Some are saying that chickens are the new golden retriever and its certainly true here on Bainbridge Islander. Every spring the local Island feed store, 'Bay Hay and Feed' sell 1550 to 1800 baby chicks and at least 5000 50lb bags of chicken food. They estimate 1/3 of Island households keep chickens. WOW!
Don't miss the Third Annual Bainbridge Island Tour de Coop 2011 Tomorrow: A Self-Guided Tour of Chicken Coops, Saturday, July 16 from 11-4. This year there will be 9 chicken coops on the tour. Tickets are available at Bay Hay and Feed, and Classic Cycle on Bainbridge Island. Check out this great article in the local newspaper to learn more:
Tour de Coop this weekend
By ERIN JENNINGS
North Kitsap Herald Kitsap Week
North Kitsap Herald Kitsap Week
Chicken coops are hatching all over Bainbridge Island.
Some are lavish and include artwork and electricity.
Others are quaint and provide comfortable living quarters.
At this weekend’s third annual Tour de Coop, visitors will get the chance to check out nine coops on a self-guided tour around the island.
It’s the chicken version of “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous,” minus the gilded furniture and luxurious yachts. Instead, you’ll see ventilated egg boxes and high perches for sleeping. Eating quarters consist of water troughs and food dispensers. Chicken bathtubs are made up of a mixture of dirt and sand — perfect for dust bathing. And one coop even has classical music piped in — the owners read that classical music helps keep the chickens calm...
