CLUCK's Chicken Images from the Florida State Fair

Here are some images from the 2011 Florida State Fair:
There are three places to find chickens at the State Fair -- in Cracker Country, the Poultry Barn and the Petting zoo.

Barred Rock in Cracker Country

The following are Nankin Bantams:

Black Single Comb Minorca Rooster

Silkie

Probably a reproduction

CLUCK Looking for Volunteers for Sarasota County Fair

Volunteers are needed to help staff the small animal exhibit tent at the Sarasota County Fair (March 18-27) This will be great opportunity to spend time with both chickens and the kids whose chickens, rabbits and guinea pigs will be on exhibit. 

Registration Open for Next "Chickens 101" Workshop

The long-awaited second  UF/IFAS Sarasota County Extension "Chickens 101" workshop is now open for registration. The workshop will be held the morning of April 2nd and costs $15. This is a half day experience with real chickens that will help the curious decide if chickens make sense and provide valuable information for those that have already decided.

Next CLUCK meeting Wednesday Feb 23rd Downtown Library Sarasota 5:00 pm.

Our next Sarasota CLUCK meeting, and first since passage of Ordinance 11-4955, will be held starting at 5:00 p.m. Wednesday February 23rd in the first floor auditorium of the Main Selby Library, 1331 1st Street, Sarasota 34236. That's the meeting room on the south side of the building. The meeting will be a combination potluck celebration and workshop to explore desired next steps. Please bring some food to share and your interests and energies for this new phase of CLUCK's existence. 

Sarasota H-T Guest Column Provides Overview/Advice RE: City of Sarasota's New Chicken Ordinance

Today's Sarasota Herald-Tribune includes a CLUCK guest column, SUCCESS AT CHICKEN KEEPING, that outlines some of the basic provisions of the just passed City Ordinance 11-4955 and provides advice for would-be chicken keepers. 
Key recommendations include 1) Taking the Are You Ready for Backyard Chickens? QUIZ, 2) Taking an Introduction to Chickens class such as those offered by the Sarasota County Extension Office (next one April 2) and 3) understanding the city's constraints by reading an Annotated Version of the ordinance. Both the QUIZ and the Annotated Ordinance appear in the header bar of the Sarasota Sarasota CLUCK blog. 

Final Approval for City of Sarasota's "Chicken Ordinance" Today!

After 18 months of campaigning, negotiating, strategizing, constituency-building, lobbying, researching, blogging, compromising, organizing, listening, meeting, and arguing, it was all over in a few minutes. The Sarasota City Commission had the 'second reading' of Ordinance 11-4955 on the consent agenda and, since none of the Commissioners felt a need to 'pull' the item for further clarification or modification, it passed quickly and easily -- an anticlimax for what at some points seemed to some like a major neighborhood-destroying, real estate value eroding, public health menace community issue.

What has CLUCK been up to since that unanimous vote on January 18th??

Has Sarasota CLUCK been kicking back and relaxing since the initial unanimous vote in favor of backyard chickens on January 18th? No way! Here are a dozen noteworthy accomplishments that have been logged since then: