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Backyard chicken battle: Ithaca explores legalizing domestic poultry

|WBNG-TV: Binghamton, New York
By Julianne Peixoto

Mar 21, 2016

Ithaca, NY (WBNG Binghamton) Many Ithaca residents already raise their own chickens, but soon, they may finally be able to do so legally.

"We have been talking about this for a long time and I mean years," said Director of Planning and Development in Ithaca Joann Cornish. "We really want people who are responsible animal owners to have an opportunity to have chickens."

The city's planning and economic development committee is reviewing a pilot program to allow backyard chickens to be kept at 20 residences in the city.

Naomi Salama and her wife are excited about their four-day-old chicks. They think if the ordinance passes a common council vote, more people will become interested in raising their own chickens.

"I think the neighbors will see other people interacting with their chickens and having you know high-quality food and protein source from backyard birds, and they'll become interested," said Salama.

The program involves plenty of rules.

"Rules about how to keep your feed, how much room do chickens need," said Cornish.

It would be a complaint-driven penalty system. The first violation would result in a $250 fine and that number would increase for any violations that follow, until ultimately all of the chickens would be taken away from their owner.

"The police department will be the entity in the city that will actually respond to the complaints," said Cornish.

Some residents are against legalizing backyard birds.

"No I would vote against it if I had a vote," said Henning Pape. "I live in Brooktondale it's more rural it's a different story, but I think in the city I don't think it's a great idea."

Common council will vote on the ordinance in May. If and when the pilot program is approved, the city will begin accepting applications for backyard chicken permits. The permits will be granted first come, first served.

http://www.wbng.com/news/local/Backyard-chicken-battle--372991901.html/
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Leave it to New York, as long as they can put it in writing.... they'll legalize or ban anything

Funny CHICKEN Laughing Hard:
http://youtu.be/qHZXuMbMPgo/
00:46

Chicken Dance
http://youtu.be/aWjeITmDmmo/
02:43