Editor:

    Although most people agree on the benefits of pet
hens (fresh organic eggs, great lessons for kids, good for the
environment) some folks still have reservations about allowing them in
town. Their idea of “chickens” may be based on the rural farm flocks
they grew up with: smelly, noisy, freely-wandering fowl. The pet hens
being proposed for South Portland will be much different! What’s more,
the City Council has drafted a set of very strict regulations to assure
hens won’t be a nuisance.

    Urban/suburban hens are raised very differently than
their farm cousins. Unlike rural fowl, whose dirty coops aren’t cleaned
often, backyard hens are diligently cared for as suburban pets: cleaned
every day or so. Chicken poop (less smelly than dog poop) from 4 hens
equals a small dog’s, and unlike dog/cat poop, which can’t be composted
for health reasons, chicken poop makes fabulous garden fertilizer! The
city’s ordinance will enforce cleanliness.

    Since roosters aren’t allowed, noise isn’t a
problem. Hens’ normal clucking is very quiet, and even a rare “squawk”
is much quieter than a barking dog! The city’s ordinance will ensure
that noise or odor is never a nuisance to neighbors.

    Free-ranging rural chickens can attract predators.
However, South Portland’s pet hens must be kept in a predator-proof,
fully-enclosed pen at all times, except for short periods when they may
be allowed in a securely fenced yard with supervision. At night, when
predators prowl, hens must be locked into a solid henhouse. Securely
penned hens will attract predators no more than a rabbit in a backyard
rabbit hutch. The city is regulating pen construction to ensure they’re
predator-proof; rabbit hutches have no such restrictions!

    To protect property values, very strict building
codes regulate henhouse aesthetics and construction. They must be
nicely painted, sided like the main house, well-maintained and screened
with landscaping. Think of a garden shed, not a ramshackle coop made of
scrap! The people fueling the “pet hen movement” are in largely upscale
communities, conscientious neighbors who care about their properties.
Recent news stories document the rising popularity of pet hens in
upscale neighborhoods. Cape Elizabeth, which allows chickens in their
tightest residential neighborhoods, certainly has no trouble with
property values. In fact, many people view chickens as a highly
positive aspect of a neighborhood, indicating a commitment to healthy
living, environmental awareness, and a reminder of a slower, more
natural way of life in our busy, rushing-around, plastic-wrapped
society. In communities around the nation, real estate agents even use
pro-chicken ordinances as a selling point!

    The media is full of sensational stories about avian
flu, but be assured that pet hens (raised as proposed) are not a
threat. H5N1 has never been found in America. If it ever was, semi-wild
chickens like those in Key West, and free-ranging farm flocks that
intermingle with migratory waterfowl would be the prime concern, not
pet hens.

    Not many families are likely to want pet hens. It’s
a big commitment in time, money (permit fees will be hefty) and energy.
While it’s unlikely there would be hens in your neighborhood, and even
more unlikely that you’d notice they were there, you might be
pleasantly surprised if you did.

    Children and families benefit from the joy of daily
harvesting, development of responsibility, and the lesson that food
doesn’t always come wrapped in plastic from a store. Neighborhoods
benefit from the chance to share the experience (and eggs!): a great
reason to visit the neighbors, something increasingly rare in our busy
modern lives.

    Allowing pet hens in the city is another step in the
right directions towards making SoPo a nicer, “greener”, even more
pleasant place to live. We urge residents to support the City Council’s
hard work in drafting an ordinance that will allow a few pet hens to
coexist peacefully in South Portland neighborhoods. More info at
www.SoPoChickens.org.

Stacey, Neil

and Olivia Collins

South Portland