Debate Opens on Backyard Hens by Steve Hoffert
At the Lakewood City Council meeting on February 2nd two ordinances were introduced by Councilman Tom Bullock to insure greater food variety and security to the residents of Lakewood. Both ordinances were in response to requests by long time Lakewood residents and active members of the Lakewood Earth and Food Community.
One ordinance would expand the variety of food at the Farmer's Market to include meat and dairy. The other would allow residents to raise a few hens in their backyard. Raising hens within city limits is hardly a novel idea, in fact New York, Baltimore, Chicago, Seattle, Cleveland and many others allow this. With increasing concern over food quality and the ethical treatment of animals many feel it is time to have a closer relationship with the food that we consume.
Councilwoman Madigan expressed her concerns over allowing individuals to raise hens within the city. Understandably, she and many others who have had little practical experience with raising this type of animal would be concerned about certain aspects of allowing this ordinance to pass. Members of the audience discussed facts and direct experiences in support of the many benefits of a few backyard hens.
Most eggs consumed in the United States are produced in “factory farms”, some of which mistreat the animals, create massive amounts of waste and produce an inferior drug and hormone inundated product. The media carries these horror stories creating the general impression that raising poultry is an activity that would be less than conducive to city living. This can be no further from the truth for a few backyard hens.
The Ordinance introduced at Monday night's council meeting would set a limit to the number of hens raised within the city to approximately four. It would also introduce licensing fees and guidelines, disallow roosters and the slaughter of chickens within the city.
Members of the audience discussed the many benefits of hens: they produce an egg a day once they mature, they will turn over a compost pile, eating vegetable scraps that would otherwise be put down a garbage disposal. When set loose in a garden, they consume those pesky slugs and bugs cutting down on chemical insecticides. Their waste has a very low moisture content and minimal odors. When mixed with your compost and soil it makes an excellent organic source of nitrogen eliminating the need to fertilize with chemicals.
Raising these animals as pets gives an individual a great sense of accomplishment and they are rewarded with delicious organic eggs. Childrens in Lakewood could finally be involved in the 4-H program and present their hens at fairs and poultry shows. Watching these animals in their daily routine is also interesting and calming because they come in such a wide variety of sizes and colors.
Cleveland recently passed a similar ordinance after a long community discussion. The Lakewood City Council decided to move this ordinance into the Housing Committee where facts and thoughtful debate can educate the public and dispel myths surrounding this issue.