Coon Rapids Joining Cities To Legalize Raising Chickens
COON RAPIDS, Minn. (WCCO) -- Whether they are kept as pets or for their eggs, more Minnesotans will soon be able to raise chickens in the backyard.
Several cities in the metro area, including Minneapolis and St. Paul, have laws allowing some residents to keep chickens.
On Monday, Coon Rapids will join the growing list.
Anoka-Ramsey Farm & Garden owner Tom Tidrick has been in the chicken raising business for 37 years.
"When we started in 1980, it was very rural out here," Tidrick said. "Today, that has changed."
Tidrick first started getting a lot of questions about raising chickens at home in 2000. He never imagined his chicken sales would nearly double in the next 15 years.
Now, he says selling chickens accounts for about half his business at Anoka-Ramsey Farm & Garden.
"People these days want to know where their food is coming from and if the eggs are coming from your backyard then you know where they were produced," Tidrick said.
Tidrick is going to be teaching a class on caring for chickens this summer through the city of Coon Rapids.
After several years of debate, Mayor Jerry Koch says the city council approved a backyard chicken ordinance this year.
"This is really all about not being a problem for the neighbors," Koch said.
The ordinance allows for a maximum of four chickens and contains several maintenance regulations.
Koch says some residents were concerned about noise and cleanliness, but the city ordinance tries to account for potential problems.
"This is people that are very aware or conscious of their food, they want the organic food, they want to know where everything is coming from," Koch said.
For Tidrick, it is clear the practice of raising chickens at home in the Twin Cities that he once thought was a fad, is here to stay. Tidrick said the chicken he most often recommends is the Rhode Island Red hen because it produces more eggs per year than most other breeds, about 285.
Most cities that allow people to raise chickens at home do require permits that can cost upwards of $100 dollars.
