Folks flock to chicken coops at Lawn and Garden Show

The 20th Annual Lawn and Garden Show at the Ozark Empire Fairgrounds is full of ideas for your yard, and one idea that's more popular this year is to add a chicken coop to the landscape.

Since the City of Springfield narrowly passed an ordinance in October that allows citizens to have up to six chickens, the number of people deciding to raise their own is climbing.

Seymour company, Portable Livestock Shelters, has been designing and building chicken coops for more than a decade.  "We have about nine employees," says owner Greg Samuel.

Samuel's business is doing well, with more and more folks wanting laying hens of their own.

"Since the city ordinance, [we] began talking about it, even though it didn't affect us, because we're outside city limits," says Jacobson.

Chickens have become a topic of conversation, and many are moving them into their back yards.  One reason- because they know exactly where their food is coming from.  "I have coworkers that buy from the health food store. But how do you know that they're any different than what I'm getting at the grocery store?" Jacobson says.

"Mostly just the freshness of the eggs- there's just no replacing getting something fresh from your own, just like your own garden, a home grown product, you can really taste the difference," says Samuel.

"I love to bake; I go through a lot of eggs," says Jacobson.  For many, the eggs, or even chicken to eat, aren't the first step in raising their own food.  "With grocery prices rising, I can easily grow just the basics; lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers," Jacobson says.

Samuel is witnessing that trend too.  "We're selling a lot more greenhouses, for people wanting to start their own plants," Samuel says.

The trend is leading folks to flock to this year's Lawn and Garden Show, where there are plenty of tools to support sustainability.  Mary Quinn, Exhibits Director at the Ozark Empire Fairgrounds, says "If the people are interested in keeping the chickens in the back yard, then that becomes part of what we want to address."

Vicki did purchase her chicken coop, and she's excited to get her small flock going.

If you'd like to learn more about raising chickens, in the city or anywhere, there's a workshop next Saturday, February 26th at the Springfield-Greene County Botanical Center.  Click the link for more information.