It's nearly time for the second annual Tour de Coops, taking place September 16, 2012, from 1-6 p.m. and featuring chicken coops in the Broad Ripple, Meridian-Kessler, Butler-Tarkington, and Rocky Ripple neighborhoods. Nap Town Chickens is the organizer with many local businesses sponsoring the event. As one of the sponsors, Backyard Birds will also be a welcoming water stop at its 54th Street store.

Last year's inaugural event, organized by Andrew Brake, was a self-guided bicycle tour that began at Broad Ripple Park. The suggested $5 donation benefited Keep Indianapolis Beautiful and INDYCO, two organizations working to improve the community. The event was an impressive success, raising more than $4,000 and educating 600 participants on details of raising backyard chickens. This year there will be 12 "show coops" on display and a couple of Project Poultry schools with coops. The 2012 Tour de Coops begins at CFI #84, located at 440 E. 57th Street. This is an "open-house" style event and can be explored at your leisure. (naptownchickens.org)

At Backyard Birds, we are amazed by the interest in chicken raising. The store offered several chicken raising workshops when we first became aware of the community interest. Being a feed store, we continually had requests for chicken feed. While we had already been stocking feed for swans and lake birds, we now also have quality chick starter and chicken food in addition to scratch and ready-made coops. Urban chicken raisers no longer have to drive to the country to get feed. It's right on 54th Street.

We get to know chicken raisers and enjoy stories of their experiences. From reports about the first eggs a hen lays and fun names given to chickens (like Rhoda, Henrietta, Gloria), to favorite snacks they feed (like spaghetti or strawberry tops) to tales of illnesses or demise, we get colorful details from our urban chicken raisers. We have heard accounts of a favorite hen pecking others in the yard, habits such as chickens welcoming the human at the end of the day, and personalities displayed that are almost human. The saddest stories of all are the tragedies inflicted upon the girls (hens) from foxes, raccoons, dogs, or hawks. Several of our clients have lost multiple girls to predators, but each time a hardware store visit helps them secure their coops even more.

I think most of our urban farmers are learning their skills by trial and error. From extreme weather challenges to city predators, our customers are developing their chicken raising expertise. The local poultry associations and the Tour de Coops are great resources for those interested in a backyard chicken hobby. You can also check in at Backyard Birds as a resource.

Whether you're a seasoned or novice chicken raiser, curious about becoming one, or just want to observe a new, growing dimension of urban life, you may want to join in the Tour de Coops on September 16, 2012.