The comeback of the backyard chicken

By Katie Scarvey

kscarvey@salisburypost.com

Part of the growing movement toward local, sustainable agriculture, raising a few backyard chickens for eggs is growing in popularity. It’s definitely a seductive idea, being able to walk to your back yard in the morning and pick up your breakfast. Plus, chickens are simply entertaining.

Kathy Bunton is the area’s specialized extension agent in poultry, and she’s well aware of the burgeoning interest in backyard birds. Bunton, who is with Iredell County Cooperative Extension Service, says that she gets about three or four phone calls a week from people interested in starting a backyard flock.

“It’s unreal, the number of people wanting home flock birds,” she says. “There’s a growing population that really, really enjoys having the home flock. It’s a growing trend, and I don’t see that stopping.”

The Iredell County Cooperative Extension Service used to organize an annual hen sale with about 500-600 birds being sold to the public, Bunton said. They’ve recently had to add a spring sale because of the demand for chickens, with 800 or more birds sold at each event. Bunton says her phone has been ringing off the hook with people asking about the spring sale.

The lure of home-grown eggs is motivating even city-dwellers to join the movement. And pressure from residents — including doctors, lawyers and other professionals — is causing cities around the country to re-visit laws on the books that prohibit the raising of chickens for eggs.

Municipalities seem to be paying attention to the renewed interest in urban farming.

Just this past week, the city council of Nashville, Tenn., voted 21-15 to allow residents to raise hens in their back yards. (The limit is six, and a permit is required.)

Locally, the city of Concord has thus far stood resolute against residents’ requests to change city ordinances to allow for a few back yard laying hens. Charlotte does allow hens, although a permit is required.

In many towns that do allow chickens, roosters — understandably — are prohibited because they tend to be noisy.

Objections to urban chickens often center around perceptions that there will be problems with odor as well as noise, but experts say if chickens are cared for properly, these things won’t be issues.

If you have questions about starting your own backyard chicken flock, you can call Bunton at 704-878-3154 or email her at Kathy_Bunton@ ncsu.edu.