Wisconsin bill would allow backyard chickens in every municipality

MILWAUKEE - Backyard chickens could be coming to a yard near you. A Wisconsin bill would allow people in every municipality to have up to four chickens. 

Big picture view:

Right now, backyard chickens are not allowed in some places, like West Allis. Other communities, like Brookfield, only allow them if you have at least three acres.

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"We are just trying to be good stewards of our family finances, resources and community," said Alissa Hendrickson, who owned chickens in Outagamie County. 

"I believe that having chickens is a very good learning opportunity," said her daughter, Ariana Hendrickson.

"The community connection. Everyday you get eggs from the chickens and my son would go and give them to neighbors. No money was exchanged, you build community connections," said Rebecca Bock, who once owned chickens in Greenfield.

The backstory:

If you guessed the debate would be over easy, you’d be wrong. A similar statewide proposal was hatched before, but never passed. Now, a bipartisan group of Wisconsin lawmakers is trying again. A Wisconsin Assembly committee took public comment on Wednesday.

"You as legislators have a rendezvous with destiny and have a duty to protect our rights from government overreach," said Amy Manthey, a Waukesha chicken owner. 

The statewide proposal would allow residents to keep up to four chickens or quails. Municipalities could still have requirements – like obtaining a permit, notifying neighbors and keeping areas clean. The bill would also allow municipalities to ban roosters.

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The other side:

For some, owning chickens could be a rude wake-up call.

"Chickens, their vet care is very costly, and they can get sick easily. There they can get lice. Bird flu is a real thing, and it can affect your chickens. Wild birds spread it," said Karen Sparapani, executive director of the Milwaukee Area Domestic Animal Control Commission (MADACC).

MADACC is the pound for the municipalities in Milwaukee County. It usually takes in stray dogs and cats, but every year, it says it also receives roughly 50 chickens.

"It's very stressful to be here. And not only is the dog barking bad, the chickens get housed in a room that we would also house snakes in. So, we have to put up little curtains so that, you know, the predator-prey thing, so they don't have a snake staring at them the whole time they're sitting there," added Sparapani.

"It’s not fair to those animals, and it's really not fair to your government, you, the taxpayers, to have to subsidize your chicken disposal," Sparapani said. "Before anyone freaks out. We absolutely send them to farms. Most of them are out in Jefferson County, where they will not be eaten."

Local perspective:

Milwaukee has allowed people to have four backyard chickens since 2011, but roosters are not allowed. People need to apply for a permit, share a coop site plan and pay a one-time fee of roughly $35. Neighbors will be notified and can object.

The Milwaukee Department of Neighborhood Services told FOX6 News that 284 people have applied for permits since November 2016. Fifteen were denied. 

The city has official registered in opposition to this backyard chicken bill. A city lobbyist says the bill takes away local control on land use.

Bill sponsor State Rep. Shae Sortwell says the bill protects a basic, human right.