Chicks flying out the coops as Portlanders flock to suppliers

The chirping of 70 of the cutest, fluffiest chicks you ever saw filled Pistils Nursery last Tuesday. Customers in the store on Northeast Mississippi Avenue took turns cooing over the newborn birds.

Two days later, the store was quiet again. All of the chicks had been sold.

The slow economy has egged on Portlanders' already strong do-it-yourself mentality and created an unprecedented demand for chickens, as more urbanites discover the benefits of companion animals that produce free breakfast.

More about chickens

Before you rush out and set up that coop, check with your city on what regulations it has about keeping chickens. Here are some.

Portland: You can keep up to three hens without a permit as long as they live in sanitary conditions and don't cause obnoxious smells. Permits for more hens are $30; adequate facilities are required.

Vancouver: You can keep as many hens as you like as long as they are healthy and safe and don't cause odor. No eggs can be sold without a permit.

Beaverton: Chickens are prohibited except as pets inside the house.

Hillsboro: Chickens are prohibited with this exception: You may apply for a permit if you live on a single-family one-acre lot along the floodplain or at the city's outer edges. The city is reviewing this policy; changes are not expected before 2010.

Information about raising chickens: TheCityChicken.com

Information about chicken breeds: The ICYouSee Handy-Dandy Chicken Charts

Pistils sold about 600 chicks last year, said manager Mandie Rose. This year, they're selling about twice as fast.

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