Nowadays, more and more people are taking control of producing their own food. For example, raising chickens in private backyards has become popular due to a number of reasons including reduced waste in landfills as chickens gobble up leftovers or spoiled food that would otherwise end up in the trash. Plus, you can ensure having a steady flow of fresh, nutritious eggs or meat. In addition, it's both a fun and educational activity for children as it gives them a sense of responsibility and an opportunity to produce their own food. The benefits of raising chickens are endless and you can learn about all of them by going here.

Many towns across the Bay Sate legally allow residents to own and raise chickens with a permit required in many cases. However owning a rooster is illegal in a number of towns. This includes Great Barrington. This makes sense as roosters can be loud via their crowing and as a result can disrupt the peace.

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While not every town in Massachusetts is listed, below is a list of towns where you can legally own a rooster according to NOFA Mass (certain paperwork, permits, fees, permissions and restrictions are required in some cases)

  • Adams
  • Amherst
  • Ayer
  • Boxford
  • Bridgewater
  • Concord
  • Dedham
  • Foxborough
  • Freetown
  • Holland
  • Hudson
  • Maynard
  • Mendon
  • Northborough
  • Palmer
  • Quincy
  • Southwick
  • Stoughton
  • Westborough
  • Westminster
  • Westwood

You can get more details on poultry regulations by town in Massachusetts by going here. As you can see NOFA Mass didn't list many Berkshire County towns. Do you have any insight into which Berkshire towns allow the ownership of roosters?

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To prepare yourself for a potential incident, always keep your vet's phone number handy, along with an after-hours clinic you can call in an emergency. The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center also has a hotline you can call at (888) 426-4435 for advice.

Even with all of these resources, however, the best cure for food poisoning is preventing it in the first place. To give you an idea of what human foods can be dangerous, Stacker has put together a slideshow of 30 common foods to avoid. Take a look to see if there are any that surprise you.

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