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CaptionAn animal ordinance in Wake Forest has some people in the town crying fowl. They want to make it easier to legally raise chickens in their backyards.
Emily Cole, a Wake Forest resident, was interested in creating a small backyard chicken coop, but she was frustrated when she was unable to receive a permit to do so.
Because chickens are considered livestock under town ordinances, you can not raise them in town limits without the written consent of every homeowner within 500 feet of your residence.
Cole said she was heartbroken when she did not get the full support of her neighbors.
Neighbor Scott Tarkenton said, "Not in the middle of front yards and running around in people's neighborhoods. I think they should stick to the farms."
But Cole has not given up her resolve to have fresh eggs from her own yard.
"My next step, since I can't convince the neighbors, is to try to convince the town to change the ordinance," she said.
She has since written a petition for residents to sign, if they'd like to see the town ordinance rewritten.
"Chickens should be able to be in someone's backyard, just the way a cat or a dog would be," Cole argued.
David Bissett, who legally raises chickens within town limits on Main Street, said he supports Cole's efforts.
He said, he and his family view the chickens as pets, but also use them for fresh eggs, to reduce the insect population in their yard, and to help provide natural fertilizer for the family's vegetable gardens.
"I wanted my children to be able to experience the same kind of joy from chickens that I had as a kid," Bissette said.
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By Emily Cole on 08/05 09:39 PM
Thanks for the support everyone! Come visit us at the Wake Forest Farmer’s Market Saturday August 9th! We’ll have a few different types of chickens this time. You can sign our petition in person also!
By Joe on 07/15 09:42 AM
I am fine with chickens in the city, especially if they’re kept in the backyard and there aren’t any roosters crowing really early in the morning.
Raleigh has a LOT of people who raise chickens inside the beltline: everyone should check out the Henside the Beltline tour next spring
http://www.ecojoes.com/henside-the-beltline-tour-d-coop-2008-raleigh/
By Alexandra Reid on 07/14 09:01 PM
Sanford citizens are fighting too. Contact me at
By penny avent on 07/13 11:00 PM
chickens should be allowed, you can have , dogs cats, parrots & rabbits, chickens are cleaner & quieter than most of these, i am all for chicken ownership!! lots of major cities are letting people have a small backyard flock.
By Tarazod Films on 07/13 10:16 AM
Having spent the last 3 years filming a feature-length documentary entitled Mad City Chickens, which is now being submitted to major film festivals, we feel that we might be able share a couple insights with you to help with the situation.
NYC, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Denver, Seattle, Portland, Austin, Ann Arbor and Madison are just a few of the US cities that now allow backyard chickens. From Vancouver to Halifax and London to Sydney, backyard chickens are becoming an international phenomenon.
We interviewed chicken experts and urban poultry keepers from coast-to-coast. One expert is Cheryl Long, editor-in Chief of Mother Earth News in Topeka. Another was Dr. Michael Greger, the Director of Public Health and Animal Agriculture at The Humane Society of the United States in Washington DC. Both of them state that all the evidence clearly shows that having a small backyard flock out in the sun and wind is the safest way to keep chickens, and they fully support the idea.
Urban chickens are a growing movement and as long as the flocks are small and the conditions are kept up and clean, then there is no reason why a few birds shouldn’t be allowed in one’s backyard. Dogs are altogether louder and produce more toxic waste than chickens, but we don’t consider banning them.
A few chickens are one of the easiest ways for people to reconnect with where their food comes from. They make wonderful pets too, and that’s how the zoning laws should treat them.
By Melanie Jordan on 07/13 07:51 AM
Hey Em! Good job! I think this is a great idea and hope you find the support you need from area residents! Got me thinkin’ I need some chickens too! :o)
Love ya!
By Kim on 07/11 10:42 PM
We are permitted to keep chickens where I live. I and several of my neighbors keep flocks. The benefits of keeping chickens far outweigh any excuse for not have them. The majority of people who are against city or backyard poultry have never owned chickens themselves and are ignorant to poultry keeping.
-Kim
By Emily Cole on 07/11 10:07 PM
Thanks for doing this story! I think it’s important to get the truth about backyard chickens out there. They don’t stink - they aren’t noisy! I hope viewers will take action and help Wake Forest join many of the more progressive cities and towns which recognize the need for a more sustainable urban landscape including household food production! Please sign the petition!
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