Norfolk woman not chicken in questioning ban on hens

Next month, Bryn Bird is planning to set some chickens up in a coop behind the Five Points

Community Farm Market at Church Street.

Bird, a manager there, hopes patrons visit the hens and see how quiet they are.

"Hens aren't loud, roosters are loud," said Bird, and they produce less waste than a dog.

Bird, 27, said she's bringing the hens to Five Points because it's fun and because "we can."

Their presence also will be part of an effort to topple the city's prohibition against

keeping live chickens at home. Bird and others hope the chickens will "usher in a

conversation" that will help convince officials and residents it's time to change the law.

South Hampton Roads' four other cities also have prohibitions against keeping live chickens

in most residential districts.

Bird believes residents should be able to get their eggs from their own backyards.

"There is a big desire of people in Norfolk to keep backyard chickens," Bird said. She said

she knows some who are already doing it.

Regular Five Points customer Mark Haynes, a resident of Virginia Beach, said his wife "would

love to get chickens."

"I'm not sure if we're going to have live chickens at home," Haynes said. "We'll have to look

more closely at regulations."

Haynes said having chickens "should be just like having a dog."

"I've got two yellow Labs," he said. "If they're running amok in the neighborhood, then

that's a problem." He agreed with Bird that hens are quiet, adding, "unless you run up on a

chicken" that then runs and clucks.

Christina Close, a customer from Chesapeake, said she would be shocked if a lot of people in

Norfolk really want to have chickens. She has reservations about the animals' welfare and

cleanliness.

She prefers to get her eggs from the store.

Bird grew up on a farm and never had to buy an egg until she left.

"That was kind of shocking," she said.

The attempt to change the city's rule grew out of an effort to overturn a regulation against

keeping bee hives at home. In fact, the bee hive and chicken prohibitions are covered in the

same ordinance pertaining to residential districts: "Except as otherwise noted, there shall

be no raising or keeping of livestock, poultry, fowl, rabbits, bees and the like on less than

five acres, and the keeping of four or more dogs or cats above the age of six months shall be

prohibited."

The effort to remove the portion about the bees has received some city support but has not

been formally discussed by the City Council.

While working on the bee prohibition, Bird said, she learned that keeping bee hives is not

prohibited on industrial property. That made her wonder if keeping live chickens on

industrial property might also be OK. Deputy City Attorney Adam Melita confirmed that is so.

Bird got approval to bring live chickens to work. She placed an order with a hatchery in Ohio

for three chickens, which are to arrive in April.

There are no plans to sell the eggs. Between the three hens, Bird said, they'll lay only 21

eggs per week. "We have enough farmers who provide us with chicken eggs," she said. "We're

fine." Bird said she and other employees will likely eat the eggs.