Chickens in Winnsboro

by
Maryann Miller

Some readers may recall the story I did a few months ago about the Winnsboro couple who have chickens in their backyard and received a notice from the city that the chickens had to go due to an ordinance against having certain animals (or fowl) within city limits.

Janice Porter and her husband Arnie, have eight chickens that she has raised in the past year. Having them is part of an overall healthy-eating lifestyle that the couple has adopted. They don't eat any processed food. She grinds her own grains and they buy fresh, unprocessed dairy products locally from Jersey Girls Dairy. Long before Janice decided to raise chickens, she bought eggs from free-range chicken farms.

Janice was shocked when she received the notice from the city that she had to get the chickens out of her yard because of that ordinance. "I didn't realize there would be a problem," Janice says. "I knew that cities like Dallas and San Antonio allow chickens, and I never dreamed that Winnsboro wouldn't."

Rather than move the chickens, Janice went to the City Council meeting in April and asked that the ordinance be changed. "I didn't want a waiver just for myself," Janice says. "I wanted the ordinance changed so anyone who wanted to adopt healthy eating by having their own fresh eggs could."

The good news is that after two more Council meetings, Janice finally got some positive results. At the meeting on June 9th, the City Council voted unanimously to approve - on a case-by-case basis - changing the Ordinance from no chickens in the city limits. Final approval of individual requests would depend on lot size and no roosters would be allowed. Each request will have to go to City Manager and the property and coop would have to pass an inspection.

Prior to the Council meeting, City Administrator Nina Browning made a visit to the Porter's home. According to Janice, Nina was "impressed by the beautiful chickens and the cleanliness of the property and the chicken coop."

At the meeting, Nina spoke in favor of chancing the ordinance, as did a couple of other Council Members. "It was great to have that kind of positive support," Janice says. "One brand new Council member researched the issue of backyard chickens prior to the meeting, stating that having chickens inside the city limits is becoming a very big trend to approach City Councils across the nation and gaining their approval. Another member said that he purchases range free eggs, and there is quite a difference in taste and nutrition." 

Now, thanks to Janice's efforts, people who want to have a few chickens in their backyard in the city of Winnsboro can.

Let me know when you have some for sale.