Change Ordinance in Chicago Heights, IL

[Jjmanchester]

My sister lives in Chicago and they allow chickens in the city in residential areas. So maybe if they allow it in Chicago why not here argument.

https://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-...ing/A-Step-by-Step-Guide-to-Raising-Chickens/

 

[AdaliaStark]

So sorry to necro my own post after so many years of inactivity but I just found out that Chicago Heights changed their ordinance last year on the 5th of June to allow chickens!!!!!

 

[AdaliaStark]

So I necroed my own post from 2019, maybe shouldn't have done that so I'm also creating this post with an update.

I was looking into the ordinance of Chicago Heights for info unrelated to chickens but stumbled upon info that shows the city changed the ordinance on June 5th, 2024!!!!!! It allows us to now have a maximum of 6 chickens, with roosters and guinea hens being prohibited. There is an annual license fee + one time building permit and electrical permit.

From what I've read in the ordinance, it sounds like nothing can be done about getting a coop or setting up the enclosed feeding/grazing area without having the paid the fee for the license and having had your property inspected to be allowed to receive the license. The building fee is for the building of a coop, the enclosed feeding/grazing area or installing of a prefab coop, and the electrical permit is only for if you are installing electricity in the coop.

It also seems like they don't allow enough space for the coop to be inside the grazing/feeding area as the coop would take up all the space so you might need to make like an enclosed tunnel leading to the feeding/grazing area. The coop can be no bigger than 24 square feet in area and 6 feet in height measured from grade while being elevated at least one foot off the ground.

The enclosed grazing/feeding area must be an enclosed and covered area no larger than 32 square feet in area and no taller than 6 feet, while having the hardware cloth or welded wire mesh(minimum wire gauge of 19 with chicken wire being prohibited) buried at least 12 inches deep and six inches flat to prevent predators from being able to dig underneath.
There is a mention of using a chicken tractor for free range hens as a mobile outside enclosure.

My parents feel that the dimensions of the coop and enclosed feeding/grazing area are so small in order to discourage people as much as possible from actually getting chickens.

 

[townchicks]

That is sort of good news, but the restrictions on size are terrible, IMO. It's strange, because the inclusion of a predator apron seems likely that someone with chicken savey was involved with this, as most folks wouldn't think of that, but the dimensions of the run are crazy small.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Woo Hoo!!!

 

[AdaliaStark]

Yeah it is good news but the size restrictions honestly are where I'm struggling because I can't picture those dimensions nor am I very good at math, just that they sounded small to me and to my parents. I do like the inclusion of the predator apron also, I imagine those run dimensions are crazy small for the total number of chickens we are allowed to keep?

I agree that it does sound someone chicken savey was involved but that they didn't succeed in getting better dimensions out of the city while the ordinance changes were being hashed out before approval. Like maybe they tried to advocate for better dimensions but ended up having to capitulate somewhere to get the city to agree to the ordinance change, though I'm just guessing here.

 

[Sic]

So the coop can be a maximum of 4×6 and the run a maximum of 4×8. If you attach the run to the coop off the 4ft side, and the coop is elevated off the ground, you can incorporate the 24sq of the area under the coop, which would make it 56sqft total, getting close enough to the recommended minimum 10sqft per bird of outdoor space. 6 chickens being the maximum in said space makes sense. It may not be ideal, but it will suffice if you choose breed(s) that are better suited for confinement.

 

[AdaliaStark]

Thank you! That is helpful, we are required to raise the coop a minimum of 1 foot of the ground and every coop I've looked at so far(whether as pdf plans or prefab) has been elevated. I've already decided I would start with 3 chickens so as long whatever I get is big enough to handle a total of 6 chickens then I would be fine.

I would probably get smaller breeds, like bantams or other small breeds as otherwise I think the space available would limit me to only 3 chickens if the breed wasn't a small breed.

 

[littlecoopnextdoor]

I’d def have the coop raised up a couple feet so you can max out their space! I do that with my urban coop and it added 15ish ft to the run

 

[FunClucks]

That one foot high of space under the coop seems like a good idea until the hens choose to lay their eggs under there. It's no fun fishing out potentially bad eggs with a gravel rake because someone made a "secret" nest. If you put hardware cloth around the bottom of the coop to the ground to enclose that area, put it in a picture frame or something to make the panels removable so you can fetch out injured/sick chickens or eggs if/when needed. They will always find the hardest to access spot and that's where they'll be.

Honestly, I'd consider avoiding the under coop space and get less chickens. Bantam vs. Standard - if you're concerned about egg production I'd suggest white leghorns - maximum size eggs every day with a minimum hen body size, but not quite as small as bantams. Bantams lay smaller eggs than standard large fowl chickens, and they may not lay as often. White leghorns are quite a bit smaller compared to heritage breed chickens (both heritage breeds and white leghorns are large fowl chickens). Only downside is I've found White Leghorns can bully/feather eat quite a bit the non-white-leghorn chickens, so a mixed flock may not be the best choice, but it may just be my individuals.

Also consider quail instead, as they can provide both eggs and meat with rapid turnaround, and do well inside dwellings or sheds with the proper setup.