Letter: Pet hens– not your grandmothers’ chickens (Printed Aug. 3, 2007)
Posted by Sentry Editor at 8/9/2007 9:03 AM 
Categories: Zoning, Opinion, So Po News, Letters to the editor, Environment
Categories: Zoning, Opinion, So Po News, Letters to the editor, Environment
Editor:
Although most people agree on the benefits of pet hens (fresh organic eggs, great lessons for kids, good for the environment) some folks still have reservations about allowing them in town. Their idea of “chickens” may be based on the rural farm flocks they grew up with: smelly, noisy, freely-wandering fowl. The pet hens being proposed for South Portland will be much different! What’s more, the City Council has drafted a set of very strict regulations to assure hens won’t be a nuisance.
Urban/suburban hens are raised very differently than their farm cousins. Unlike rural fowl, whose dirty coops aren’t cleaned often, backyard hens are diligently cared for as suburban pets: cleaned every day or so. Chicken poop (less smelly than dog poop) from 4 hens equals a small dog’s, and unlike dog/cat poop, which can’t be composted for health reasons, chicken poop makes fabulous garden fertilizer! The city’s ordinance will enforce cleanliness.
Since roosters aren’t allowed, noise isn’t a problem. Hens’ normal clucking is very quiet, and even a rare “squawk” is much quieter than a barking dog! The city’s ordinance will ensure that noise or odor is never a nuisance to neighbors.
Free-ranging rural chickens can attract predators. However, South Portland’s pet hens must be kept in a predator-proof, fully-enclosed pen at all times, except for short periods when they may be allowed in a securely fenced yard with supervision. At night, when predators prowl, hens must be locked into a solid henhouse. Securely penned hens will attract predators no more than a rabbit in a backyard rabbit hutch. The city is regulating pen construction to ensure they’re predator-proof; rabbit hutches have no such restrictions!
To protect property values, very strict building codes regulate henhouse aesthetics and construction. They must be nicely painted, sided like the main house, well-maintained and screened with landscaping. Think of a garden shed, not a ramshackle coop made of scrap! The people fueling the “pet hen movement” are in largely upscale communities, conscientious neighbors who care about their properties. Recent news stories document the rising popularity of pet hens in upscale neighborhoods. Cape Elizabeth, which allows chickens in their tightest residential neighborhoods, certainly has no trouble with property values. In fact, many people view chickens as a highly positive aspect of a neighborhood, indicating a commitment to healthy living, environmental awareness, and a reminder of a slower, more natural way of life in our busy, rushing-around, plastic-wrapped society. In communities around the nation, real estate agents even use pro-chicken ordinances as a selling point!
The media is full of sensational stories about avian flu, but be assured that pet hens (raised as proposed) are not a threat. H5N1 has never been found in America. If it ever was, semi-wild chickens like those in Key West, and free-ranging farm flocks that intermingle with migratory waterfowl would be the prime concern, not pet hens.
Not many families are likely to want pet hens. It’s a big commitment in time, money (permit fees will be hefty) and energy. While it’s unlikely there would be hens in your neighborhood, and even more unlikely that you’d notice they were there, you might be pleasantly surprised if you did.
Children and families benefit from the joy of daily harvesting, development of responsibility, and the lesson that food doesn’t always come wrapped in plastic from a store. Neighborhoods benefit from the chance to share the experience (and eggs!): a great reason to visit the neighbors, something increasingly rare in our busy modern lives.
Allowing pet hens in the city is another step in the right directions towards making SoPo a nicer, “greener”, even more pleasant place to live. We urge residents to support the City Council’s hard work in drafting an ordinance that will allow a few pet hens to coexist peacefully in South Portland neighborhoods. More info at www.SoPoChickens.org.
Stacey, Neil
and Olivia Collins
South Portland
Although most people agree on the benefits of pet hens (fresh organic eggs, great lessons for kids, good for the environment) some folks still have reservations about allowing them in town. Their idea of “chickens” may be based on the rural farm flocks they grew up with: smelly, noisy, freely-wandering fowl. The pet hens being proposed for South Portland will be much different! What’s more, the City Council has drafted a set of very strict regulations to assure hens won’t be a nuisance.
Urban/suburban hens are raised very differently than their farm cousins. Unlike rural fowl, whose dirty coops aren’t cleaned often, backyard hens are diligently cared for as suburban pets: cleaned every day or so. Chicken poop (less smelly than dog poop) from 4 hens equals a small dog’s, and unlike dog/cat poop, which can’t be composted for health reasons, chicken poop makes fabulous garden fertilizer! The city’s ordinance will enforce cleanliness.
Since roosters aren’t allowed, noise isn’t a problem. Hens’ normal clucking is very quiet, and even a rare “squawk” is much quieter than a barking dog! The city’s ordinance will ensure that noise or odor is never a nuisance to neighbors.
Free-ranging rural chickens can attract predators. However, South Portland’s pet hens must be kept in a predator-proof, fully-enclosed pen at all times, except for short periods when they may be allowed in a securely fenced yard with supervision. At night, when predators prowl, hens must be locked into a solid henhouse. Securely penned hens will attract predators no more than a rabbit in a backyard rabbit hutch. The city is regulating pen construction to ensure they’re predator-proof; rabbit hutches have no such restrictions!
To protect property values, very strict building codes regulate henhouse aesthetics and construction. They must be nicely painted, sided like the main house, well-maintained and screened with landscaping. Think of a garden shed, not a ramshackle coop made of scrap! The people fueling the “pet hen movement” are in largely upscale communities, conscientious neighbors who care about their properties. Recent news stories document the rising popularity of pet hens in upscale neighborhoods. Cape Elizabeth, which allows chickens in their tightest residential neighborhoods, certainly has no trouble with property values. In fact, many people view chickens as a highly positive aspect of a neighborhood, indicating a commitment to healthy living, environmental awareness, and a reminder of a slower, more natural way of life in our busy, rushing-around, plastic-wrapped society. In communities around the nation, real estate agents even use pro-chicken ordinances as a selling point!
The media is full of sensational stories about avian flu, but be assured that pet hens (raised as proposed) are not a threat. H5N1 has never been found in America. If it ever was, semi-wild chickens like those in Key West, and free-ranging farm flocks that intermingle with migratory waterfowl would be the prime concern, not pet hens.
Not many families are likely to want pet hens. It’s a big commitment in time, money (permit fees will be hefty) and energy. While it’s unlikely there would be hens in your neighborhood, and even more unlikely that you’d notice they were there, you might be pleasantly surprised if you did.
Children and families benefit from the joy of daily harvesting, development of responsibility, and the lesson that food doesn’t always come wrapped in plastic from a store. Neighborhoods benefit from the chance to share the experience (and eggs!): a great reason to visit the neighbors, something increasingly rare in our busy modern lives.
Allowing pet hens in the city is another step in the right directions towards making SoPo a nicer, “greener”, even more pleasant place to live. We urge residents to support the City Council’s hard work in drafting an ordinance that will allow a few pet hens to coexist peacefully in South Portland neighborhoods. More info at www.SoPoChickens.org.
Stacey, Neil
and Olivia Collins
South Portland
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