Someone made the mistake of telling the Chicago City Council—the same governing body that famously banned foie gras, although not particularly effectively—that keeping backyard chickens is becoming more popular. (It’s a hard secret to keep: Even the New York Times ran a story about urban husbandry a few months ago, complete with photos of an overall-outfitted Brooklynite who uses the eggs in cocktails.) Needless to say, Chicago’s City Council has decided that urban chickens look like a nail too, and the council is now considering banning local poultry.
This is, of course, the opposite of the prevailing legislative trend. As the Associated Press reports, a number of cities have recently passed laws allowing residents to keep chickens. Here’s all-star alderman Lona Lane explaining why Chicago’s different: “This past summer I started hearing that residents were letting chickens out of their yard and they were leaving poop and mice were feeding off of it. Then we started getting rodent-control problems and, sure enough, it was the chickens.”
Right. Those “rodent-control problems” in Chicago—that’s all the fault of a few urban chickens. But before the vote was held, several alderman came to their senses and delayed the measure, possibly because of squawking from the pro-chicken contingent. In the meantime, Alderman Lane might want to take a look at Backyard Poultry.
Next it will be a ban on backyard gardening, then herb growing in window boxes, backyard barbecues…
You idiots in Chicago who let the council pass a law banning a food simply because perhaps YOU don’t care to eat it, are getting just what you deserve!
Backyard chickens are big here in Minneapolis. Luckily, one of the people working to spread it is a state representative. She teaches classes and does a lot of outreach
Thank god chickens AND foie gras are safe here.
In Tucson AZ you can have hens (no roosters) in your yard as long as your neighbors don’t complain about noise or smell, and we did for several years. I’ve never had such good eggs in my life, and I loved them as pets- they’re not dependent like dogs (what we have now) are, and eat a lot of bugs. They’ve got more personality than you expect. And if you raise them to be sociable to people, they’re actually a lot of fun, plus yu get the best eggs you ever ate.
I’d like to see a lot of conscientous people have backyard flocks. If noothing else, their manure enriches theyards they live in. Of course you have to take measures to compost it so it doesn’t gross out your neighbors…
And yeah, Sommelier, you’re right.
IF and I say IF the chickens were responsible for a rodent problem
a regulation that requires owners to clean up (aka be more responsible for the chickens) is what is required NOT a ban on them
I doubt that urban chickens are causing rodent problems in chicago. I’ve been around chickens for years, in both urban and rural settings and have never seen a mouse make it through a chicken coop alive .. it’s not pretty to watch BUT if the chickens are attracting rodents, I’m pretty sure the chickens will solve the problem themselves .. IF rodents are being attracted it’s probably the feed & not the manure.
I live in Chicago, there are no chickens in my immediate neighborhood, yet we have rats. Hmmm.
Oliveoyl, you’re right- rodents are attracted to the feed, not the manure. My meek little Polish crested hens wouldn’t kill a mouse, but I’ve heard tales such as yours being more the rule than the exception.