Urban Chicken Group Makes Case To Edmond City Council

Jacey Hyde moved to greener pastures, so to speak.

She used to live in Edmond but opted for a place where she could raise her family and legally raise their chickens.

"The chickens we have are pets," Hyde explained.

She said her family also relies on the chickens for food, fresh eggs. 

It also gives her the opportunity to teach her children where the food comes from and how to properly care for the animals.

All of that motivated her to move to Oklahoma City.

She lives on land zoned for agriculture and keeps 17 chickens and a variety of ducks.

The Edmond ordinance only allows chickens on property zoned agriculture.

The activist group, Edmond Urban Chickens, is calling on City leaders to ease the restrictions on homeowners by allowing them to keep chickens in their backyards.

"I feel it is important for people to be able to grow their own food and know it where it comes from," said Hyde.

Her beliefs were echoed by others from the Edmond Urban Chickens group during a public hearing before the City Council, Monday night.

Council members expressed some concerns over noise and enforcement of such an ordinance.

At this point, they have not drafted an ordinance, Edmond Mayor Charles Lambs said.

When a draft is made public, he expects the City Council will hear another perspective.

Some have already voiced their concerns to those at city hall.

"Their concerns, many times, are sounds,or wastes, or predators that chickens will attract," Casey Moore, a city spokesman said. 

Still, Hyde and other urban chicken supporters are hoping for a compromise.

"If we can decide on something that works for everybody, maybe we can move forward and get something passed," said Hyde.

In the meantime, the rules are clear. Anyone caught with chickens in city limits face a $200 per day fine.