The motivations for wanting urban chickens are numerous and
each aspiring chicken keeper has his or her own particular cocktail of reasons
for wanting to keep hens in town. Below are a few of the most common.
Food source. An egg from a backyard hen is from a known
source. With today’s increasingly
industrialized and globalized food production, chicken keepers know where their
food comes from and the conditions under which it was produced.
Food quality. Eggs from backyard hens can be better tasting
and more nutritious than eggs from an industrial scale egg producer. Chicken keepers have low cost access to
better quality eggs.
Self-sufficiency. Chickens provide a reliable protein source
year round for those seeking to provide as much of their own food as they can. Chicken keepers are like those who keep very large vegetable gardens.
Sustainability. Backyard chickens require less energy inputs
than industrial egg production, especially when considering shipping to market. Keeping chickens is part of a smaller
footprint lifestyle.
Hobby. Keeping chickens can be a delightful hobby, particularly for youth in
4H. As our society becomes less rural
and agrarian, chicken keeping has become a heritage hobby.
Pets. Chickens are friendly and low maintenance,
making them an ideal outdoor pet for many. Many chicken keepers train their chickens to be handled by humans,
making the chickens more than just a food source.
Community building. Giving eggs to ones neighbors and friends is
a common practice among chicken keepers. Chicken keeping can build a sense of community.
Pierre Urban Chicken Reform recognizes that there are
legitimate concerns about noise, smell and health with in-town chickens. For this reason, we support the following:
Chickens should be kept in clean,
well maintained conditions to prevent odor, dust and pests. We will work to help network new chicken
keepers with resources and mentors to help ensure the best possible outcome for
people and chickens. Current city
ordinances protect surrounding homeowners from unsanitary and nuisance
conditions if chicken keepers are remiss in the care of their chickens.
A small backyard flock of domestic
chickens should not be a noise nuisance. For this reason, we recommend backyard
flocks should consist only of Gallus
gallus domesticus hens. We oppose keeping roosters or exotic fowl such
as peacocks or guinea hens in town.
To protect human health, people
handling chickens should wash their hands thoroughly per the recommendations of
the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Chicken keepers must properly and scrupulously manage chicken waste to ensure it does not present
a health hazard. We recommend children
under the age of five be closely supervised if handling chickens in order to
avoid hand to mouth contact before hand washing.
Chicken keeping traditionally evokes pictures of a farm
grandma standing by her garden spreading feed from her apron to chickens
pecking around her feet. Today, the picture
of a chicken keeper is a twenty-something in an urban setting watching his chickens in a chicken tractor peck
around the lawn. In Pierre, chicken
keeping can be both; a connection to our rural past and the values of community
and stewardship as well as a sign of a forward thinking city and an asset
sought by a young workforce. We invite
you to join with us to reform the current ordinance and promote chicken keeping
in Pierre.
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