Backyard Hens Should Be Allowed In Oak Forest: Petition

OAK FOREST, IL — Raising chickens is something that seems more at home on farms and in rural areas, not the less-than-rustic parts of the south suburbs. But the practice is spreading as communities continue to embrace urban farming, and one Oak Forest resident wants her city to join that trend.

Sandra Kay started a petition recently to urge Oak Forest leaders to amend the zoning code to allow homeowners to keep three to five hens — no roosters — in backyard coops within the city limits. Since starting the campaign in September, she has collected more than 200 signatures, well past her goal of 100.

Currently, Oak Forest prohibits poultry, fowl and other non-domesticated animals from being kept in the city. In neighboring Tinley Park, residents can receive a license to keep a maximum of four hens — no roosters — in a coop that's at least 75 feet away from another home, school, church or public street. A Facebook page even exists — Hens in Tinley — for the village's poultry owners.

Kay's family owns a farm in Wisconsin, and she has experience keeping poultry. But she was motivated to try to bring hens from the barnyard to the backyard because of the easy food benefits they could bring to residents.

"I was inspired to start this petition because hens offer fresh, locally sourced eggs that can also be organic like the ones I buy," said Kay, adding that those eggs can be healthier and more affordable than those from the store. "Owning a few hens can help to provide food security for lower-income families."

In the petition and in a letter sent to Mayor Hank Kuspa, Kay touts how chickens can be "outstanding pest control, eating ticks, slugs, mosquitoes and many other insects." They also help cut down on household waste by eating weeds and kitchen scraps, and their droppings also provide natural fertilizer for gardens, she writes.

Chickens can make good pets, too. While that might not be a strong enough reason to prompt a change in city zoning, Kay points to that as a positive for parents who want to use the animals as a way to teach their kids about agriculture and responsibility.

In raising awareness about the benefits of backyard poultry, Kay also has had to eliminate misconceptions about the animals.

"Chickens are no louder and no dirtier than a dog," she said, adding that 10 chickens are quieter and produce less waste than a single, large dog. "Obviously, you have to clean out their coops just like you would clean poop out of a yard."

When it comes to noise issues, roosters — the male chickens — are the chatty Charlies, and they're not needed for hens to lay edible eggs.

"Chickens will peep and cluck softly throughout the day and are silent all night," Kay said. "If you don't have roosters, there won't be too much noise."

Response to the petition has been positive, Kay said. In fact, she exceeded the goal of 100 names with the petition only being online 24 hours.

"I'm a 30 year resident of Oak Forest. I've met many people who've owned a couple backyard hens for eggs and I think it would be wonderful if we could have that in our city," Jill Carlson wrote in the petition's comments section.

Even though he had never raised chickens before, William Vinet was intrigued enough by the idea of backyard poultry that he began helping Kay spreading the word about the petition.

"What inspired me to want to join was being able to feed my family eggs that I knew didn’t have any chemicals or steroids."

Oak Forest's prohibition against keeping chickens in the city doesn't get changed on public support alone, though. The City Council needs to approve amending the ordinance for that to happen.

Along with her letter to Kuspa, Kay also has reached out to Jim Richmond, the mayor's executive secretary, who she said seemed receptive to the idea of backyard poultry. She hopes that her petition sparks action from Oak Forest leaders by showing them that it's something residents want.

"There are many people that have messaged me and thanked me for starting a petition and spreading awareness," she said. "There are very few people that don’t agree with it."

Go to Sandra Kay's online petition for more details about allowing backyard hens in Oak Forest and to add your name.

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