UPDATE: The chicken ban was upheld. The Flores family will have to forgo their flock. Read the comments from readers to see reactions.
Today's Herald-News has a cover story about Lockport voting whether to lift its chicken ban. Coincidently - and we seriously didn't plan this - Common Sense columnist Gaby Arnhart is on the Viewpoint page saying chickens shouldn't be allowed.
Her arguments are the common ones against urban poultry:
- Chickens require special care and expensive vet treatment.
- Chickens aren't friendly unless you socialize them.
- Coops are expensive.
- Owners might be irresponsible and let their chickens roam.
- They won't be a good fit on small lots.
These arguments are the immediate reaction of people who haven't examined the facts.
Chickens require special care and expensive vet treatment.
Many animals require special care and have to go to the vet. But we don't ban breeds of dogs that need more attention. No village rules that people can't adopt pets with special needs because the vet bills might be high.
And you know what requires a LOT of care and expensive doctor visits? Babies. But you won't see Plainfield telling me that I can't get pregnant until the economy improves.
Chickens aren't friendly unless you socialize them.
Often times, neither are dogs. Or people. We read about vicious animals who have gone feral from isolation. We read about children who never learned to speak or interact because they were locked up and had no interaction. Does that mean no one could have animals or children? No, it means that you should treat the animals and children right so they are socialized. Same with chickens.
Coops are expensive
My sister's dogs are on medication that costs a fortune. So is the dog of a former night news editor here. Some animals have special needs that require extra funding. But people still get them and take care of them because we care for our pets.
Owners might be irresponsible and let their chickens roam.
My neighbor has two dachshunds who bark when we come out, chase the wildlife we welcome and leave "gifts" in our yards. But no one is suggesting that dogs be banned.
As with any other animal, there would be rules about the chickens' coops and about their movements. And if one did get away, at least what it left behind in my yard might be an edible egg.
Make rules and ticket those who don't abide by them. By banning chickens altogether, you throw the baby out with the bathwater.
They won't be a good fit on small lots.
That's why there are rules. Naperville's chicken ordinance says the coop has to be 25 feet from any neighboring homes. That means in a high-density subdivision, you aren't tripping over your neighbor's coop.
Rules would make sure there were no roosters (too noisy), that people didn't have dozens of chickens (too crowded) and that they were properly maintained and cared for. If you screw up, you lose the right to have them. Just like with any animal.
And, frankly, have you ever lived next to a house where there were a ton of young children? Talk about a bad fit for a small lot. But no one will ever come in and suggest a family with a lot of kids should be banned.
My final word (maybe):
Unlike kids and dogs, chickens provide food, are relatively quiet and don't set off my allergies. (Not that I'm allergic to kids.) If I'm willing to invest the money and time, I should think my neighbors would be willing to put up with some quiet clucking ... if they can even hear it over the dachshunds.
The photo at the top is by Herald-News photographer John Patsch and shows two of the chickens owned by the Flores family look out of their pen in Lockport.
I currently keep one standard and 4 bantam (miniature) chikens in a 4x8 coop in my 1/2 acre yard. The coop is neat and odor free unless you stick your head inside the coop. They provide my family of 6 with enough eggs that we do not need to buy them. We often have eonugh to share with friends. My neighbors enjoy the chickens and we have had no complaints.
I do not think the concerns about backyard chickens are much different than the concerns about dogs, there is just a different perception because they are considered farm animals.
I hope Lockport allowed them to keep the chickens. When I read that the family treated the chickens as pets I was wondering what kind of pets chickens can make but apparently they are good pets. I don't understand pigs as pets either but apparently they are clean and intelligent pets. Just because we are not used to having them as pets doesn't mean we shouldn't allow others who know how to raise them do so. The world is changing and we need to change with it.
I don't know if I would be ok living next door to a family with chickens but I already live next door to a family with too many children and 2 dogs that run loose and I have adjusted to that. I suppose I can handle a few well mannered chickens compared to ill-mannered children and dogs.
Last night, the Lockport City Council was one vote shy of moving into the progressive green world that the rest of the world is moving towards.
In a surprsing about-face, Mayor Dev Trivedi decided to crack under the pressure of a few hard-boiled eggs that have somehow kidded themselves that Lockport is some sort of modern metropolis that would somehow be thrust back in time had they allowed backyard chickens.
I will say it again. Lockport's finest asset is its small town charm. Whenever someone refers to Lockport as a suburb, I correct them & let them know that Lockport is a small town.
A big thank you goes out to Aldermen Colarelli, Morris, Fraccaro and Krosz. They are the ones that will eventually replace the old dinosaurs that refuse to move forward.
It takes a lot more than just adding bricks and mortar and Wal-Marts and Sonic Burger to move ahead.
Shame on all of the aldermen that voted against healthier and self-sustainable initiatives that families want and need for their families.
I also want Mayor Trivedi & Aldermen Kelly, Van Dyke, Smith and Perretta know that they broke two little girl's hearts last night. My daughters were inconsolable.
I will remember all of you in my columns and at voting time.
Lockport remains on the list of close-minded townships that deny people the freedom of healthier and greener alternatives. THAT is nothing less than un-America.
UGH! The mayor cast the deciding vote AGAINST the chickens. After all his comments about how it's a good thing and asking about a one-year trial the nay-sayers said, "No." and he sided with them. Since he was the deciding vote he could have easily said yes and said we will trial it. Why not do that instead of chickening out (pun intended) and giving in to half his council.
I really have to wonder how free I am in America when I can be told I can't have access to food I produce myself. Especially in these horrible economic times how can anyone say NO to self sustaining practices? Maybe this is a larger issue than just chickens.
I am disgusted and sad.