(ABC) Annotated Bibliography of Chicken Legalization Reference Material

Here are several documents you need to get hold of and read if you are trying to legalize chickens in your community. These are NOT how to raise or take care of chicken documents, but rather material related to legalizing backyard hens. 

There are three basic types of documents: synoptic reviews of chicken communities and their ordinances, persuasive case statements, and strategic advice. 

Sarasota CLUCK Campaign gets National Attention in Backyard Poultry Magazine

The December 2011/January2012 Issue of Backyard Poultry features an article based on the lessons learned from the 18 month campaign to legalize backyard hens in the City of Sarasota. The article, One Dozen Tips to Legalize Chickens in Your Community, summarizes some of the successful strategies and setbacks experienced during the campaign. Backyard Poultry has now placed an online version on its website so that backyard chicken supporters will be able to access the tips for free without having to buy the magazine or find Sarasota CLUCK.

The One Dozen Tips Article is Based on the Experience in the City of Sarasota

The article features photographs by local artist Jean Blackburn. Two of the three photographs include Sarah the Buff Brahma (seen below). Sarah has already been featured in SRQ Magazine and in an earlier posting.

And one new (British) book characterizes Brahmas as "magnificently large, good natured and docile hens that make an excellent pet, as it is extremely ease to tame if handled gently". If you are looking for a mid-sized coffee table book for a chicken lover, consider The Illustrated Guide to Chickens by Celia Lewis. Beautiful watercolors accompany descriptions of 100 different breeds (and there is a forward by the Prince of Wales).

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There are several meanings of the word chicken and one is cowardly. We're not sure how cows feel about that, but shortly after the posting above went live, CLUCK received the following critical and anonymous email message and comment regarding the Backyard Poultry article: 

The first paragraph has an error. The vote was not 5-0 to legalize backyard hens, but 4-0. One commissioner was absent due to illness. Another mis-fact from CLUCK! 

It is true that the first unanimous vote was 4-0, but the second reading on the consent agenda (February 7th) was recorded as follows:

SCREEN SHOT OF CITY COMMISSION MINUTES DOCUMENTING
A 5-0 VOTE IN FAVOR OF THE ORDINANCE

So CLUCK stands by the article that the final vote to adopt was 5-0 and encourages those who take issue with chickens to have the courage of their convictions to identify themselves.