Chickens in the yard of Red Bank resident Kate Okeson. (Photos by Brian Donohue. Click to enlarge.)
By BRIAN DONOHUE
Halfway through the April 25 meeting of the Red Bank Borough Council, Mayor Billy Portman leaned into his microphone and made the most fowl pronouncement of his tenure to date.
“The chickens are coming, Red Bank,” the mayor declared.
The council had just voted to introduce an ordinance aimed at making it easier for residents to keep backyard chickens and to keep their hens happy and healthy.
If approved, the new law would reduce the required distance between chicken coops and any other structure to 12 feet, from the current 40.
In a town where many lots are only 50 feet wide, officials say the current 40-foot setback requirement has made it difficult or impossible for those seeking to raise backyard hens to find the room for a coop.
The ordinance also includes several other changes suggested by the borough’s Animal Welfare Advisory Committee, including a requirement that backyard flocks consist of between four and 12 birds.
The four-hen mimimum, it seems, is designed to ward off chicken loneliness.
“Chickens don’t like to be alone,’’ said Councilperson Laura Jannone, the council’s liaison to the committee.
The changes were crafted by the committee with an eye toward promoting a practice that has seen a resurgence in recent years, as homeowners discover the benefits of raising hens. They also hope to promote good husbandry.
“All of these changes will be beneficial to current residents who have flocks, and also those who are are interested in adding fresh eggs and a natural form of pest control to their property,” Jannone said, reading from a statement submitted by TJ Moss, owner of Fins and Feathers pet shop and a committee member.
As under the current law, eggs laid by backyard hens would be for personal consumption only, with sales prohibited. Roosters are also banned.
The ordinance is expected be up for a public hearing and final vote at the next council meeting, on Thursday at 6:30 p.m at 90 Monmouth Street. Meetings can also be attended remotely via Zoom.
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