Supporters cry fowl,
as chickens don't fly

By Brian D. Bridgeford / News Republic

A Baraboo committee Tuesday evening rejected two youthful advocates' appeal for a city ordinance allowing people to keep small flocks of egg-laying poultry in the city.

Baraboo residents Lydia Scott, 13, and Maia Persche, 14, and a small group of supporters appeared before the city's Administrative Committee to argue for allowing up to six hens to be housed in coops in the back yards of local homes. There is a trend of cities, including Madison, Portland, Ore., and Duluth to allow residents to have small flocks, they said.

Existing Baraboo city ordinances specifically prohibit keeping poultry in the city, Persche pointed out. However, city officials have adopted the title of an eco-municipality for Baraboo and stated their intent in promoting environmentally friendly and sustainable policies, she said.

"It's all stemming from this green and sustainable movement that's going across the whole country, and even the whole world, right now," Persche said. "Allowing residents the opportunity to raise small flocks of chickens for healthy food and local food goes hand in hand with us being an eco-muncipality."

Most chickens lay eggs beginning when they are six months old and lay an egg a day through spring, summer and fall, Scott said. A few hardy poultry varieties even lay eggs in winter if heat lamps are used to keep their coop warm.

"Six chickens will provide a family of four or even five with eggs, and probably even enough to send to the neighbors as well," she said. "Chickens will be glad to eat lots of table scraps you have, and there is chicken grain you can buy at Farm and Fleet. They also eat small weeds and lots of bugs that other birds avoid like Japanese beetles."

Chicken droppings can be composted to produce fertilizer or simply dumped in the trash like other pets waste, Scott said.

The girls proposed several rules that should be included in an ordinance regulating chickens in the city;

* No more than six birds per household.

* No roosters over the age they begin crowing.

* No butchering of chickens within the city limits.

* Hens must be kept in a secure, sanitary coop no less than 20 feet from the nearest neighbor's property.

Persche said even in cities that have allowed people to raise the birds, only a small number of residents apply for permits. For example, Brainerd, Minn. a city of 13,000 people similar to Baraboo, had only one person get a poultry-raising license last year, she said.

Alderman Joel Petty said the comments he is getting from the public strongly oppose allowing hens in the city.

"(People ask) Are they truly pets or are they livestock," he said. "If you open the door for one kind of livestock, how can you say no to other kinds?"

Petty asked how the city would ensure the chicken coops were well constructed and keep predators out.

"Another concern I would have as an alderman and taxpayer too is enforcement," he said. "I live on Second Avenue, and there are dogs that are loose and there are feral cats that are loose ... one of my concerns would be in regards to some of the predators."

Petty said he did not think the idea for a new ordinance was well enough developed, so he was not willing to support sending it to the City Council for further discussion and action. He said he was still open for continuing dialogue on the issue.

Alderwoman Elizabeth Brickl, already a strong voice against allowing more dogs per household, said she would not support the ordinance.

Committee Chairman Gene Robkin agreed the proposal needed a lot more thought and development before it might be ready for prime time.

"It's easy to talk about getting rid of your 10-month-old rooster, but if it's a pet it might not be as emotionally easy as it sounds," he said. "You need a lot better definition of butchering, cause if you're not careful it will be illegal to buy a whole chicken at Pierce's and cut it up."

After discussion, none of the committee members wanted to send the proposal to the City Council for further deliberation or action, and they let it drop there.

Mayor Patrick Liston advised Persche and Scott they can still take their proposal directly to the City Council.