Keeping backyard hens is growing movement - will OKC approve?

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OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Would the sky fall if a chicken moved in next door?

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  • Backyard Chickens
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OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - Would the sky fall if a chicken moved in next door?

Times change.

Oklahoma City is different from what it was just a few years ago. City leadership has evolved. Is it time to reconsider loosening the city ordinance that limits backyard chickens to big residential lots (1 acre or larger)?

A rooster, of course, is a horse of a different feather - and decibel.

So, we’re talking about hens. Even Edmond allows backyard hens. Why not in Oklahoma City?

It’s been five years since people were seriously talking about it, The Oklahoman reported.

PEOPLE ARE THINKING ABOUT CHICKENS AGAIN

Ward 6 Councilwoman Jo- Beth Hamon is part of the new, younger, more urban-oriented leadership, elected to office just this year. She said people are thinking about chickens again.

``I’m very open to the discussion - and have actually had a number of people reach out to me about the issue since I was sworn in,’’ she said in an email.

``Something I found interesting about knocking doors while I was campaigning is that I heard or saw chickens in every neighborhood of Ward 6, which to me tells me that many residents already enjoy them as pets, sources for food, as well as pest control.’’

BACKYARD CHICKEN CLASS

CommonWealth Urban Farms had a backyard chicken class on Sept. 21. Two hens came for a visit. They’ll be back from noon to 2 p.m. Oct. 19 for the CommonWealth Urban Farms Fall Festival. It will include live music, a community potluck, scavenger hunt, and family fun.

The backyard chicken movement is an urban thing, and urban voices have the ear of new city leadership.

``I do believe there is a need for moderation,’’ Hamon said, ``but knowing people in the urban agriculture community, I trust their expertise on what is the most appropriate for policy related to keeping hens in city limits.

“Finding more ways for OKC residents to have sources for local food is of great interest to me and I’d love to see how the city can work with the urban ag community to possibly look at this issue again.’’

Sara Braden, co-founder of CommonWealth Urban Farms, made a pitch for backyard hens.

GROWING MOVEMENT

``Keeping backyard hens is part of a growing movement to live a healthier, more sustainable lifestyle,’’ she said. ``Across the country, people increasingly want to know that their food has been produced humanely and in a way that does not harm the planet. One way to do that is to produce it themselves, in their own backyard.

``Backyard hens are a good option for people who want to grow their own food. Their eggs are a delicious and nutritious addition to vegetables from the garden. Their waste is an excellent source of nitrogen for compost. They make wonderful pets, being no harder to care for than cats and dogs. There is no sensible reason to prohibit backyard chickens in OKC.’’

MISCONCEPTIONS

Braden batted down what she said are misconceptions about backyard chickens.

``Aren’t they noisy? No! Hens do make some noise during the day, but less than a barking dog or even than some wild birds - also less than AC units, garbage trucks, and all the other noises commonly heard in any city. Aren’t they smelly? No! A small, properly cared for a flock of hens does not smell bad.

``Don’t you need a rooster to get eggs? No! Roosters fertilize eggs so they will hatch into chicks. If you just want to eat the eggs, you do not need a rooster. Hens lay about one egg per day whether there is a rooster nearby or not.

Roosters are also quite noisy. For that reason, many cities that allow the keeping of chickens prohibit the keeping of roosters.’’

OKC CHICKEN QUESTION HISTORY

Braden outlined the history of the chicken question in Oklahoma City.

• In 2009, the city council started getting requests to change the city ordinance prohibiting backyard chickens on residential lots less than 1 acre in size.

• On Nov. 10, 2009, the city manager presented a report on backyard chicken ordinances in peer cities - Tulsa; Austin, El Paso and Fort Worth, Texas; Kansas City and St. Louis, Mo.; Wichita, Kan.; and Nashville, Tenn. - showing that seven of eight allowed them with varying restrictions. (Now, a scan of city web pages indicates that all do.)

• In March 2010, Neighborhood Alliance released the results of an opinion survey regarding backyard chickens. The survey was not scientific. Of the 1,174 respondents, 69% were in favor of allowing back- yard chickens in Oklahoma City.

• In 2013, the city Planning Department worked with the Urban Ag Coalition to update and clarify the Municipal Code as it applies to many aspects of urban agriculture, including front yard gardens, rooftop gardens, rainwater harvesting, community gardens and composting.

Originally the proposed changes included allowing backyard hens, but several council members requested that the chicken proposal be voted on separately.

On Dec. 31, 2013, the Urban Ag Ordinance was passed by council, while the backyard hen proposal was voted down.

• Council members Meg Salyer, Pete White, and Ed Shadid proposed a compromise: requiring residents to pay a fee and obtain a permit in order to keep backyard hens.

This proposal was brought to council on May 13, 2014; it was defeated, 5-4.

There has been little to no activity on the issue since then.