Monique Watts' chickens got a little closer to home yesterday, when the ordinance to keep chickens within the City of Buffalo was brought before the Common Council for a majority vote. A final vote will be held this coming Tuesday, but with 6 of 9 council members backing it, legislation that allows for urban chicken keeping - with the exception of roosters - is likely to pass, bringing Watts' "pets with benefits" back to her Rhode Island Street yard.
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"What other pet can give you your breakfast?" Watts asked.
Many in attendance took the microphone to extol the character of Watts and her husband, Blair Woods, as well as point out the advantages of a trend toward urban chicken raising. Though a few expressed disapproval based on noise or sanitary conditions, those who spoke testified to the cleanliness and attention Watts affords her hens.
Watts, who said she can stand up inside the coop she keeps her 5 hens in, explained the need for cleanliness and sunlight for the chickens and said that the decibel level (she has her own meter) in the coop doesn't reach above 70, whereas general human conversation is around 60 on the meter. She also said that the clucking gets loudest only when the hens lay, alerting their keeper to a fresh egg. For those who expressed concern about the hen food attracting rodents, Watts said that, as with a bird feeder or any type of pet food, the feed needs to be maintained in sealed containers and meted out without excess.
Diane Picard of the Massachusetts Avenue Project (MAP), an entity that works closely with youth, pointed out the nutritional and educational aspect of urban chicken keeping, and offered that for others interested in learning about raising hens, MAP would function as a community resource. She offered to take council members to Rochester, NY, where there is an established club of over 50 chicken owners. Considering that Picard's main objective with youth in her program is teaching that everything that creates self-sufficiency is good, she is in a good position to help educate the public and local government as well.
If passed on Tuesday, a letter will go out to residents within 50 feet of Watts' property, and they will have 30 days to write a letter stating any objections to the returning the hens from their temporary home in Fillmore, NY. If there are objections, the issue will end up before the council again, otherwise the clerk can issue the $25 license directly to Watts. Animal control inspections will be mandatory for anyone wanting to keep hens.
For this couple, who cofounded Urban Roots, a cooperative gardening center on the city's West Side, this facet of bringing nature to one's backyard seems like an obvious step in the evolution of city life. In fact, Councilman David Rivera read a long list of progressive cities across the nation that allow for raising chickens. It seems a way of enjoying an eclectic lifestyle, whereby individuals need not give up certain quality of life standards in order to enjoy an urban environment.
One man in attendance at the hearing said that he was smitten with the idea of keeping chickens when he visited 3 coops on a trip to Maryland, where they hold an annual chicken coop tour, much like our Garden Walk. If all goes well, Buffalo may become better known for Chicken Walks rather than chicken wings.
Image: Watts and Woods in Council Chambers.
I cannot wait! I love my urban garden and it is the envy of all my neighbors and I have always wanted to raise chickens like I did in my childhood. I am going to spend the winter designing my coop and looking at chicken breeds. Sign me up for the Chicken Coop Walk! Thank you, Monique for making this possible.