U.S. City Dwellers Flock to Raising Chickens

[jmeeter88]

An underground "urban chicken" movement has swept across the United States in recent years. Cities such as Boston, Massachusetts, and Madison, Wisconsin, are known to have had chickens residing illegally behind city fences.

But grassroots campaigns, often inspired by the expanding movement to buy locally produced food, are leading municipalities to allow limited numbers of hens within city limits.

Cities such as Anne Arbor, Michigan; Ft. Collins, Colorado; and South Portland, Maine have all voted in the past year to allow residents to raise backyard poultry. "It's a serious issue - it's no yolk," said Mayor Dave Cieslewicz of Madison, Wisconsin, when his city reversed its poultry ban in 2004. "Chickens are really bringing us together as a community. For too long they've been cooped up."

Read it all here:

http://www.worldwatch.org/node/5900

 

[OPIE]

With the current financial situation of the country, I have been seeing ALOT of make shift coops going up around here. I have seen 1 lady selling baby chicks in her front yard and she didnt have them long they were sold out quick, but what concerns me a little is the fact that some of these people have no idea how to care for and maintain chickens. The little town I live in has an ordinance against livestock and chickens fall into that ordinance, but no one says anything (maybe cuz I buy them off with fresh eggs!) But I am in a VERY small community though.

 

[kalaim]

I'm glad I'm in one of the cities mentioned that does allow chickens!

Apparently people were keeping chickens here long before the ordinance was even passed though, the secret society of chicken owners!

Unfortunately our city just turned down raising the limit of chickens, we are at 4 right now. They were trying to raise the limit to 8, but it didn't pass. Maybe next time.

Hopefully, people that really want to get into it are getting the info they need in the care and upkeep.

I think most city people that are doing this for the free range reasons, and raising our own food etc, care enough about the animal welfare to just not jump into it blindly.

 

[banter]

I had Salmon Faverolle chickens, Runner ducks, Ancona ducks, and Bobwhite quail in Woburn, Ma. which is a city, with no problems. I had 1/2 acre and nice neighbors. Most of them were older and had raised poultry themselves.