A chicken in every yard?
Here's an issue Evanston locavores could jump on.
Some Chicagoans are joining the eat-local food trend by raising chickens in their backyards as a source of home-grown fresh eggs.
But you'd be breaking the law if you tried that in Evanston.
Since 1974 Evanston has banned the keeping of poultry in the city -- along with horses, mules, swine, sheep, goats, cattle, skunks and poisonous reptiles. (See Evanston City Code 9-4-5.)
Break the law and you could face a fine of up to $500 a day -- which would make for some pretty expensive eggs.
But Evanston wasn't always so hung up about birds.
Under the city's 1957 code, it was only illegal to keep a chicken coop "in a foul, offensive, nauseous or filthy condition" or in a way "so as to be offensive to those residing in the vicinity." (See Evanston City Code 8-4-1.)
Makes me glad to know that my brother wasn't a criminal, back in the day, when those eggs in the science project incubator hatched and dad built a pen for the birds in the back yard of our McDaniel Avenue home.
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A Recall to the Recent Past
Does not anyone remember an article in the Evanston Review back in the early part of this century when an exemption was made for a residence in the 2nd Ward with the support of neighbors?
Evanston chicken-keeping history?
Anyone know what happened in 1974 for the city to prohibit chickens? Why the change from the 1957 law??
Chickens and raccoons?
Bill - While it would be nice to allow chicken the majority of people would not be able to keep them safe. Raccoons would quickly eat them, if left in a yard. My daughter who volunteer on a farm, told me the raccoons were reaching through the chicken wire and eating parts of the chickens, not a pleasant experience.
There is quite a large population of raccoons in Evanston, over the years numerous families of raccoons have been in my yard. They are also enjoy getting into soffits areas or under the roof, if there is water damage they will dig right through the shingles.
Farmers no doubt lose chickens but keep large numbers- so the lost is small - home chicken farmers would have problems with the animals eating their flock.
Reply:
Junad, my Dad had raised rabbits when he was a kid in Evanston, so I guess he knew how to build a pen for the chickens big enough and secure enough to protect them from predators.
In any case, we eventually donated the birds to the Indian Boundary Park Zoo in Chicago, where I'm told they had long and happy lives.
Bill
Animals in Evanston
I had to move out of Evanston, my lifelong home because I could not have my 4 legged friends at home with me here. Very sad. I miss decent food. I hope they allow chickens etc. Those laws were created to zone out undesireable poor people who would grow their own food. Today one has to be wealthy enough to own a second home or farm in the country to have a chicken. Ridiculous, intrusive government!
It's an urban environment!
You moved because of your 4 legged friends???? I am guessing that you found local ordinance number
9-4-3-2: (The occupancy of any premises by more than three (3) dogs, whether licensed or unlicensed, shall be prohibited.) far too restrictive! I wonder just how far over the limit you were? I suspect your neighbors are very appreciative of your choice. Furthermore, your analysis of the the 'chicken law'and that it's true intent was to force the poor people out of town is a typical Evanstonian response. I'm sure it has nothing to do with the spread of disease! This is, and always has been an urban environment. In the late 1800's, when this town was founded, everyone had horses, livstock, chickens, etc. It was a necessity. It's is going to be 2009 in in less than a week. Let's move on. Shop at Whole Foods if you want your farm raised organic chickens. I wouldn't be surprised if I don't start seeing yard signs in town supporting chicken breeding.
Chickens
I was not nor am I now an animal hoarder if that is what you are implying. I did not and would not now have more than 1 dog and I am allergic to cats. I was also well liked by my neighbors for properly restoring a much devasted historic home in the neighborhood thank you very much!
Naturally, my response was Evanstonian as I am one and will always remain so, regardless of current address.
An urban environment does not and certainly need not mean the exclusion of animals. During the transition from animal dependency to dependency on the automobile, the poorer folk were the last to afford to ditch the horse and chickens in the yard. Ordinances forbidding a hen house in the yard or a horse in back would not have effected the wealthier families with automobiles and grocery money. Naturally, rules that got rid of poorer folk's means of transportation and home made food would drive them to other "more appropriate" locations.
Disease is always a possiblilty but humans are the biggest transmitter and cross contaminaters and they haven't put chips in us(yet)nor can government stop us petting a dog (which might have just chewed up a dead, disease contaminated bird carcass...).
As there is melamine in our American baby formula, you can not expect people to fully trust the food distribution system anymore. Do you think Whole Foods audits every chicken batch? Doubtful.
Regardless, allowing the ladies of the North Shore the freedom to have a hen house in the yard or a pot-bellied pig isn't going to hurt anyone. Such flexibility could have limits so as to prevent the culturally diverse folk in town, goat slaughtering in front of our precious children.
Green Acres is the place for me.....
Based on your original statement that you were forced to move due to your 4 legged friends, I thought it was a safe assumption you had more than 1 dog or cat. Perhaps you were talking about some other 'pets' you own? I can only imagine. Regardless, that argument is irrelevant to the real issue at hand-CHICKENS IN EVANSTON! I agree that an urban environment does not and should not mean the exclusion of animals. We all should enjoy the benefits of housing domestic animals. However, allowing poultry farms in Evanston is laughable. The 'transition from animal dependency to dependency on the automobile' as well as the appropriate 'Ordinances forbidding a hen house in the yard or a horse in back' assisted in making this a thriving urban environment and not a prairie town. Again I remind you...2 more days and it will be 2009! You stated 'allowing... the freedom to have a hen house in the yard or a pot-bellied pig isn't going to hurt anyone.' Are you serious??? The spread of diseases such as Fowl Cholera, Salmonella,and E-coli would be inevitable. Not to mention Avian influenza. I could only imagine the time and tax dollars that would be spent monitoring this city farm. I chose to live in Evanston for a number of reasons including the fact that it is an urban town. I appreciate waking up to the blaring wail of a fire truck, the rumble of the El-trains. I don't want to hear the cock-a-doodle-doo of a rooster, or smell the stench of manure. I enjoy reading Evanston Now on a daily basis and watched as there was comment after comment regarding the 'scary' coyotes that have seemed to invade E-town. Start raising chickens and pot bellied pigs in your back yard and watch what happens to the coyote population! Lastly, you had me interested in your reply until you mentioned the computer chips the government wants to put into our bodies.
I'd like to raise a few hens or ducks for eggs in Evanston!
Any chance of getting that restriction amended to allow chickens and ducks? Subject, of course, to the 1957 conditions. And maybe a limit as to the number of birds. Besides producing eggs, these birds love kitchen scraps, and produce great fertilizer. Maybe ETHS could offer a Continuing Ed class on the care of backyard poultry, and people who took the class could get City permission to have a backyard coop.
Re: Livestock in Evanston?
I grew up in Colorado. My neighbor had a chicken coop in their backyard. (Others had a whole farm.) Have you ever been woken up every day by a dang rooster who wakes up before the sun? Let's just say I wanted fried chicken every morning. And the eggs aren't all they're cracked up to be. Chickens are messy, noisy, stinky, and half the eggs go bad and stink up the yard. Trust me, they're more work than you think. Don't even get me started on ducks and geese. Ack! The noise! If they're allowed, people should be required to take a class on what's involved before they get one. My wife volunteers for Red Door animal shelter, and they get rabbits and chickens dropped off all the time because people don't realize how much work they are.