One Amarillo resident is fighting for his chickens and hopes the City will revise the barnyard fowl ordinance
AMARILLO, TEXAS -- One Amarillo resident wants to bring an issue to city commissioners, and plans to do so this Tuesday. The topic, his fight for urban chickens here in Amarillo.
David Rodriquez has set a goal of sustainability when it comes to food.
"The goal is to grow 15-hundred pounds of produce, I've kind of started already with some things, I have some marigolds, broccoli, Japanese cabbage," said Rodriquez.
He even own two miniature goats to provide cheese, yogurt, and other dairy products.
"The maximum of it's peak, it can produce a quart of milk a day," said Rodriquez.
Enough milk to supply a family of four on a regular basis.
"The goal is to be sustainable as possible for myself, and to prove that living in the city you can be sustainable. I have chickens that provide eggs, I eat my eggs every morning," said Rodriquez.
And that's where his goal of urban sustainability had animal control crying foul.
"I guess the crux of it is that he's wanting to keep barnyard fowl in a residential area and that is prohibited," said Shannon Barlow, Assistant Director of Animal Control.
Amarillo's barnyard fowl ordinance was revised just a few years ago, stating any resident can have up to four chickens within the city limits as long as the owner has a quarter of an acre of land, but that make it hard for those living in residential Amarillo.
"Where you live sometimes has implications as far as what you can have on the property and what you cannot, So if that's something that you want to do is to raise barnyard fowl or have some barn yard type animals then you need to choose very carefully where you reside," said Barlow.
"We as a city should inform all of our citizens about the benefits of composting, the benefits of chickens, and different kinds of things to be a more sustainable city. Amarillo wants to be green and this is definitely a way for Amarillo to become a greener city," said Rodriquez.
Rodriquez plans to ask Amarillo city commissioners to bring the issue up on a future agenda and look at revising the barnyard fowl ordinance. He's hoping that others will join him in his fight for urban chickens, and force the city into addressing the issue before he gets any more citations or before Animal Control removes his chickens.
Animal Control officials say the barnyard fowl ordinance was revised to address complaints about crowing roosters, and unsanitary conditions of chicken coops in close proximity to neighbors.
"Not everyone keeps their chicken coops as clean or sanitary as they need to, especially when you're trying to coexist with neighbors in close proximity," said Barlow.
For more information on the City of Amarillo's Animal Control, check out the link provided below.
