The South Bend Common Council will be debating on a unique issue at their meeting on Wednesday night. The Zoning & Annexation and Health & Public Safety commitees will try and decide whether people should be allowed to keep chickens in their backyards.
The practice is actually become more common in urban areas. Some people argue that keeping chickens and producing their own eggs and poultry is a cheaper alternative to buying it from the store. Some even argue that eggs from backyard chickens taste better.
People opposed to the idea argue that the chickens create a mess and belong on farms. They also argue that noise is a factor when roosters are involved. But no roosters would be involved in this version of the ordinance. People who want to have chickens on their property would have to pay $20 dollars for a permit which would allow them to have up to six hens.
Volunteers in the community would have to volunteer to monitor how the chickens are being cared for and to make sure they're not causing a disrupting in the neighborhood.
The meeting will take place at the Council Chambers inside the County City Building at 5:00 p.m. Wednesday.
