Backyard Chickens in the Gas Patch

Rest in Peace Maisy

March 11, 2008 - May 14, 2013

Our first baby chicks.  (March 2008)

The chick on the left is a Buff Orpington.  After researching various chicken breeds, we selected her because we read that they have docile temperaments and are good with children.  That turned out to be true.  We named her Daisy because I love daisy flowers, and the name's meaning ~ "Day's Eye" seemed fitting as chickens religiously get up and going at sunrise.

While Daisy survived Maisy, we believe she has endocrine disruption.  Immediately following a huge gas release on April 11, 2011 Daisy quit laying eggs.  She was laying regularly until our property was covered in toxic fracking chemicals and gas from the Fulson Drill Site in southeast Arlington, Texas operated by Chesapeake.  She hasn't laid an egg since.

The chick on the right was our beloved Maisy.  We selected her because we thought it would be novel to have a chicken that lays blue/green eggs and were intrigued by the fact that her breed originated from South America.  While not meeting all of APA's (American Poultry Association) breeding standards of  Ameraucanas, Maisy had the characteristic muff and beard and layed green eggs.  She was known as an Easter Egger.

She also quit laying eggs after that toxic gas release, but she did resume laying after one full year of cessation of drilling activity at the Fulson Drill Site.  This observation  leads us to believe that drilling activity next to our homes, schools, and parks is harmful.  We must ban shale gas drilling in our residential communities until it can be proven it is absolutely 100% safe, and we know intuitively it is NOT safe.  NO WAY.  NO HOW.

Maisy thought she was a lapdog.   We miss her.

Chickens are great pets providing enjoyment and relaxation.  They also provide wonderful, healthy eggs and free organic fertilizer.  While our chickens ate a superb diet consisting of freshly grown organic veggies and insects, Maisy's life span was cut short due to ~ what we believe ~  is toxic gas drilling near our home.  If gas drilling can cut a chicken's life span in half, what is it doing to your life span, health, quality of life, or your developing child's body?   When will people get disgusted enough to say, "Enough is enough!"

Until then, "Welcome to life in the Gas Patch."

If you live near gas drilling activities and are experiencing new health effects, please e-mail us.