CLUCK News: Can chickens cure cancer? The answer may surprise you.

Photo of Professor Jim Womack taken by Dave McDermand

There are plenty of books and articles of chicken diseases and maladies, but we don't read much about chicken cancer. Now there may be an explanation. JIm Womack, Texas A&M, Distinguished Professor of Veterinary Pathobiology used 115 leghorn and Cornish chickens while studying NK-lysin, which is a bacteria-killing peptide that chickens possess. In addition to killing bacteria, NK-lysin also can kill some cancers, and not only chicken cancers. Womack tested two chicken peptides that killed three different human cancers.

Click here to read the Monica S. Nagy online article posted on theeagle.

FOOD&WINE features Peter Burkard's fresh eggs and CLUCK

The Sarasota Herald-Tribune's FOOD & WINE supplement (May 30th 2012) features a Cooper Levey-Baker EAT NEAR story about Peter Burkard, the only remaining original vendor at the Sarasota Farmer's Market. On Saturday morning's Peter can be found at the west end of an alley running between Main and State and he is usually at the end of a line of people buying fresh greens, honey, cuttings, fruits, vegetables, etc. The photo accompanying the article shows lanky Peter holding two pullets and the article mentions that Peter "has nothing but great things to say about Sarasota CLUCK (Citizens Lobbying for Urban Chicken Keeping)".

Tampa Eases Up on Chicken Keeping

Chickens weren't illegal in Tampa, but onerous 200 foot setback requirements made keeping chickens impossible for all but the largest lot owners. Now, according to South Tampa-Hyde Park Patch, the City looks like it will be easing restrictions starting in 2013. According to the Tampa Bay Times, six of the seven council members voted to have staff draft an amendment for consideration early next year.

Sarasota CLUCK hits 50,000 pageviews!

Sometime over the past weekend at the end of April 2012, the Sarasota CLUCK website logged its fifty thousandth pageview - an impressive showing for what was ostensibly a local blog with a narrow goal (re-legalizing chickens in Sarasota).

Next CLUCK meeting Weds. April 25th

The next CLUCK meeting will be held Wednesday April 25, 2012 at 6:30 p.m. The location is the Florida House, 4454 Beneva Road, Sarasota FL 34233 (north of Proctor and SCTI on the west side of Beneva),Sarasota, FL.

We are picking up steam (and more supporters) in our efforts to legalize backyard hens in unincorporated Sarasota County. Right now we are living in a strange chicken sandwich -- they're legal in the rural, agricultural open use zones of the county and in the urban City of Sarasota, but not in-between! Please join us, we can do this!

In addition to getting to know each other, networking, and strategizing, there may a special surprise presentation. 

Florida House on the West Side of Beneva Road, north of Proctor

CLUCK Advertising ?!#@*

Sarasota CLUCK Blog is rapidly approaching its 50,000th page view. We haven't had a month with less than 1,000 page views in more than a year and last month was over 2,500.

It is clear that readership has extended far beyond Sarasota (over 10,000 pageviews from outside the US!) and many of our pages (the constant offerings at the top, not the everchanging posts) are getting lots of views. Consider some of these pageview numbers:

• Annotated City Ordinance: 1,737 pageviews
• Quiz to see if people are ready for backyard chickens: 720 pageviews
• Coop design tips for Southwest Florida: 652 pageviews
• One Dozen Tips to Legalize Chickens in Your Community: 324 pageviews
      (this was first posted 41 days ago, so we are getting 8 pageviews a day)
• Our 25 Funky Chicken Facts, which appears as both a post and a page has received 2,789 pageviews!

Governor Scott Approves Dyeing Chickens!

Governor Rick Scott, shortly after repealing statute that prohibited dyeing of baby animals

According to Channel 10 News, Governor Rick Scott has signed the bill allowing the dyeing of animals, including baby chicks, despite over 4,000 emails asking him not to. The explanation is that the dye job language was tacked on to a major agricultural bill that had other provisions the Governor wanted to implement.

The bill the Governor signed CS/HB 1197 simply repeals Florida Statute 828.161, which read

828.161 Prohibiting artificial coloring and sale of certain animals and fowls; construction.—

(1) It is unlawful for any person to dye or color artificially any animal or fowl, including but not limited to rabbits, baby chickens, and ducklings, or to bring any dyed or colored animal or fowl into this state.

(2) It is unlawful for any person to sell, offer for sale, or give away as merchandising premiums, baby chickens, ducklings, or other fowl under 4 weeks of age or rabbits under 2 months of age to be used as pets, toys or retail premiums.

(3) This section shall not be construed to apply to any animal or fowl, including but not limited to rabbits, baby chickens, and ducklings to be used or raised for agricultural purposes by persons with proper facilities to care for them or for poultry or livestock exhibitions.

(4) Any person violating the provisions of this section shall, upon conviction, be guilty of a misdemeanor of the second degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.

History.—s. 1, ch. 67-177; s. 953, ch. 71-136.