In Collingswood, New Jersey, bids to legalize backyard hens have resurfaced again and again for nearly 20 years without succeeding.
Supporters are trying once more, this time with the help of Gwenne Baile — known as the "Chicken Lady of South Jersey" — and they believe the outcome may be different.
What's happening?
In the latest push, residents have renewed their effort to permit backyard chickens, according to The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Baile, 77, of Haddon Township, is a central figure in that campaign. She said she has taken part in changing ordinances in 35 South Jersey municipalities and keeps tabs on the 19 Camden County towns that already permit hens.
She and other supporters recently brought fresh ordinance language to the Collingswood Borough Board of Commissioners, reviving a cause that lost momentum in 2019.
Their proposal would tightly limit the practice: Only 30 households in the borough could receive permits, and each new licensee would cover up to four hens. Roosters, egg sales, and slaughtering would all be prohibited. Residents would also need to complete an online care course and pay a $10 annual renewal fee.
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The plan would further establish a five-member Backyard Chicken Advisory Board to review complaints and help find new homes for birds if necessary.
Supporters say changes in borough leadership have reopened the conversation. Still, the measure would need two of the board's three votes, and Commissioner Jim Maley previously told the Inquirer he would not support a backyard chicken pilot program.
Why does it matter?
A small flock can provide eggs for homeowners, and supporters see hens as another way to make backyards useful at a time when household costs are a concern. Dan DiVito, owner of Front Yard Food, summed up the appeal.
"Chickens are a no-brainer. It's a pet that makes you breakfast," he told the newspaper.
Collingswood Deputy Mayor Amy Henderson Riley told the Inquirer she took the three-hour backyard chicken course and came away with a clearer understanding of the responsibility involved. Hens require time, money, cleanup, and predator-proof housing — not just enthusiasm.
Opponents have raised concerns about smells, noise, and coop sizes. Supporters argue those concerns can be addressed through rules and oversight, and they point to nearby towns as evidence.
In Stratford Township, Lynn Parker, who has 10 hens in her backyard, said 14 households now keep hens and that the township has received no complaints since it passed its ordinance in 2023, the Inquirer reported.
What's being done?
Baile's approach has centered on incremental, town-by-town advocacy.
After first becoming interested in chickens while watching Martha Stewart on TV, she said, "I started looking into it, but it was illegal here."
Since then, she has worked with towns to create guardrails that make backyard hens more acceptable to neighbors and officials.
The draft proposal reflects that strategy. Coops would need to meet clear standards, and, as the Inquirer reported, violations could carry penalties of up to $1,250 or 90 days in jail — higher than the borough's $500 chicken-ban fine.
The next commissioners meeting is scheduled for July 15, though Henderson Riley told the outlet it was unclear whether the proposal would appear on the agenda.
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