Allow Backyard Hens in Des Plaines

Dear elected city officials,

We are requesting your approval to grant us, the city of Des Plaines residents the ability to raise hens on our property such as the cities of Chicago, New York City, San Francisco, Seattle, and Portland have done.
We are asking for 2 to 8 hens per household, no roosters, for the following reasons:

Hens make great pets as well as they are affectionate, fun, friendly, intelligent, and entertaining. They offer astounding educational value for children about where food like eggs come from.
They can provide food security for families.
They lay healthier, fresher eggs compared to store-bought eggs.
They give gardeners high-quality fertilizer. Hens' manure contains high levels of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.
They control flies and other pests and dispose of weeds and kitchen scraps that otherwise might end up in the landfill.
A small flock of four or five hens' waste is about as much as one average dog's waste.
We will keep our hens in a well-maintained coop, i.e., one that doesn’t smell and attract flies. Coops will be secure to protect the hens from predators.

Thank you for considering our request.