Fate of OKC backyard chicken coops headed for City Council vote

Chickens across Oklahoma City are one step closer to being able to roam on city lots of less than an acre, as the City Council heard public comments on Tuesday about the future of metro hens.

The council is scheduled to vote Feb. 1 on a proposal that, if passed, would allow residents to house up to six hens or quail under specific housing and raising regulations.

The ordinance, introduced in October by Councilmembers JoBeth Hamon, Nikki Nice and Bradley Carter, would define coop specifications for chicken housing, maintain that chickens be housed from dusk to dawn with access to nonpaved areas to roam free during the day and would ban roosters from being housed in city limits.

"I have raised chickens, I've lived with chickens and loved it, and I find them to be delightful creatures to be around," Pat Hearth told the council during Tuesday's public comment period. "I think a lot of people in Oklahoma City have agricultural roots, and I think we need to be growing food in the city as well as the country."

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Currently, chickens are allowed on lots larger than one acre, but the new ordinance would mean the animals can live in the more densely populated areas without any special permits.

For some, that is reason for concern based on chickens potentially attracting predators, noise pollution from dogs that cannot get used to the new neighbors, adverse affects to neighborhood sanitation and the possibility of adding another responsibility for code enforcement officials.

"I just believe that our homes are too close together to allow for chicken farming. I just think its inappropriate for a neighborhood that's this dense," said Laura Johnson, a homeowner in Ward 5 and assistant city manager for Oklahoma City. "I'm also concerned that the conditions that are specified in the ordinance will be unenforceable by the city."

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This is not the first time that the living arrangements of urban hens have been considered. In 2014, the council rejected by a 5-4 vote a measure that would have allowed residential chickens after a resident received a permit and paid a fee.

Sara Braden, an urban hen advocate, said that some of the concerns surrounding chickens may not play as much of a factor in day to day life as people think.

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For example, Braden contacted eight other regional cities that allow for backyard chickens, and cited responses from those cities' code enforcement offices to the council that noise complaints, sanitation concerns and rouge hens are seldom an issue.

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"For one thing, this is not chicken farming. We're really talking about backyard pets just like cats and dogs," Braden said. "I believe that people should be allowed to grow their own food on their land. And I think that's not just vegetables, but having a few backyard chickens for eggs is a great part of that."

After fielding several questions from Ward 2 Councilman James Cooper, Braden emphasized the positive educational aspect that urban hens can offer.

"It's a great way to show your kids that not only vegetables grow out of the ground and don't just come in a plastic bag from Walmart, but even eggs can be something that's a part of nature and not just from a Styrofoam container," Braden said.

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma City Council to decide fate of backyard chicken coops