Backyard Chicken Concerns In Cinnaminson Are Discussed By Local Experts

SOUTH JERSEY — The concerns voiced by Cinnaminson residents regarding the municipality's pilot chicken ordinance adopted Aug. 15 are unfounded, two local experts said.

The adopted ordinance included language that will require would-be backyard chicken owners to take a class before bringing the chickens into their backyard. READ MORE: Backyard Chicken Rules Contemplated In Cinnaminson

Even so, Patch readers may recall public comments made during the August meeting that suggested some Cinnaminson residents felt backyard chickens would increase noise, disease, animal predators, waste and odor in the municipality.

Regarding noise, the decibel level of the sounds that backyard chickens make "is no louder than human conversation," according to Donna Moffett, who led the effort that culminated in Haddonfield adopting a backyard chicken ordinance in late 2021.

"The noise level [of backyard chickens] is definitely closer to human conversation most of time," she told Patch. On the contrary, backyard chickens who are about to lay eggs can be "louder" but the backyard chicken will not make these noises for very long, she added.

Regarding diseases, the chances of that scenario occurring with backyard chickens is "extremely unlikely," Moffett said.

Gwenn R. Baile, a member of Oaklyn's, Woodbury's and Haddon Township's Backyard Chicken Advisory Boards, agreed.

"There have been no instances of avian flu other than one in Monmouth County that was totally resolved back in May and also included geese and ducks," Baile said at the Cinnaminson Township Committee Meeting on Aug. 15.

"As long as you're washing your hands, you have much more chance of getting salmonella from lettuce in the grocery store than you'll ever get from backyard hens," Baile added.

Regarding animal predators, there is a checklist of items backyard chicken committee members or backyard chicken course instructors will go over with prospective backyard chicken owners to ensure the coop is strong and sturdy and that the backyard chickens' food is stored tightly and securely, according to Moffett.

Going over the checklist will help keep animal predators away, according to Moffett.

In addition, there has been no change in the number of animals in her backyard compared with when she first adopted some backyard chickens in May, she said.

Baile also tried to assuage concerns regarding animal predators at the Aug. 15 meeting, saying, "there are more rats behind restaurants than there's ever been around any kind of chickens."

Regarding waste and odor, "a 40-pound dog generates more doggie-do [daily] than ten chickens. Both poops are smelly, but the key is to keep the chicken manure from accumulating by composting, according to the book "City Chicks."

As of 2017, approximately 20 Burlington County municipalities had some kind of ordinance regarding residents owning chickens, according to this article in the Burlington County Times.

Editor's note: This story was updated to clarify the noise level of backyard chickens.

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