Urban Chickens: Making Sure the Hen House Doesn't Become the New Dog House

Chickens are taking over our cities.

Not in a Hitchcock sort of way, but as in the latest trend in eco-friendly living. As the local food (and, by extension, local economy) movement grows, people are looking for ways to get what they need from their own backyards. Literally. Chicken coops are popping up in city and suburban yards across the country. What better way to redfootprint of your breakfast than walking a few feet from your house to get the main ingredient?

But this only makes sense if the environmental benefits are not divorced from humane values. I’m not suggesting that you should invite your chickens up on the couch to watch TV with you, take them for walks, or buy them toys. Things like that make sense for dogs, a species designed to thrive on playtime and being part of a pack. The real question is: what does a chicken need to thrive?

Like any other animal, people can’t just put chickens out in the yard and forget about them until it’s convenient. For starters, they should be covered the same as other pets under animal cruelty laws which, in most places, require pets to receive food, water, veterinary attention when needed, and adequate living conditions. For a chicken, living conditions should be defined to provide enough space per bird to move around and spread their wings, shelter from the elements and predators, plus daily access to the outdoors for fresh air and dirt scratching fun. In other words, quality of life.

Some of the better local laws regarding chickens specifically prohibit their slaughter. Many municipalities also have a ban on roosters. This is probably a concession to neighbors who don’t want to be awoken at dawn, but it has a couple of other good side effects. A ban on roosters makes it harder for illegal cock fighting operations to masquerade as innocent urban chicken outfits. No roosters also means the eggs aren’t fertilized, providing the moral reassurance that novice chicken keepers aren’t eating birds-to-be.

From a vegan standpoint, the whole concept of urban chickens isn’t exactly an exciting development. However, we’re a long way from the majority of the population giving up their omelets, so I’d much rather see people produce food on a small scale -- to look their food in the eyes, understand where it comes from, and give the animals a decent life -- than to buy their eggs (or any meat) from a factory farm.

Urban chickens aren’t just an opportunity for local food production; they’re an opportunity to instill a sense of respect for animals, to reinforce a lifetime commitment to the pets in our care, and to ensure that we use our opposable-thumbed status for good when dealing with our fellow creatures.

Photo credit: Photos8.com