Little Rock chicken keepers call for light hand in revising rules

Little Rock's animal services director is drafting proposed revisions to regulations for keeping chickens and other fowl in city limits and will soon present the proposal to the Animal Services Advisory Board.

The board is to discuss the draft set of rules at its Feb. 17 meeting.

Nearly 25 people showed up Wednesday for a special meeting seeking input from the public. About half were chicken owners.

One woman complained of noise from a nearby rooster owner, but the majority of the group cautioned Animal Services Director Tracy Roark about coming up with rules that are too restrictive on responsible chicken keepers.

The Animal Services Advisory Board will make its own recommendation on regulation revisions to the city Board of Directors, which will have the final say in any changes to the ordinance.

Right now in Little Rock, fowl must have 3 square feet per bird in house space and must be kept at least 25 feet from any business establishment or place of residence other than the owner's, and at least 5 feet from the owner's residence.

There are no rules set on whether roosters are allowed to be kept; on limits for the number of fowl an owner can have; or on the amount of outdoor space required to keep chickens and other fowl.

"Urban farming is growing, and it's something we need to make sure we're equipped to handle," Roark said.

Randy Forest, an agent with the University of Arkansas' Cooperative Extension Service, told the board that regulations have varied in his experience as a chicken owner in the Delta and in Northwest Arkansas.

"They all had a limit to the number of birds you allowed, and all of them didn't allow roosters, but there were differences," he said. "In one place the limit was three birds, and in another place it was up to eight."

Little Rock residents in attendance reported owning as many as 30 birds, and several owned roosters. With lot sizes in Little Rock varying from very small downtown to several acres in other parts of the city, a low-end limit on the number of birds might not be feasible, Forest said.

Some in attendance argued in favor of being allowed to own roosters. A rooster isn't needed for hens to lay eggs, only for hens to lay fertile eggs. Breeding wouldn't be possible if a restriction on keeping roosters were put in place.

Drexle Jordan, who lives in Hillcrest, breeds two heritage breeds of chickens and is state-certified to show the animals. He has one rooster for each breed.

"I'm really concerned about us making strict rules that apply to everybody, because if you have a 5-acre yard and live in the middle of Little Rock, then certainly you could house more than three chickens," Jordan said. "If you live somewhere else and you have 40 chickens in a coop that is 5-by-5, that's not enough space for them and that's harming the birds.

"So I favor doing something that protects the birds, not limits the people that are trying to take care of the birds."

Many residents spoke in favor of implementing a rule like that of North Little Rock, where the city charges a $1 inspection fee and inspects fowl owners' properties.

North Little Rock adopted revised rules for keeping fowl in 2014. The city's ordinance states that fowl must be kept at least 75 feet from any residence, dwelling or place of human habitation, other than the home of the owner. The ordinance also set up a $10 yearly permit fee.

Roark told the group that he doesn't have the staff for inspections and that his recommendations will likely be to keep inspections the way they are done now, which are complaint-driven.

Currently, roosters are allowed in city limits, but the noise ordinance applies to them. Neighbors can file a disturbing-the-peace complaint.

Some attendees argued that regulation isn't enforced enough, and that if it is enforced more, it should be for all animals, including dogs.

Shawn Camp said he lives on 11/2 acres and has about 20 birds, including a rooster.

"My main concern is, around America, there's growth in the number of people raising chickens primarily because we live in an increasingly disconnected society. We are disconnected from where our food comes from. I eat between a dozen and a half to two dozen eggs per week. My cholesterol is perfect because I eat home-raised eggs."

Dan DeVun also mentioned the growth in the popularity of raising chickens and said it benefits his children.

"I know several people in the city of Little Rock that hatch their eggs," he said. "That's really important, and it's a great educational opportunity for children."

Metro on 02/04/2016

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