Micro Farming: 1 - City Chickens
My comments on the current movement to keep your own chickens as reported by Valerie Elliott
Author: Matthew Wittering | Published: 7th December 2009
Growing your own vegetables is becoming increasingly prevalent in the United Kingdom. Whether it is in your own garden or allotment people are growing their own. This is seen as an effective cost cutting measure during a recession. There is also a certain feel good factor for the individual more aware of their own impact on the environment. However what has become increasingly vogue for amateur farmers is keeping your own chickens.
Valerie Elliott, Countryside Editor for The Times reminded me of this trend when she wrote on Friday 4th December about the increasing movement to keep chickens in towns and cities. The article titled, Trend comes home to roost as chickens move into the city remarked how Omlet have shipped 16,000 units of the Eglu chicken coop this year. The Eglu is a fashionable product available in blue, red, orange, green and purple.
I see the Eglu by Omlet is a designer chicken coop for affluent people quick to adopt new trends rather than the amateur farmer.
The design reminds me of the Apple iMac G3 computers sold between 1998 and 2003. Like the Eglu, the iMac G3 was available in similar colours.
The single problem I have with the product is the price tag. For a classic Eglu with 2 metre run, two chickens, feed and delivery you will be charged £388.00. I fear this will price their product far out of the reach of most consumers interested in keeping chickens. As the initial financial burden will be too great to purchase an Eglu. Especially as a single chicken is £11.00 and the Eglu is £333.00. The result I fear only the most committed micro farmer will invest in the Eglu.
I am sure there are cheeper alternatives to be found. But I would not expect to find a product constructed from the same durable plastics and innovations. On the website Omlet write that the Eglu has been:
Made from energy efficient polymers using modern construction techninques the eglu will last for years and at the end of its life can be 100% recycled.
Quote 1: The eglu is a coop for the 21st century, Credit Omlet Ltd.
Possibly I will be more financially agile in the coming year and this will allow me to invest in an Eglu. Other wise I will continue using egg purchased from the supermarket instead of producing my own while I do not have the disposable income or savings to buy an Eglu.
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I am a graduate of Lougborough University where I read Computing and Management BSc (Hons) earning a 2:1 classification.