CLERMONT, Fla. – As egg prices soar and some grocery stores place limits on how much you can buy, one Florida city has changed its law to allow its residents to raise and keep backyard chickens.
On Tuesday, Clermont officials approved changing its law to allow residents to raise and keep five hens in their backyards, according to a spokesperson for the city.
However, according to city documents, the ordinance relays that some restrictions are in place, such as:
- Roosters (or male chickens) are not allowed.
- Residents are not allowed to sell eggs or meat from the chicken they raise.
- Chickens must be taken care of — provided with food, water and a coop.
- Homeowner Associations (HOA) are allowed to place their own rules for this, and the city will not enforce them.
- People must put in an application to the city beforehand.
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The law previously had chickens under its ban on having livestock in backyards — this change was made partially because “citizens expressed the desire to raise and keep chickens within their property,” city documents state.
Meanwhile, for those who are looking to have “home-grown” eggs, experts said it takes planning and investment and could cost more than getting it from the grocery store, as previously reported.
For example, a backyard coop alone can range from a couple hundred dollars to a couple thousand dollars, according to retailers’ websites, which also indicate bags of chicken feed can range from $10 to $50.
The limited supply and price increases of eggs are due to the bird flu forcing farmers to slaughter millions of chickens a month, as previously reported. The average price per a dozen of eggs across the U.S. in December was $4.15, but the Agriculture Department predicts this year will see a roughly 20% increase in this price.
All in all, this is not the first or only city across Central Florida that allows people to raise and keep backyard chickens. Cities such as Winter Garden, Orlando and St. Cloud have laws in place to allow it.
For those interested, there are chicken-raising classes available in Central Florida through the University of Florida’s Agricultural Extension.
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