iglehart Av., St. Paul:
They live in a converted dog house, set up on saw horses, with an attached run. It works well. Claire and her friends painted it to be a Dr. Who-themed police box.
Lest you think urban chickens are rare, the Southside Pride news site reports:
There are 140 chicken keepers in the city of Minneapolis (according to Animal Care & Control) and when you look at that tour map, you’ll see that you won’t even have to leave the comfort of your South Minneapolis neighborhood to see some of them. There are almost a dozen chicken keepers in South Minneapolis signed up to be on the tour. So get out there and meet some chickens!
