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Chickens give owners plenty to crow about
But some council members fear fowl may mar city image

05:50 PM CST on Thursday, January 15, 2004
By SCOTT STAFFORD / The Dallas Morning News

A growing trend has the potential of running afoul of authorities, but these pet owners are not ruffled by city regulations against keeping chickens.

In fact, some chicken owners don't even know what the regulations are. They just keep their hens clean and quiet and nobody notices. Meanwhile, they reap the benefits.

"They don't bark, they're not climbers, and they don't gnaw on wiring," said Catherine Gleason, who raises show chickens at her home in Farmers Branch. "A couple of hens are just as cute as they can be. And if you let them have the variety of food that they need, you'll have some of the best-quality, good-for-you eggs that you could ever get."

But some have a different perspective on chickens in suburbia, and the Farmers Branch City Council is concerned that too many chickens in town could hurt the city's image.

"Farm animals should be on a farm, not next door to me," said Farmers Branch City Council member Bill Moses. "I don't want to smell them [farm animals]. Dogs and cats are different. But I don't want chickens."

City Council members are awaiting a report from the city Community Services Department on changing the city ordinance, which allows up to six chickens on a quarter-acre residential lot. Council members asked city officials to report on how to allow residents to keep the chickens they have but prohibit residents from becoming new chicken-keepers.

Officials expect to present their report in February.

"At least one of the council members asked if farm animals are really appropriate in an urban or suburban environment," said Michael Spicer, director of the Community Services Department. "Our experience says that chickens don't make that much noise, and less than 1 percent of our animal control activity relates to chickens. We have much more serious issues with cats and dogs."

In the Dallas-Fort Worth area, several cities allow chickens, but most don't. They are permitted in Arlington, Irving, Dallas and Richardson with various restrictions. In Carrollton and Lewisville, chickens are allowed on one acre or more but not in a suburban subdivision. In Coppell and Addison, chickens are not allowed. But even where it's OK to keep chickens, roosters are forbidden on small lots because of their penchant for crowing.

Relaxing presence

But more people are finding that a hen or two in the back yard of suburbia can be a soothing and entertaining presence.

"I'm in the middle of suburbia, right outside of Los Angeles, and there is enough stress in my life with traffic and noise and people's attitudes," said Garm Beall of Woodland Hills, Calif. "For me to look out my sliding glass door and see some chickens pecking around in the back yard gives me a peaceful feeling. Especially where I live, anything that helps us settle down and be calm is a good thing."

Mr. Beall, 45, is the owner of a Web site called backyardchickens .com, which he started five years ago as he was raising chicks in his back yard with his 5-year-old son. Today, the Web site gets about 1 million visitors every month, and the message board supports 3,700 members.

He said the visitors to his Web site vary from folks who just raise chickens for the meat to people who keep a chicken or two for companionship.

"For some people, it is just a source of food," Mr. Beall said. "For others, it is literally their animal companion. They've even designed chicken diapers so you can have them in the house. There are people who watch TV with their chickens."

James Polser, 30-year owner of the Lewisville Feed Mill, said he still sells plenty of chicken feed, but not to the same kind of customer he had 30 years ago.

"My chicken-feed customers are pet owners now, and there is a tremendous amount of them," Mr. Polser said. "And in most cases, unless there is somebody complaining, nobody ever knows about it."

Prized pet

Kent Robertson, manager of the animal control division in Dallas, said Dallas allows chickens as pets. He said he even owned a chicken in Northern California when his kids were young. Because of that, he said, he can understand why someone would enjoy a pet relationship with poultry.

"He [the chicken] came into the shelter I was working at, and we just kinda connected," said Mr. Robertson. "His name was Quasimodo, cause he had a little hunchback and he couldn't crow. He was wonderful – he got along with the dogs and kept the bugs down around the house. He was very friendly and loving, and the kids cried when he died. We had a big funeral and everything."

But some City Council members, and residents, think allowing chickens in the city might hurt property values.

"For real estate values, and the image of the city, I think we should really think about what to do with chickens," said Farmers Branch council member Charlie Bird. "If I was trying to sell my house and somebody said, 'I can not possibly buy your house because of the chickens next door,' I would be very upset."