Would you object to chickens in your neighbor’s backyard?
Related Stories
Lucy, one of Rebecca Mumaw's chickens, holds a piece of popcorn in her beak while the chickens walk in the yard in Cedar Rapids. (Liz Martin/The Gazette)
Iowa City will join the growing ranks of towns that allow people to keep chickens in city limits.
The City Council last night adopted an ordinance that sets a permit process for so-called urban or backyard chickens and, in a separate vote, approved a policy establishing rules for keeping chickens — including a provision that gives someone the power to veto a neighbor’s request for a permit.
That veto was the subject of much debate, but it also led to an unexpected unanimous vote in favor of the policy. A couple of council members spoke against the veto power but agreed to it to get backyard chickens in Iowa City. Opponents of chickens also voted “yes” because they felt the policy protected the interests of people who don’t want the birds next door.
-u20042.png?1366232523)
“Would you object to chickens in your neighbor’s backyard?”
YES!
I would object to the rooster who crows early in the morning. Otherwise, I would have no problem with them.
I would love to hear chickens in my neighbor’s yard. And, I wouldn’t mind a rooster, either!
Yes, my neighbors can have chickens. I would prefer having a few chickens next door than having a few dogs. No one has ever asked me if they can put three barking dogs in their yard. Chickens don’t crow at night – dogs bark all night. Chickens don’t crow at squirrels, rabbits, or the mailman – dogs bark all day. I’ll live next door to the chickens. Hens are quiet. Roosters crow oftener than just morning, but not as often as dogs bark, I could still live with that.
This would be a lot better than having a neighbor with a rottweiler or pit bull. At least the chickens wouldn’t be inclined to attack a neighbors children or other visitors.
Apparently you’ve never spent much time around a rooster with a bad attitude. (B.A. roosters seem to make up about 50% of the rooster population, in my experience).
Just to clarify: Roosters are not allowed under the Iowa City backyard chicken ordinance, nor in most backyard chicken ordinances.
I like chicken in backyards and the dinner table. If it takes four years of public debate dedicated to chickens in Iowa City then I doubt elected officials can effectively pass any legislation with meaning.
In Calif we were surrounded by mexican neighbors who had hens and roosters and it was ok with us. the crowing isnt that bad either unless your a grouch and just love to complain about things.
I’m surprised that the Iowa Department of Health has not come down to block this idea. Chickens are really quite easily infected by diseases. And their waste or consumption must be quite closely regulated to stop the mass spread of disease.
Certainly chickens are as inappropriate as hogs within highly populated areas.