In Philadelphia, urban chicken coop enthusiasts are rallying for a change to the city’s longstanding ban on backyard hens, which has been in place for 21 years.
Among them is North Philly resident Maria Ayala, who hoped to keep chickens on a vacant lot she cultivates as a community garden.
This lot, larger than two row houses, is located on a quiet one-way street, and Ayala diligently sought permission to grow vegetables and flowers.
However, after receiving chickens as a gift, she created a barnyard that expanded to include a rooster, a turkey, rabbits, and even a goat.
Her efforts brought joy to her 3-year-old son Nicholas and neighborhood children who gathered to play and learn in the community space.
Ayala expressed her commitment to the project, stating, “Everybody on the block signed a petition saying they were in love with the garden.
After school, all the children come here and they play with my son in the coops.
We let everybody learn and explore [and] collect the eggs.”
Her flock helped her through a difficult period of high egg prices, yielding 60 eggs currently in her refrigerator.
Nevertheless, Ayala’s urban barnyard is existing in a legal gray area, as keeping chickens in residential areas is against city law.
She has already been visited by ACCT Philadelphia and is on the radar of Licenses and Inspections, likely accruing fines for her backyard operation.
To mitigate issues, she has downsized her barnyard by getting rid of all but one rooster and re-homing the turkey.
“We are trying our best to get permission.
Anything we have to do to keep this going for the community,” Ayala said.
While city code does have some exceptions for farm animals, such as in industrial districts, the enforcement of this ban has left Ayala in a challenging position.
Restrictions dating back to 2004 effectively prohibit chickens in mixed industrial/residential areas.
The landscape of City Council has changed significantly over 21 years, with most council members not having served during the original passing of the ban, except for Republican Brian O’Neill, who has been on the council since 1980.
In the past six years, attempts to overturn the ban have been made, with two previous bills filed without success.
Councilmember Kendra Brooks has expressed her support for urban agriculture but emphasizes the need to find a balance between the interests of chicken coop owners and their neighbors.
“While most of my efforts have focused on community gardens, I understand that raising chickens has cultural significance and economic benefits for many communities in our city,” Brooks stated.
She noted that any proposed legislation must address community concerns while fostering urban farming.
That sentiment echoes the experiences of Andrea Rose, a Northeast Philly homeowner who mistakenly believed her six hens were legal due to following local guidelines.
Her enclosed coop, which includes adequate space for her chickens, reflects her careful planning.
Rose stated, “We are very responsible and our chickens are loving.
We hope that they will reconsider because they’re harmless.”
Her connection to chickens is deep-rooted, having grown up around them; her grandfather kept chickens, pheasants, and homing pigeons.
As housing costs have risen, Rose’s dream of raising chickens expanded from waiting for a larger property to working within her backyard.
She finds it particularly strange that while chickens are prohibited, horses are allowed within city limits under certain conditions.
For instance, horses can legally reside on a quarter of an acre with gated enclosures to contain them.
“I always make the joke that I’m going to get a horse.
How they are able to be legal in such small conditions and chickens aren’t is like mind-boggling to me,” Rose commented.
She believes both animals could coexist within the city, arguing that there is room for both chickens and horses to be legally kept in urban settings.
As discussions continue around urban agriculture and animal laws in Philadelphia, advocates remain hopeful for a change that will allow urban chicken coops to flourish legally in their communities.
The future remains uncertain, but there is a clear passion for urban agriculture among city residents who believe in the benefits of coexisting with these farm animals even in an urban environment.
image source from：https://whyy.org/articles/backyard-chicken-philadelphia-homes-law/
