Chickens have long been a source of passion and politics, ranging from campaign promises of a “chicken in every pot” to animal-rights protesters donning chicken costumes at rallies.
Today, along Colorado’s Front Range, chickens are at the heart of a boiling debate — call it backyard politics, if you will.
The urban livestock movement has been gaining speed over the past few years with cities around the nation passing laws in support of backyard chickens. Even the White House has been pressed to add a chicken coop to the mansion’s south lawn. (It has declined).
Communities on the Front Range have either embraced or rejected backyard chickens.
Big cities like Denver and Colorado Springs allow chickens while cities with rural backgrounds like Greeley have banned them in residential areas.
Suburban communities like Lakewood and Highlands Ranch have embraced the birds, while suburbs such as Aurora have forbidden hens, while Broomfield will put the issue before voters in November.
Arapahoe County won’t allow them in unincorporated urban areas. But Jefferson County just approved them. In Stapleton, new homes are being built with chicken coops as an option. While in communities where chickens are forbidden, residents secretly have illegal broods.
“They attract predators, smell bad and are too noisy,” say opponents.
“They are quiet, provide organic food and their poop is a great fertilizer,” say proponents.
Denver’s City Council recently was updated on its food-producing animal ordinance, which passed in 2011. Residents now may pay $20 for a license and can own up to eight hens or female ducks and two dwarf goats. There must be space for the birds, an enclosure and the coop should be a minimum of 15 feet from an adjacent neighbor.
The law forbids roosters or male ducks, which are considered noisy.
A total of 405 permits have been issued since 2011 in Denver. But city officials suspect many more coops are in operation.
So far, no big problems. Only 46 complaints have been filed involving food-producing animals. Of those, only 18 warnings have been issued and two citations were written when officers discovered fighting cocks.
“There was this big perception that we were in for it,” said Aaron McSpadden of Denver Animal Care and Control. “But it’s been very minimal. It’s a non-issue, really.”
Recently, Lakewood updated its zoning codes with much of the public focused on the city’s move to allow chickens in residential areas. Ninety percent of the comments received about the zoning change were about the food-producing animal proposal.
In Highlands Ranch chicken coops are becoming normal in backyards. Janna Harris built a castle-like structure under the deck of her home for her birds. She has four hens.
“When we first got them, our neighbors looked at us crossways,” she said. “Now it’s amazing how many chickens people have. All the neighborhood kids love it. It’s something brand new to most of these kids who never grew up on a farm.”
Yet, in other communities, chicken wars continue.
Nicole Bumgardner lives in unincorporated Arapahoe County and is surrounded by cities that allow chickens. Her county does not. She started a Facebook page to garner support, has spoken to the county commissioners during public comment sessions and passed out leaflets.
“It is infuriating,” she said. “I have severe celiac disease, and it’s super important that I am in charge of my food. Homegrown eggs are way more nutritious than commercial eggs. And the county won’t tell me why I can’t have chickens.”
Andrea Rasizer, spokeswoman for Arapahoe County, said the issue was discussed in 2011 but commissioners opted not to approve backyard hens.
“There were concerns that they would attract backyard predators, like coyotes,” Rasizer said, adding there were also complaints about odors.
Aurora City Council a few years ago also discussed allowing chickens in residential areas but the idea never got out of a study session. New councilwoman Sally Mournier now is leading a group to get an ordinance approved.
“It takes my vote and five more,” she said. “I don’t think that the council understands there is a groundswell of support.”
Broomfield’s council in February voted down a backyard chicken ordinance but agreed to put the issue on the November ballot. It is the first time anyone can recall that a Front Range town has taken the issue to the voters.
Councilman Bob Gaiser said he voted against chickens because he heard from people concerned with noise and odor.
“We got a number of e-mails … people saying they moved to Broomfield to be in the suburban neighborhoods and not next to a farm,” he said. “And I have cleaned out a chicken coop a couple of times, and I know how horrific that was. This seems like a passing fad.”
But Jim Admire of Broomfield said a group of people will begin a push this summer to inform voters and get them to the polls in November.
“What we are going to do is go door-to-door, my daughter is a movie maker so we will make a video,” he said. “It is just about a lack of education. When people don’t know, they vote no. The process for the summer and fall is going to be to educate.”
Jeremy P. Meyer: 303-954-1367, jpmeyer@denverpost.com or twitter.com/jpmeyerdpost
