Brooklyn Center Mulls Whether to Allow Raising Chickens

The push to allow residents to raise chickens is growing in Brooklyn Center. Monday night, a community group went before the Brooklyn Center City Council with more information on a poultry proposal.

Members of the Brooklyn Center Chickens Facebook group presented the city council with a proposed 10-page ordinance. It recommends allowing single-family homeowners to raise up to six hens. Having roosters and slaughtering the birds for food would be prohibited.

This isn’t the first time the proposal has been brought up. Brooklyn Center Mayor Tim Willson says he supported a chicken-raising proposal in 2010 and 2011. Willson says he’s on board now, too.

“We’ve always been looking at maybe four or so, some number in there, no rooster, and they have to be clean,” said Willson.

Not everyone is on board with the poultry proposal. Critics have complained about noise and mess issue that could impact neighbors. The chickens group tried to assuage those concerns.

“As far as messy, all animals can be messy. As long as you’re a responsible owner, you’re going to clean up after your chickens,” explained group member Katie Thomes.

“Better Than Store Bought Eggs”

Other nearby cities that allow raising chickens include Crystal, Golden Valley and New Hope. Barbara Prestidge Anderson of New Hope says her poultry pets are easy to raise and their eggs beat store brought eggs any day.

“I just hand people eggs and say try them, cook them sunny side up and eat them and you can’t believe the difference,” she said.

Meanwhile, the Brooklyn Center group says they are going to attend city council meetings once a month to keep their issue on the table.

Brooklyn Center | New Hope