Chicken proposal returns
Schenectady studying how Niskayuna and Albany are faring
Chad Putman took city officials into the backyard of his Woodlawn home for a quick virtual tour of the insulated chicken coop where he and his husband have been raising a dozen chickens during winters since 2018.
They are down to seven and work closely with Schenectady Vale Urban Farms on fostering the fowl as an educational tool.
The animals stay on the farm, which has no running water or electricity, during summers.
Right now, the city allows homeowners to keep hens only for educational, artistic or entertainment purposes.
“It’s really been a great way to get to know your neighbors, just to have a positive impact on our local community, we have great eggs, and get rid of a lot of vegetables that are going bad,” said Putman, the former deputy Schenectady clerk.
Putman and Schenectady resident Ellie Pepper want other city residents to enjoy that same experience and are trying to convince city leaders of all the benefits that come with keeping chickens.
The issue of whether to allow backyard chickens in the city has come up in the Electric City before and another discussion was scheduled for Monday, but was pushed back two weeks to allow council members to review ordinances allowing the birds in Albany and Niskayuna.
Pepper said chickens help
keep homes and the environment clean.
“They’re more than happy to feast on that overripe apple that you didn’t get to or that stale piece of bread, which means a lot less food waste,” Pepper said, adding that “chicken poop” is “the gold standard for fertilizer.”
She also said chickens eat ticks, mosquitoes, slugs and beetles and are a great teaching resource for children, most of whom adore the animals.
Pepper also noted that the eggs are healthier than the ones in the supermarket.
Putman said besides sharing the abundance of eggs with neighbors, the hens also attract children who live in the area.
Pepper dismissed criticism that chickens are noisy, pointing out hens are quieter than dogs and that their squawking is comparable to a washer or flushing a toilet.
Most municipal ordinances in nonrural areas do not allow roosters, which would rouse the neighborhood with their predawn shrieks.
Gloversville city leaders are also looking at the pros and cons of letting residents raise chickens in their backyards.
The Niskayuna measure, which takes effect in November, allows residents to keep up to a half-dozen hens, but no roosters, in approved hen enclosures with certain restrictions such as how close the structure can be from a residential dwelling.
The law also prohibits outdoor slaughtering, requires a yearly permit and fines of up to $250 enforceable by the town building inspector for not complying with the laws.
A similar law allowing backyard chickens has been on the books in Albany since last summer.