Idaho Bill Looks To Make It Easier To Have Backyard Chickens

A bill in the Idaho Legislature would lower restrictions for allowing chickens in residential areas; the hope of the legislation is to help offset the high price of eggs consumers are facing at their local grocery store.  Senate Bill 1026 would ensure that homeowners associations could not bar residents from raising up to four chickens per one-fifth of an acre.

"Most people eat more than four chickens a year, but for egg laying, if a chicken is laying an egg every other day, that can be a significant number of eggs that can be used by that family or that household," noted Ariel Agenbroad food systems and small farms specialists at the University of Idaho Extension.  She added people aren't going to get rich raising a small number of chickens in their backyards.

"Policies like this can have a really positive impact on people's ability to be self-sustaining, but I don't see it having a lot of impact on small business, like entrepreneurship or our farm business development, because the numbers are so small. 

While raising chickens could offset egg costs in the long run, Agenbroad notes there can be substantial upfront costs to the birds.

Critics of the legislation says the chickens could potentially disrupt neighbors with both noise and odors,  There is also concern about the spread of diseases like salmonella.

The legislation has passed out of the Senate and now moves to the House.  Click Here to learn more about SB 1026.

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