New Haven Independent

City Plan Fair To Fowl

by Leonard J. Honeyman | May 21, 2009 8:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (13)

Backers of equal protection under the law for all hens got eggsactly what they came for from the City Plan Commission. Well, they got within a feather of it anyway.

The panel acted Wednesday night on an advisory report to the Board of Aldermen on a proposal to make it legal for city residents to raise up to a half-dozen hens under certain controlled circumstances. Roosters were definitely not invited.

After sitting on the nest and clucking for a few more minutes, the commission passed the measure unanimously, asked for a Health Department report, and sent the matter on to the Board of Aldermen, which is expected to take it up next month.

City Planner Joy Ford explained the conditions under which the hens could be kept under the proposal: no more than six, no less than 10 feet from the property line and 25 feet from the street line, no hens in the house, and the rest.

Then City Engineer Richard Miller, who has raised chickens, presented a number of “what if”s for proponents Fair Haven Alderwoman Erin Sturgis-Pascale and Westville resident Rebecca Weiner (pictured). Weiner has legal hens in the backyard of her well-kept egg-yolk-colored house on Willard Street.

What if the hens stop laying?

What do you do about the guano (droppings)?

Meanwhile, City Plan Chairman Ed Mattison said he worried about humane treatment of the birds.

“There is a blog with 39,000 entries, mostly talking about mistreatment,” he said. “We do not want to contribute to the mistreatment of animals.”

City Plan Deputy Director Thomas Talbot said he, too, has raised chickens. He said he worries more about over-regulation than too little. Five square feet of space is plenty for a hen, he said; those who raise them should not have to walk on eggshells about treatment of their flocks.

Sturgis-Pascale said people don’t need roosters to lay eggs; one of the hens can become the chief chicken and keep the others from fowl deeds. She and Weiner both said you can’t tell who in a neighborhood is keeping chickens by any foul smell, as attested by Christopher Smith, who is a tenant at a house at which chickens are raised.

Weiner said hens are as hearty as any animal that lives where it gets cold. Breeds such as Rhode Island Reds are used to the cold. On the coldest day, a 40-watt bulb will keep the flock as cozy as any hen party.

As to what to do with a hen that’s stopped laying, she said there could be places where “the birds can go to live out their lives.” Miller and Talbot suggested the soup pot as an alternative. The board agreed that some things are better left to health regulations.

After the vote, Weiner said she was happy the idea took flight, especially since her eggs cost about 12 cents a dozen, while organic, free-range eggs have been known to cost about $6 a dozen.

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Comments

Posted by: jeffreykerekes | May 21, 2009 9:24 AM

I enjoyed your writing on this piece - funny. You missed an opportunity for fun here:

"who in a neighborhood is keeping chickens by any foul smell,"

"fowl" smell?

Thanks for some lighthearted news.

Posted by: robn | May 21, 2009 9:45 AM

EGGSELLENT!

Posted by: DAFeder | May 21, 2009 10:04 AM

Oh please make it stop!

David

Posted by: Mother Clucker | May 21, 2009 10:12 AM

A big Thank You to Ms. Weiner, Rosie Morgan and Alderman Lemar for their tireless work and advocacy and thank you to Erin for supporting this so strongly!!! Great article and I will be ther in June to make sure that my Alderman votes for this (that means you Mr. Smart!)

Posted by: Daniel Butler | May 21, 2009 10:28 AM

I for one am quite eggs-ited about getting me some chickens. I took the family to the Common Ground high school last weekend for their farm fair and my daughter had a blast holding the birds and chasing them around the yard. Thank you Alderwoman Erin Sturgis-Pascale and Rebecca Weiner for taking up this cause! Any connection to the natural world that we can get for ourselves and our children, the better off we'll be.

Posted by: William Kurtz | May 21, 2009 10:46 AM

Boy, I knew people were enthusiastic about this, but with all the opposition, I doubted the chicken enthusiasts would be able to pullet off. Good cluck!

Posted by: jawbone | May 21, 2009 10:55 AM

"You men eat your dinner, eat your pork and beans. I eat more chicken any mans ever seen."

Posted by: Jon Doe | May 21, 2009 1:46 PM

To all that are pushing this idea of Chicken Hen's here in the City of New Haven. The Chickens Hen's are already here in Fair Haven See NHI Story LCI Follows Feather Trail ( http://www.newhavenindependent.org/archives/2009/05/the_dead_chicke.php#015140more)
If this is passed then we will be seeing more of these stories in our future.

If you want to raise chickens and farm your own land MOVE OUT OF NEW HAVEN this is a city not farm country

Posted by: Jon Doe | May 21, 2009 2:51 PM

CAN ANYONE SAY BIRD FLU!

Posted by: East Rocker | May 21, 2009 4:53 PM

Jon Doe -

Yesterday's dead chicken incident had nothing to do with lawful hen keeping. That was a deranged incident that was part of a landlord-tenant dispute. The fact that chickens were involved was completely incidental. As you surely read, there were also dead fish involved, but that doesn't mean we should be banning fish from New Haven. He could just as easily have left a dead cat.

Posted by: Consti2amend | May 21, 2009 5:42 PM

I believe some of you out there are in fact hen-pecked!

Please, keep your laws off of my p*ck*r!

It "beaks" me why there is such a "crowing" by a small "clutch" of people about this "hatching" news story!

Posted by: Ilovenewhaven | May 22, 2009 8:14 PM

you chickens

Posted by: scaredcrow | May 24, 2009 2:05 PM

Just remember that these living creatures do need lots of attention. They dont have holidays, vacation days sick days or personal days. They will lay a egg every other day. And you still have to be there for them. Dont forget the price of the chicken feed.You WILL one day get sick of it or the raccoons will finally get them. I lived on a chicken farm. I know......

City Plan Fair To Fowl

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