Towns and cities in Michigan that allow chickens?

[Riverdale]

So a township? I can't say for sure but knowiing the area, the biggest problem you will have will be predators, not ordinances. Here's hoping for the best!

 

[jiffymix123]

Thank you!
I have discovered that East Lansing has recently changed it's ordinance to allow up to 4 backyard hens! That is a good one, since East Lansing is easily recognized by Mulliken folks. The Village President emailed me the pertinent portions of Mulliken's ordinance tonight, and said he will send me the information on how to change the existing ordinance. I'm feeling confident that the Village Council won't push back too hard on this. I was told that all of our Village ordinances were copied from those of another Village and voted in as a whole. I'm working on a petition and am not ashamed to admit that I have taken a page from the Village Council and blatantly copied from this Forum! I'll keep you all posted on my progress and I'm sure I'll be back for more info! This is what I've got so far:

April 21, 2009

To the Village Council of Mulliken, MI:

My name is Kathy Holton and I have been a resident of the Village of Mulliken for 17 years. I am writing to request a change in the Village ordinance that will not allow me to raise a small number of chickens in our yard on the corner of Ionia St. and M-43.
My chickens will be pets, be we would also like to collect their eggs for our personal use. These chickens would not be butchered and the eggs would not be sold. My hens (I will not have a rooster) will be confined within a roomy pen and an attractive coop. They will not be allowed to free range. I know that noise and smell are a concern, but once again, I will not have a noisy rooster and a chicken coop need not be smelly if it is properly maintained. My chicken coop will be sanitized regularly. I plan on recycling the droppings and litter from the coop into compost for my gardens. The pen and coop will be incorporated into my gardens with flowers and vegetables surrounding it.
With our Federal Government urging us to Go Green, recycle and find ways to make our way of life more sustainable and environmentally friendly, the no chicken ordinance really makes no sense to me. With some basic, common sense rules, it shouldnt be difficult to adapt the existing ordinances to allow a few chickens within the Village limits. This is a Farming Community after all. It says so on the Mulliken Village website.
I appreciate your consideration in this matter. I will try to attend the May 1st Village Council meeting.


Sincerely, Kathy M. Holton


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We urge the Mulliken Village Council to reconsider the issue of backyard hens.

Allowing residents to keep a limited number of backyard chickens would be a socially and environmentally responsible move on the part of the Village of Mulliken.

In recent years, with the price of oil and food increasing, along with nearly constant scares about the safety of the food supply, it seems more important than ever that people are able to raise and produce some of their own food.

Recently, cities across the country, including many in Michigan, have begun allowing citizens to keep backyard chickens because of their numerous benefits. Ann Arbor, Livonia, and East Lansing are just a few examples. Ann Arbor residents are now able to keep up to four hens in coops in their backyards with their neighbors' consent. Chickens can be kept as pets or for eggs. East Lansing has just recently passed a similar ordinance. The exact laws vary, but in general they permit residents to keep 4-12 chickens in a secure backyard enclosure a minimum distance from neighboring residences, and forbid the keeping of roosters.

In addition to the benefit of fresh eggs, chicken manure is a valuable addition to any compost pile. They also eat bugs, aerate the soil, and can eat fruit and vegetable waste from the kitchen, reducing landfill usage. The eggs do not have to be trucked and refrigerated for long distances, which could even help reduce the owner's carbon footprint compared to buying conventional eggs. Some research has even suggested that fresh, naturally raised eggs have an improved nutrient profile compared to conventional eggs. Raising chickens in an urban or suburban location is quite different from how they are raised on a large poultry farm. Properly cared for and cleaned up after, they would make less noise and smell than most dogs.

We feel it important that the Village Council reconsider the matter, this time taking into account the feelings of their consitituents, and fairly considering all the facts.

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To: The Mulliken Village Council

We, the undersigned citizens of Mulliken, believe that chickens should be allowed within the town limits in residential areas. The Village ordinance should be changed to allow a small number of backyard hens for the following reasons:

1. Backyard hens provide an educational opportunity to teach children where our food comes from and demonstrate responsible pet ownership.
2. When properly raised, chickens can be wonderfully affectionate and entertaining pets.
3. Fresh, naturally raised eggs have an improved nutrient profile compared to conventional eggs
4. Chickens produce a rich fertilizer by-product, high in nitrogen, eliminating the need for petrochemical fertilizers.
5. Chickens eat bugs, including ticks, Japanese beetles and flies, reducing our backyard pest population, and allowing for reduced use of pesticides.
6. Chickens eat table scraps, reducing municipal solid waste.
7. A properly cleaned and maintained chicken coop poses no sanitation risks.

By amending the Town ordinance to allow residents to keep a limited number of hens in residential zones, the Village of Mulliken will encourage stewardship of the environment and food production on a household scale.

Sincerely,
The Undersigned

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I love this Im wondering if you would be ok if me and my wife use this or parts of this for our petition. Also I would like to know how this went for you.