City of Hudson505 Third StreetHudson, Wisconsin

Dear Mr. Devin Willi,

We respectfully request that the City of Hudson consider and find that a small number of hens, kept properly confined in their owner’s yard, be a variance in the current ordinance (a) governing livestock. Across the country, urban and suburban areas are revising their laws to allow small backyard flocks of hens. Major cities allowing hens include New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles, Miami, Baltimore, Minneapolis and Madison. A few cities (b,c) closer to home that allow “Urban Chickens” are: Eagan, Burnsville, Maplewood, Afton, Bayport, Stillwater, North Hudson, and Prescott. Owners of hens prize them as any other pet. Some for their personality, others for their heritage, colors and patterns. Hens are friendly, entertaining, and quiet (d). Hens are also part of some citizens’ wish to live a “greener” lifestyle. They readily eat table scraps (keeping them from ending up in landfills) (e), are a natural insect control of lawns (f); and of course not forgetting that they also provide eggs for the family they live with (g). Adult hens thrive in a pen that provides a 3-4 square foot dwelling with 10 square feet of run. The small unassuming pen is about the size of a large doghouse (h). We would like to allow our children, and other children of Hudson, the experience of raising hens to demonstrate green living, showing them where their food originated, and the responsibility of caring for this extraordinary animal (i). We would be delighted to meet with you in person to discuss this proposal or to answer any questions you may have.

Like us on Facebook! www.facebook.com/HudsonUrbanChickens

U

RB

AN CHICKENS

HUDSONHUDSONURBAN CHICKENS

Appendices

(a) Current City of Hudson code § 99-8. Harboring certain animals states: C. No person shall own, harbor or keep any livestock within the City limits. *Please see our proposal on page 4 (Appendix J)

(b) Below is a table showing each city’s population and current (as of March 2013) reporting number of permits.

CITY ~ POPULATION # PERMITS ISSUED

# HENSALLOWED PER LOT

Madison 237,000 150 4

Eagan 64,700 3 5

Burnsville 60,800 9 4

Maplewood 38,400 7 10

Stillwater 18,500 4 5

Prescott 4,300 1 6

Afton 3,000 2 5

(c) Please see written testimony from some of the above cities starting on page 5

(d) NOISE:Unlike Roosters, hens make very little sound at all. The average hen will cackle to let others know that she has laid an egg, for a couple minutes a day and never at night. Laying hens, at their loudest, have the same decibel level as human conversation (60 decibels). There is no comparing the sound of a cackling hen to barking dogs (85 dB), lawn mowers (90 dB), garbage trucks, motorcycles (85-100 dB), kids playing, car alarms, sirens, trains, and the myriad of other loud noises frequently heard in a neighborhood.

(e) FOOD:Chickens support sustainable living not only by producing backyard food, but also reducing your overall waste by consuming table scraps. You can supplement a small flock with nearly all of your table scraps! Did you know? In the US, food scraps constitute around 19% of the waste dumped in landfills, where it ends up rotting and producing methane, a greenhouse gas.

!HUDSON

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(f) INSECTS:Chickens keep your yard healthier because they love to eat all types of bugs, including those that can carry human diseases like mosquitoes and ticks. They also eat slugs, flies, beetles, boxelders, grasshoppers, earwigs and many more! In his email, James Stordahl, U of M’s Ag Extension Specialist, states “In my mind, chickens (less the rooster) have far less risk or concern as compared to other domestic animals. Moreover, they provide wholesome food for your family, aid in yard pest control and recycle table scraps. Plus, they won't bite the mailman!”.

(g) EGGS:Typically, a hen will never lay more than one egg per day; they average 5 eggs/week. White and brown are not the only natural colors of egg shells. There are breeds of chickens that lay blue, green, cream and pink colored eggs as well. Eggs from backyard hens have 25 percent more vitamin E, a third more vitamin A and 75 percent more beta carotene. They also have significantly more omega-3 fatty acids than factory farmed eggs!

(h) COOPS:Unlike commercial poultry operations or rural farms, people in urban areas who keep chickens as pets keep them in attractive enclosures they’re proud of. In fact, in many chicken-friendly cities residents hold annual coop tours to show them off. Even right here in the Twin Cities! Last year the Seventh Annual Twin Cities Coop Tour (h2) had 27 stops, including 5 stops in Prescott! Chicken enthusiasts participate in a variety of chicken-related events, including tours, classes, and clubs, adding fabric and educational opportunities to their communities. We are eager to do the same in Hudson!

Below are pictures of stationary coops commonly found in cities:

(h2) https://sites.google.com/site/twincitiescooptour/home https://www.facebook.com/events/456214827733840/?ref=nf

!HUDSON

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(i) EDUCATING OUR CHILDRENBy keeping a few hens, children will learn about sustainability and recycling because they will see first-hand how grass clippings, bugs, weeds, and kitchen scraps fed to chickens are turned into delicious eggs. They will also see how straw bedding and waste from the chickens improves garden soil that, in turn, produces fruits and vegetables. Instead of just hearing the phrase “reduce, reuse, recycle" they will actually experience it!

For many of us, our grandparents had gardens, knew how to can food, and raised their own chickens. But this valuable knowledge seems to have skipped a generation and we are anxious to bring it back so that our children will not be so far removed from these basic skills that they think food comes only from the grocery store.

(j) OUR ORDINANCE PROPOSALBased on our research and discussions with other cities that allow backyard chickens, we propose these primary changes to the current ordinance (Appendix (a) on Page 2):

KEEPING OF CHICKENSKeeping of up to five (5) chickens for each single dwelling residential unit, provided that:I. No person shall keep any rooster.II. Slaughtering of chickens on the property is prohibited.III. The chickens shall be provided with a covered enclosure (coop) and must be kept in

the covered enclosure or a fenced enclosure at all times.A.Located in the rear or side yard.B.Setback at least five (5) feet from the rear or side property lines.C.The coop shall be fully enclosed, wind proof, and have sufficient windows for

natural lightIV. All premises on which hens are kept or maintained shall be kept clean from filth.V. All grain and food stored for the use of the hens on a premise with a chicken permit

shall be kept in a rodent proof container.

!HUDSON

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City of Maplewood

!HUDSON

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City of Eagan

City of Afton

!HUDSON

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City of Madison

City of Prescott

!HUDSON

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Supporting letter below from Mr. Daniel Marleau, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health.

!HUDSON

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