The cock-a-doodle do’s and don’t’s of urban chickens

By William Newlin

City Council recently relaxed rules on chicken ownership. We’ve been hearing some misconceptions about what’s OK and what isn’t, so we wanted to clear a few things up about what flies under the new ordinance. 

Haven’t chickens always been allowed?

Nope. Until now, only property zoned for agriculture allowed chickens. Any ones you saw in neighborhood yards were clucking under the radar. Going forward, anyone in a residential zone with a dedicated backyard can keep up to eight chickens. 

Cock-a-doodle-don’t

One of the biggest complaints about urban chickens — noisy roosters up-and-at-’em with the sunrise. Roosters are not allowed in backyards, just hens.

Back it up, please

Backyard chickens are just that: for backyards only. Your feathered friends can’t strut across front or side yards. 

Keep your eggs to yourself

Can you set up an egg stand in your neighborhood with a fresh, grade-A dozen from your hens? You cannot. Selling any kind of chicken product is prohibited. You also can’t hatch any chicks.

Cage-free not free range

A henhouse and a fenced enclosure are a must in the new ordinance. The rules are pretty strict on what those have to look like — no winged wanderers.

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Contact William at william@chattamatters.com