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Moore resident urges council to consider narrow backyard-hens ordinance
Summary
A Moore resident, James Walters, urged the council to revisit a limited backyard hens ordinance that would allow up to eight hens (no roosters), require predator-resistant coops and runs and mandate deep-bedding sanitation; council took no action because the item was not on the agenda but said it would be 'taken under advisement.'
During the citizen forum at the May 4 meeting, James Walters (speaker 12) addressed the council and asked officials to consider a narrowly tailored ordinance to allow backyard hens with clear, enforceable requirements.
Walters proposed limits and standards intended to address concerns raised when a similar proposal failed in 2022: no roosters (hens only); predator-resistant enclosed coops and runs; minimum coop and run space (he suggested five square feet per hen in the coop and eight square feet per hen in the run); a deep-bedding system (four to six inches of dry, carbon-rich material) to reduce odor; and a household cap of eight hens. He argued that proper management prevents odor and nuisance and that hens can provide about 2,000 eggs per year for a household of eight hens.
The chair said the council could not take action because the matter was not on the agenda but would "take it under advisement" and the resident said he was happy to follow up with staff.
