Chickens in Hyattsville

This is an update on progress being made to change the current Hyattsville, Maryland, law which prohibits chicken coops within the city limits. So far I've found five other Hyattsville residents who are interested in raising chickens for eggs and I'm striving to find many more. David Hiles, my new Hyattsville Ward 2 city council representative tells me that it may be possible to bring this issue before the city council this coming fall or Spring 2010. He also says I will have to build more community support, then lobby the council for action. I'm beginning to compile material to illustrate how urban chicken coops have worked well in the D.C. area and other nearby, local jurisdictions.

So let's keep our talons crossed! To get you in the mood for starting your own chicken run, take a look at all the great things (I'm personally fond of the "Eglu") at http://www.omlet.us/

Photograph credit: National Archives and Records Administration, RG-83, Records of the Bureau of Agricultural Economics, 1876-1959. The photograph was taken in Shelby County, Iowa, in May 1941.

A Chicken "Coup" in Hyattsville, Maryland?

Yours Truly has started a campaign to return chickens and chicken coops to Hyattsville, Maryland. My family wants fresh organic eggs raised without chemicals, without the demand for long distance shipping from the sources and without cruel treatment of animals. I've contacted a member of the Hyattsville City Council asking for help on changing the current city law that prohibits keeping chickens as pets, food or otherwise. I hope I can report, sometime in the near future, that chickens for egg raising are welcome once again in the Maryland suburbs.

Let me know your thoughts on the returning trend of urban chicken coops.

The accompanying photograph comes from the DOCUMERICA collection at the National Archives. World-famous photographer Charles O'Rear took this photograph of farmer John Dolezal collecting chicken eggs in May 1973 on Dolezal's farm near Bee, Nebraska.