Hundreds of cities large and small have changed their codes to allow chickens

Vancouver, host of the recent Winter Olympics, has a reputation for picturesque beauty and a cosmopolitan population. Vancouver allows its citizens to raise chickens. New York City, the world’s financial center and the epitome of a modern city with the latest technology, allows its citizens to raise chickens. Seattle, Atlanta, Portland, San Diego—the list goes on and on. Over the past two years, author Pat Foreman estimates that more than 500 cities and towns have changed their codes to allow residents to raise chickens. Delray Beach should do the same. Allowing Delray residents to raise chickens would strengthen our city’s food sovereignty, food security, local food sourcing, local economy, and overall harmony.

Chickens are compatible with suburbs and cities

Human beings have raised domesticated fowl in cities for thousands of years for two reasons: (1) they are compatible with urban environments and (2) eggs are the only pre-packaged animal protein in the world. That makes eggs and chickens unique. Many cities now recognize the uniqueness of chickens by granting residents the opportunity to keep them. Once indiscriminately lumped in with horses, cows, sheep, and goats in city livestock ordinances, city councils are seeing the wisdom of treating chickens differently, removing them from livestock ordinances, and allowing residents to raise them. Changing our code would grant Delray Beach residents food sovereignty with regard to chickens, something they are currently denied.