I keep hearing about the idea of chickens in the village of Potsdam, and have to admit I was excited at first. The reality hit me after really thinking about the down side of the matter. First, let me explain that as a child my family raised chickens as a food source. I realized that even my best efforts to keep a clean coop and yard would bring rats. The smell would bring them in and when they could not get at the feed they would look for food at my neighbor’s or my house. Second, rats are not the only disease carrier to be attracted by chickens and the wildlife looking for an easy meal also pose a safety hazard. As a village we can’t afford to keep the skunk population in check already. What would happen with chickens?