News
Backyard chickens are gaining popularity in Rochester, N.Y. as residents explore home food production beyond the veggie plot. Town regulations regarding animals like chickens are often little-known, and vary from town to town.
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"I got into this because I am intrigued with localvore lifestyle," says Pittsford's Kaaren Anderson, who added a flock of three to her one-acre lot this summer. When the First Unitarian Church of Rochester co-parish minister read about a small community in the Netherlands that slashed its garbage bill by giving chickens (avian garbage disposals) to its residents, she incorporated chickens into her Earth Day sermon. Later this fall, she spearheads a church chicken club.
Closer to home, the demand for egg chickens has increased four-fold this year, says Jim Pecora of Natureberry Farm in Macedon, Wayne County. Among other things, he sells both meat and egg chicks.
In case you're wondering, it is legal for Rochester residents to keep chickens as long as they follow certain regulations and get a special license, which must be renewed annually. Roosters older than 4 months are not allowed because of the noise factor. In the 2007-08 fiscal year, there were 10 applications for such poultry licenses, notes City Clerk Daniel Karin.
"If the code is silent, then it is allowable. We would respond on a per complaint basis," notes Brighton fire marshal Chris Roth.
"In Macedon, you need 10 acres or more to have poultry," says Pecora. He urges poultry neophytes to check their town's codes and talk directly to the zoning officer or assessor to make sure their plans are in compliance.
Photo credit: Audrey 
