Electric City family likes their chickens

by Roger S. Lucas

Coulee Dam Town Council members may get an earful about chickens at a public hearing next Wednesday, July 8, at 6 p.m.

The entire town should take a page from an Electric City couple with five chickens.

Eric, Misty and son Logan Braaten live on 10 acres on the edge of the city, and they can tell you that chickens are nice people.

That is, each individual chicken has its own personality.

The Braatens have all their chickens named, and Eric explained, "They have their own pecking order." One of the chickens in the flock, Rosey, is head of the flock and rules the roost, so to speak.

Chickens are beneficial and clean up the bugs around their environment. There's a certain therapeutic quality to chickens, a real feel-good thing. And there's the eggs.

The Braatens see chickens in the full circle: take care of the chickens, and they will take care of you.

Proof is a carton of beautiful brown eggs.

A visit to the Braaten place wouldn't be complete without a welcome by Rosey, Dot, Spicey, Shine and Caramel. There's always a welcome cluck or two.

The chickens have their pen and roost and are treated, if not royally, at least with respect.

There's not a bad chicken, just bad chicken owners, Eric is quick to explain.

It is expected that there will be a swarm of people at the Coulee Dam council public hearing about chickens, most of the people not knowing what they are talking about.

A quick tour of the Braaten place would put it all in perspective.

Chickens poop, but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that before you acquire chickens you need to know they take work, but that there are benefits also, besides the eggs.

I didn't note any smell, or negative feeling about the Braaten chickens.