Communities need to update antiquated policies against keeping chickens

Editor:

I decided to come forward after reading the Union-Sun & Journal on April 30 with the article “Chickens may come home to roost in the city.” The City of Lockport’s code revision will allow homeowners to keep up to 6 hens without a permit.

I took an interest in modern homesteading during Covid and the health benefits of growing my own food. I was recently contacted by the Village of Lyndonville’s Code Enforcement Officer to get rid of my heritage flock of rare breed chickens. I asked who complained….no one.

I have had chickens on my property for 7 years without any neighbor complaints. My daughter’s former 4-H project turned into a valuable sustainable food source for my family, especially during Covid with food supply shortages and in times of fluctuating egg prices.

My hens were contained, not free ranging. There was no smell, no roosters, no roadside egg stand. Of course, since “the law has been on the books for a long time,” nothing else mattered. I relocated the chickens before the deadline. I do not anticipate being levied the $1,000 a day fine or serving the threatened year of imprisonment. I know Lyndonville is not alone in its antiquated poultry policies. Other local municipalities in Orleans County do not allow chickens which is quite shameful in a county that prides itself on a robust agricultural industry.

93 percent of cities in the US allow chickens, including New York City, Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse and Albany. The Village of Lyndonville, with a population of about 800 people, does not. Why? What was the reason behind banning chickens within a community of one square mile? What is the relevance now?

Raising chickens is work. Not everyone will want to do it. If there are others within the Village interested in a backyard flock, please reach out to me. I have been a civil servant for 23 years in the criminal justice system. I have a B.S. degree with college coursework in Pastured Poultry, Agricultural Law and Sustainable Food & Farming.

I value the importance of standing up for what I believe in, preserving agriculture in my community and the right to grow my own food. I am not afraid to get my hands dirty and would be happy to work together to change the local law by raising awareness about the many benefits of raising a backyard flock of chickens.

Kate Hardner

Lyndonville