Myths & Reality

Why Chickens?

Raising backyard chickens is not just about poultry. It is about sustainability, going green and providing for the neighborhood. Chickens not only reduce the amount of “waste” that goes into landfills (they love to eat table scraps and vegetable peelings in addition to their grains), provide natural bug control, but they also provide the best eggs possible and the best type of manure to add to a compost pile – great for organic gardens and lawns. Backyard chickens are best seen as a part of a larger interconnected ecosystem which includes many other elements of sustainability and renewable resources. Chickens are the ultimate green machines, with low maintenance and a high return. Additionally, eggs are not transported large distances in refrigerated trucks and backyard chickens are raised humanely.

Key Points:

• Backyard Chickens are another step toward sustainable living
• They make healthier eggs
• Manufacture a high nitrogen fertilizer, an excellent addition to compost
• They provide natural bug control
•  They are educational

Myths and Reality

Myth #1: Chickens are noisy.

Reality: The rooster (male chicken) can be very noisy, especially in the morning, but the female hens are one of the quietest domestic animals. They cluck softly from time to time, and will often cluck and might squawk for a few moments to let you know they recently laid an egg. Laying hens - at their loudest - have about the same decibel level as human conversation (60 to 70 decibels). They sleep at night just as people do and are completely quiet from dusk to dawn. Most villages and cities that allow chickens do not allow roosters.

Ordinance: No roosters allowed. Applicable parts of the nuisance ordinance apply.

Myth  #2: Chickens are dirty and smelly.

Reality: Chickens are very clean animals. They will occasionally give themselves “dirt baths” but this is actually in order for them to preen their feathers and keep themselves clean and cool. A backyard chicken coop housing 4-8 does not create an odor issue if the coop and chickens are cared for in a responsible way. Any animal will produce an odor if not properly cared for and appropriate hygiene practiced.

A 40-pound dog generates more solid waste (about .75 lbs/day) than 10 chickens (about .66 lbs/day). Unlike dog or cat poop, chicken droppings can be used as valuable, high-nitrogen breaks down into an excellent fertilizer for the lawn.   It can be combined with yard and leaf waste to create compost for the garden.

The reason people fear an odor problem is because their only experience with chickens, if they have any at all, is on a farm or commercial poultry operation. Under these circumstances, hundreds if not thousands of chickens are sometimes kept in crowded conditions with poor ventilation and without proper cleaning. As a result, ammonia can build up and these facilities can stink. On most farms, they keep way more than just a few chickens and there are other animals that create the odor that most people associate with chickens. There is a huge difference between these environments and the very popular and rapidly growing hen movement.

Ordinance: Maximum number of chickens allowed per residential lot is no more than 8 chickens. Coops must be kept clean, sanitary and free from standing water at all times. Applicable parts of the nuisance ordinance apply.

Myth  #3: Chickens carry disease.

Reality: Chickens are just like any other animal including humans, dogs, cats and others when it comes to disease. They are not any more likely to carry disease than a dog. If they are well-cared for, fed, watered and kept in a clean environment, then they are more likely to stay healthy. Diseases are much more likely to be harbored in confined animal feeding operations due to their sheer size and tight conditions than in a healthy backyard setting.

Salmonella is often cited as a concern in the keeping of backyard chickens, but the majority of reported salmonella outbreaks involving eggs has occurred in foodservice kitchens and was the result of inadequate refrigeration, improper handling and insufficient cooking. Additionally, scientists estimate that, on average across the U.S., only 1 of every 20,000 eggs might contain salmonella. So, the likelihood that an egg might contain it is extremely small – 0.005% (five one-thousandths of one percent).

It's really all about practicing safe food preparation habits, and that's something you can do no matter where your eggs come from.

When it comes to backyard chicken handling, the best way to reduce the risk of illness is to wash hands with soap and water after touching live poultry.

As far as bird flu goes, small flocks have literally no risk of avian flu transmission to humans. The 2006 Grain Report states: “When it comes to bird flu, diverse small-scale poultry is the solution, not the problem.”

Myth  #4: Chickens attract predators, pests and rodents.

Response: Predators and rodents are already living in urban and suburban areas. It is true that predators often eat chickens if they can catch them. However, wild bird feeders, pet food, gardens, fish ponds, bird baths and trash waiting to be collected all attract foxes, coyotes, skunks, raccoons, hawks, rodents and flies. These same predators might also eat cats, rabbits and even small dogs if given the opportunity. Chickens do not attract predators any more than these other animals. They have instinctual defenses that protect them from these predators, such as sleeping in a protected area (coop) at night and making very little noise. Modern micro-flock coops, such as chicken tractors, arks, and other pens are ways of keeping, and managing, family flocks that eliminate concerns about predators, rodents and other pests. The only increase in predators reported in Evanston in the first year that chickens were legal was two hawks. Indeed, chickens are part of the solution to pesky problems. Chickens are voracious carnivores and will seek out and eat just about anything that moves including ticks (think Lyme disease), fleas, mosquitoes, grasshoppers, stink bugs, slugs, and even mice and baby rats.

Ordinance: Feed and any other food sources provided to the chickens shall be stored in predator-proof containers. Coops shall be designed and maintained in such a way as to be impermeable to rodents, wild birds, and predators, including, but not limited to, cats coyotes, dogs, raccoons and skunks.

 Myth #5: A chicken coop is an eyesore. 

Response: Backyard chicken coops are typically small, clean and attractive because people love their pets and live in close proximately to them. Free range chickens need very little space. Poultry coops can fit into just about any size backyard. For 4 hens, a 3'x4' Coop plus a "run" (a place for them to scratch around) that is roughly 3'x8' is more than adequate. Attractive and inexpensive coop designs are available on various websites for those who are not able to build their own.

Ordinance: Coops shall not exceed 6 ft in height above grade and must allow for a footprint of at least 2 sq. ft per chicken housed in the coop. The maximum single coop footprint size is 40 square feet. Coops must be located in the rear yard of the lot.

Myth #6: Chickens lower property values.

Response: There is absolutely no evidence that keeping pet hens within ordinance guidelines would have any effect on property values. 93% of major US cities allow hens. More and more municipalities, including the city of Chicago and several suburbs, are allowing backyard chickens. As communities get more educated about the reality of keeping backyard hens, they see how they actually add value to a community and are part of their efforts to go green and encourage sustainable living.