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Animal services board recommends chickens in smaller yards
By Chris Roark, croark@starlocalnews.com
Flower Mound residents living on less than one acre wishing to have chickens in their yards may soon get their way.
But with a limit in place.
Tuesday night, the town’s animal services board voted 5-0 to recommend an amendment to the town’s code of ordinances as it relates to chickens and roosters.
Specifically, the ordinance would allow residents living on less than one acre to have a maximum of three chickens.
The current ordinance prohibits residents from having chickens on lots less than one acre.
The amendment also calls for the coop or encaged structure to be located no closer than 10 feet from a property line.
The amendment also specifically outlines the regulations for roosters. Roosters would be allowed on property of one acre or greater. That was the previous regulation, but roosters had been grouped with fowl in its ordinance, and this amendment is aimed to further clarify rules on roosters.
The town council must vote on the ordinance, and it is unclear when the council will see the item. If a zoning change is needed, the planning and zoning commission may see the item as well.
Tuesday’s vote moves forward an issue that had stalled months ago. Some residents had asked the town to change its ordinance to allow chickens on property of less than one acre. But confusion about various recommendations and legal issues kept the item from progressing until Tuesday.
Several of the residents who supported the ordinance change were in attendance Tuesday.
“This is good news. This is a victory,” said resident Mark Glover.
Glover, and others, have said homegrown eggs are healthier than the ones bought at the store. Glover’s property is large enough to have chickens now, but he has spent months pushing for the rule change for other residents.
“We were trying to get this allowed on smaller lots. And now we’ll be in line with where America is going with sustainability and living healthier,” Glover said. “We do think allowing five or six chickens would be better. But maybe the council will reconsider.”
The original motion on the table Tuesday was to only allow two chickens. Some residents argued it would be pointless to only have two since that’s not even considered a flock. Glover said two chickens don’t provide enough eggs.
Other residents pushed for the ordinance change because they said having chickens teaches their children responsibility.
Hastings, however, was opposed to the ordinance change for safety reasons.
“On a small lot, chickens can attract wildlife,” Hastings said. “It would increase the exposure to raccoons, coyotes, possums and rats.”
In fact, Hastings said her department received a call Tuesday about a coyote getting into a resident’s back yard, which she said was fenced in, and taking the chicken.
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And let me just say, chickens ARE pets. By the way, I have lived with a creek in back of my house for 15 years, Ms. Hastings, how can you be the animal control officer and NOT know that we already have possums, racoons, rats, and coyotes among other things in our backyards right now! A coupe of little chickens are NOT going to draw them to our yards any more than dogs, cats, and unattended CHILDREN. I have one inside dog, and we have them all!! "