Ease Restrictions on Hens!

Posted by Caryn Ernst | December 31st, 2009

Let’s make a smart change!

Today in Washington DC, domestic hens are essentially banned from the vast majority of neighborhoods in the city because of a law that forbids hen houses from being placed within within 50 feet of any place of residence (Section 902.7 (a) Animal Control Code).

Sign our petition (on the right) calling upon DC City Council to consider easing restrictions on domestic hens. Let’s hold public hearings to establish the facts about this issue. This is a common-sense change that will help DC residents grow more of their food locally and sustainably.

This is a movement.

There is now a national movement to re-introduce chickens in cities, as part of the movement away from industrial food and back to wholesome, locally produced food. Cities all over the country — 30 in just the last year! — have changed their local ordinances to allow backyard hens (read more in this USA Today article or see city chickens in this Today Show clip).

Rather than setting strict limits on where chickens can be raised, these new laws focus on responsible ownership. The laws address concerns about noise, odor and pests by not allowing roosters, requiring hens be kept in clean, secure and sanitary enclosures, and providing neighbors and authorities with means to monitor and enforce those requirements.

Why does this matter?

Many people are deciding they want to feed their families sustainably with food grown and raised under humane and environmentally-friendly conditions. They no longer want to buy apples that have been shipped 6,000 miles, when they can buy ones that were grown locally. They don’t want to eat factory-raised beef that’s been pumped with antibiotics and hormones, when they can get beef from a local farm that’s been raised under healthy conditions. They don’t want to buy eggs from chickens that were kept in tiny cages and fed animal by-products, when they can grab a fresh egg from their own backyard – an egg that happens to be more nutritious than the factory-farmed egg at the supermarket.

Facts About Hens

You don’t need a rooster to get eggs. A hen will produce an egg a day during her prime laying years without ever laying eyes on a rooster.

Chickens are highly social animals. In the right living conditions, they build strong bonds with each other and with the people who care for them. (Six months after moving back to the farm and sharing living quarters with 20 other hens, our four hens continue to spend all of their time together, seeking each other out of the crowd.) They can be socialized like any other pet, enjoying a cuddle in your lap, eating out of your hand, or perching on your shoulder.

Chickens don’t smell, but as with all animals, their poop does. Just like dogs or cats, you have to clean up after them. But unlike other pet waste, chicken manure is black gold for gardeners – the best fertilizer money can buy.

Hens are not noisy – they just get a bad rep from their male counterparts (roosters). Hens make a quiet, pleasant clucking and cooing noise that is barely audible more than 20 yards away.

Chickens cannot fly. They jump and flap, and occasionally catch some air, but generally can’t get more than a few feet off the ground. This means they’re easy to contain, but vulnerable to predators. They must be kept in a safe, secure enclosure.

By signing the petition on this page, you will help us raise the profile of this issue with our elected officials and bring DC back to the forefront of the sustainable local food movement. Contact us at dcfoodforall@gmail.com if you want to get involved!

Posted on Thursday, December 31st, 2009 | Category: Access. | Tags: | You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.