Update on the Movement to Legalize Chickens in Aurora, CO

A group of concerned citizens have flocked together to encourage folks to contact their Aurora, CO, city council representatives and request that backyard hen ownership be made legal in our lovely little town. In 2011 the issue was brought up before the council and soundly defeated. Our approach this time is different than last time, since apparently logic, research, and a solid presentation fell on deaf (or stubborn) ears. We are organizing from the ground up, sitting around the kitchen table to discuss gardening, chickens, bees, and community. We need to convince six representatives that such a movement is of value to our community. And we will do so!

Here in an eggshell is why we want chickens approved:

• Backyard eggs means food security, money savings, and better health.
• Hens make good pets, are quieter than dogs, and when cared for are not smelly or dangerous.
• When you make something legal you can educate and regulate, so people who keep hens will do so in a way that keeps the hens safe and healthy, and protects the neighborhood.
• Hens are great for kids, people with special needs, the house-bound, and just about everyone else.
• Chickens create community. When we had hens, it became a conversation piece with our neighbors, even those who speak different languages than we or who otherwise wouldn't say hello. 
• Hens are a perfect extension of organic gardening, providing manure and eating pests. Did you know chickens eat mice and mosquitoes?
• Hen keeping is not a throw-back to old farm days or dusty rural ways (although there isn't anything wrong with that, it seems not in keeping with the image Aurora seeks for itself), but a progressive and trendy movement embraced by many cities across the United States.
• Chickens need feed, shavings, hay, and chicken treats. I can think of several local businesses that would benefit from expanding to fill this need.

We are proposing the legalization of keeping 8 hens, no roosters, in safe and contained coops and runs. An affordable one-time fee paid to the city when applying for a permit is standard in most cities.

If you would like to get involved by spreading the word or contacting your representative, please post a comment here or email me at clea dot danaan at gmail dot com.