Jo Anne : This is my first year with chickens. I live in Rockaway, Queens, NYC. We were devastated by Hurricane Sandy and my husband offered to get me ANYTHING I wanted a couple of months afterwards. He suggested I might want a weeklong trip to Paris or perhaps a new car. When I asked for three chickens and a coop he was dumbfounded. He said we couldn't have them in NYC but I begged to differ (I'd already checked into it). I was given 6 pullets by a friend who got them for his girls as an Easter present and was quickly tiring of them. Frank (Sinatra) had to go but I ended up with Lena (Horne), Nina (Simone), Etta (James), Ella (Fitzgerald), and Billie (Holiday). I get 4 eggs a day and great pleasure watching my girls and their antics around the yard.

Chris : I saw in your latest newsletter pictures of chickens that look just like ours. They are maran crosses but not pure breeds. These are about two months old.