Man Not Afraid to Cluck About His Chickens in Fenton

When it comes to chickens, doesn’t know what all the squawking is about.

The Fenton resident has hosted chickens at his Silver Lake Road residence for nearly two years, so when he read on Fenton Patch about the to keep their feathery creatures, he felt he had to defend “his girls.”

Henk said he carefully reviewed Fenton’s ordinance before purchasing his chicks from Tractor Supply Company. He made sure to place the chicken coop more than 200 feet from his house and his neighbors, ensured that they had at least 25 square feet of space and prevented the chickens from wandering across the property. Henk has only ladies and no crowing roosters.

He said he has received no complaints from his neighbors, and added that the neighborhood children often come over to see the chickens.

“In a small yard, I could see the issues. It doesn’t smell like roses because it’s chicken poop, but unless you are right at the coop you don’t smell it,” Henk said. “They do cluck once in a while but it’s never loud, especially at that distance.”

The debate

Residents and Fenton City Council members .

Several people have told Fenton Mayor Sue Osborn that they don't want a chicken coop next to their house.

"It's kind of a touchy situation,” she said.

Resident Cherie Smith, of the Beautification Commission, also said people have contacted her about the issue. "I got a phone call from a tradesperson who was 'driven insane' by the crowing of roosters."

Several people have voiced their opinions on the topic on Fenton Patch and the Fenton Patch Facebook page.

said, “…The sky will not fall on Fenton if we keep a few chickens in our back yards, even a Rooster.”

posted, "I'm a fan of chickens in city limits as well, with the mentioned provisions (no roosters, distances from buildings, etc), and agree that other ordinances such as noise and odor are already on the books should those issues arise.”  

Casey Gilbert said “no way” chickens should be allowed because they are “dirty” and they “stink.”  

Henk's 'girls'

Henk wanted to take the next step after farming a large garden on his property for many years.

“We grow and can a lot of our food, and this was just the next logical step to supplement our food supply,” he said. “I enjoy being outside, and chickens are quite entertaining. They don’t expect much other than food or water, and then you get these wonderful eggs.”

Henk raised the chicks in the garage from the time they were eight weeks old until they were ready to go outside. At first, Henk’s wife didn’t share his enthusiasm for raising chickens, but she told him she wanted the coop to look as if it had been there for 100 years, so Henk built it out of wood from an old barn that had fallen down.

The family eats or gives away all of the eggs.

“It’s fun,” Henk said. “’Hey, how are your chickens doing’ is not something you expect to hear in the city.”