March 13, 2023 – “I don’t want chickens in my city!” That was one public comment at this week’s Clovis City Council meeting.
A few public commenters came out to speak their mind on the growing number of residents in Clovis that are housing hens and roosters in their backyard, raising baby chicks and farming eggs.
The complaints against those who have chickens in their backyards came from Clovis residents who have had chickens trespass into their backyards due to the surplus of chickens in neighboring backyard lots.
These complaints in addition to the unwelcome visitors ranged from noise complaints, smell and odor, as well as to other disturbances such as possibilities of avian flu or other sickness brought on by the chickens and “other exotic birds.”
One public speaker stated that a resident’s auto-immune disease was being activated because of their next door neighbors’ chickens.
On the flip side were residents arguing on behalf of keeping chickens in backyards.
“Chickens are really quiet..You give them a little food in the morning and they’re quiet.”
“I’ll take chickens over twenty cats any day.”
These comments were just a few made on behalf of those who have chickens in their backyard.
The argument of rising costs to eggs was also made as well as the argument that Clovis was “built” on farming, and to take that away from residents would be dismissable.
“You’re turning this town into a city full of concrete,” said one public commenter supporting the chicken-filled backyards. “My wife–she loves the chickens in our backyard.”
No matter the support for either side of the spectrum on this issue, the Clovis City Council may have a difficult choice looming ahead of them, as previous councils have had in the past.
This issue has come before the city council before when a request to deny chickens in town was approved.
