9 years after Bloomington Council OK'd urban chickens, inspections routine

Gooch has one of the city's 49 active urban chicken permits, and Pritchard is there conducting an inspection to renew the Smith Road resident's permit.

It's a process that's become fairly standard since the Bloomington City Council first passed an ordinance allowing chickens within city limits in 2006, following much discussion and the appearance of a city councilman in a chicken suit. Since then, there have only been a few changes to the ordinance: the removal of both a $25 fee and a previous requirement that people get approval from neighbors, and the addition of permission to slaughter one's urban chickens.

City code allows people to get a permit to have up to five hens, but no roosters, in residential estate, residential single family and residential core zoning districts, as long as they're in an enclosed structure for protection. In another vein of protection for the birds, the city Animal Control Commission has to review any applications from people who have been convicted of cruelty to animals.

People applying for permits or who need to renew their permits get a letter detailing what they need to do. Those requirements also are summed up in a checklist that Pritchard takes to every inspection.

The people who apply for the permits generally meet all the requirements without any fuss. Because while they see the value in having chickens for benefits such as eggs, many seeking the permits see the chickens on another level as well, Pritchard said.