Ferndale to consider allowing chickens in yards

SAM TAYLOR - THE BELLINGHAM HERALD

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FERNDALE - If some residents get their way, officials might look to fowl up the city.

That is, City Council members have asked Mayor Gary Jensen's administration to research the pros and cons of allowing people to have chickens on their property.

One hurdle has already been cleared, with the Council Planning and Land Use Committee giving the green light for the research and then sending the information to the Planning Commission for further consideration.

Ferndale is in the minority now for banning farm animals. Some cities allow not only chickens but other livestock, even cows and goats, including Lynden, Bellingham and Blaine.

Generally, the rules in the other cities require the animals to be housed in enclosed areas like pens, coops or other facilities you're more likely to see on a farm. The laws also have some requirements to avoid nuisances. Where Bellingham only bans noisy animals, Lynden's municipal code specifically prohibits swine, hogs and roosters, though the swine and hogs might be allowed conditionally at an educational facility.

"My first gut reaction was, oh, chickens seem like something that are much more appropriate in the county, not something the city would do," said Ferndale City Councilwoman Connie Faria, who sits on the planning committee. "After looking into it, more people do it from having pets to wanting eggs and being closer to their food source. At this point, I think I'm OK with the idea as long as we have some good rules in place. Some of the bigger concerns have to do with smells."

In Bellingham, Whatcom County Council candidate Kathy Kershner keeps five chickens in her backyard where her 5-year-old son, Jake, helps to collect their eggs.

Kershner's family got the chickens from a farm in Skagit County, where, after a certain point, the birds are used for other purposes.

"I guess you can say we rescued five chickens from the chicken soup," she said.

She said the animals aren't too noisy, though the hens might cluck a bit more while they lay eggs because they're "proud of their accomplishment." They're not smelly, and the Kershners also compost the chicken waste. She said she hopes Ferndale allows residents to have chickens.

Ferndale Mayor Gary Jensen said the city has already contacted the Whatcom Humane Society, which does animal control, and it's likely that the city's contract costs might increase if chicken enforcement is added.