It is ridiculous that the Board of Health refuses to bend on this issue. They should have our best interests in mind instead of keeping an unfounded, irrational position on the keeping of hens. With an increasingly unstable economy and potential collapse of our social structure, food prices soaring to unmanageable levels, and not to mention the increasingly dangerous hormones and chemicals with, at best questionable health repercussions added to our food sources, individuals should be able to move to a safer, more self sustaining method. But then again the only people that ever get things done in this town and everywhere else are the ones with unlimited financial means to pay for the attorneys that always get their way...Jeff won't be able to have chickens but Hekemenian will get 4 story apartment buildoings with hundreds of residences that further drain our town's resources all while drowning everyone who lives in the flood zone. So damn ridiculous.

What I don't understand is the reason behind the borough ordinance. What's wrong with keeping hens in your own backyard?

I don't think they even gave him a real reason which makes it even worse!

Maybe it's me, but HHEELLOOOO?????

The guy down the street (where have I heard that one before) has a coop with I guess about two dozen or so beautiful pigeons. He lets them fly free and they eventually wind up back in the coop. <<minus one or two now and then due to the efficiency of Harry the neighborhood hawk>>. Of course they deficate all over the Berkeley school area.

This poor guy has chickens who are cooped in and don't cause any harm, except for - what I would actually enjoy listening to - a cock crowing every now and then.
A LOT of people choose to think of New Milford as a small typical American town - yet something as simple as cooped in chickens are a no no !?!?

I do NOT see any reason why they can't come up with approval wording to allow a limited number of (COOPED and POOPED INSIDE) chickens - - yet pigeons, geese, raccoons, squirrels, coyotes, bears, opposums, dogs, cats, skunks, deer, etc literally get the runs rampant. NOT cooped in.

Gee, I wonder how many American families over the centuries died because of having chickens in their back yard????

For all those who support the right to keep chickens....would you want to live next door and hear the chickens cackling at various hours? Would you want to smell the stench of chickens? I came from a family who lived on a farm and raised chickens and I can tell you that no matter how clean you try to keep their surroundings, you cannot avoid the smell. Additionally, chickens will attract mice and rats. If approved, what is to stop other individuals to keep other animals besides dogs and cats? Did you think about that one?

If you sprinkle burnt lime on the ground area and under the shavings there is NO odor at all.you are right about the feed being a rodent attractor if its on the ground. with 6 chickens it is managable to be rodent free. what if you ask the council if you would agree to a yearly inspection or be a member of pip? just my thoughts. good luck. I hope they can eventually see the good in this instead of more housing and car dealers!

Bird food and grass seed also attract rodents if left in the open. What's to stop your neighbors doing that? I dont see the difference? My neighbors dogs bark night and day - think I'd prefer an occasional chicken cluck! I think the ordinance should be changed to allow a small number of chickens as long as food containers are airtight and the animals are kept clean. I would be happy to have Jeffrey and his chickens as myneighbors.

Wow, never thought of that -

to drive a person crazy, just casually drop chicken feed off on their property and let the varmints do the rest.....

Kinda like what (ah hem) "Somebody" did to my lawn the night before election. and a certain loose cannon(ette) was nice enough to thank him at an M & C meeting for doing that "special" thing.

This is not needlessly cryptic, the parties concerned know exactly whom I'm referring to.

because we need less government and a more healthy lifestyle!

Thanks sincerely for your words Denise, but it's just a part of the game of politics.

Politics is the game and elections are the rewards.

Too bad you didn't see a certain politician make a complete and utter fool out of himself at the Polls in D6 this past November.

If you support this cause please contact the New Milford Board of Health and let them know how you feel. They are the only ones who can change the ordinance.

So GET THE ORDINANCE CHANGED now...Joan LaPage at the BOH was wrong when she said it wasn't an out-dated law.

God bless you Jeff.