Chickens In La Grange? Resident Pushes Idea

LA GRANGE, IL – A La Grange resident is asking the village to enact an ordinance letting people have backyard chickens.

Eighth Avenue resident Todd Van Cleave noted neighboring towns, including Western Springs, Countryside and Brookfield, allow chickens.

"Because of this, many La Grange residents actually think chickens are already allowed here," Van Cleave told the Village Board on Monday.

Hens' benefits include eating table scraps, laying up to one egg a day and providing enough natural fertilizer for a garden, he said.

"It's fun to collect a colorful basket of eggs right from home, reducing independence on inferior store-bought eggs," he said.

At the same time, Van Cleave said he understood some were concerned about disturbances that chickens could cause, "so I'll address some of the myths."

He said odors are addressed by proper maintenance of coops, eliminating the problem. He also noted the issue of noise.

"We have ordinary noises in La Grange – vehicles, landscapers and children playing in their yards," Van Cleave said. "These are the sounds of La Grange. While some of these noises are less desirable than others, we have all accepted all of them."

Some hens, he said, will cluck on occasion for a couple of minutes, typically after laying an egg, then they are silent the rest of the day.

At night, he said, chickens go silent. They are blind in the dark, so they go to sleep at dusk, he said.

Van Cleave handed out a draft chicken ordinance to Village Board members. The proposed rules would limit a resident to five hens. They would not be allowed to have roosters.

Also under the ordinance, residents would be required to keep the chickens responsibly and get annual licenses.

Village President Mark Kuchler thanked Van Cleave for the draft ordinance. He and other officials made no other comments.

A Facebook page called "La Grange Chicken Initiative" has been set up. It had 91 members as of Tuesday.

In 2020, Darien enacted regulations for the raising of chickens, following a debate among residents. Last year, a trio of Elmhurst aldermen asked the city to consider allowing chickens.