Urban Chickens Now Legal In New Haven! | Chicken Coop And Run Plans
Urban Chickens Now Legal In New Haven!
So happy to see Board of Aldermen in New Haven, Connecticut (pop ~124,000, View Larger Map) did the right thing by passing an ordinance to allow New Haven city residents to keep up to six hens in their backyards.
This victory comes after months of sometimes rancorous banter back and forth (this particular fight was the source of the regretful "Only two kinds of urban chicken farmer" editorial back in March.)
What I appreciate the most about the New Haven Independents coverage of the meeting in City Hall is how it sheds a light on the kind of shenanigans that politicians are willing to pull to scuttle something they dont want to see pass (yes, Im talking about you Alderwoman Arlene DePino).
Thank goodness for the likes of "Chicken Champion" Roland Lemar to keep the ordinance on track, fending off DePinos motions to table/alter the effort at the meeting.
This should be a lesson to all you trying to get the laws changed to allow urban chickens in your own town: no matter how rational an argument youve prepared, no matter how well youve dispelled the myths about urban chickens (witness the follow-up comments to the story on the New Haven Independent site), youre going to run up against the whims and waffling of elected officials whod much rather see things remain as they are (unless theres money for the campaign by making the change).
Find yourself a Chicken Champion, and then work with that person to identify others who can be counted on when it really matters: when its time to vote.
Urban Chickens Now Legal In New Haven!
