Don't Be a Chicken: Smyrna Seeks Input on Poultry Regulations

SMYRNA, TN — Smyrna is on the verge of becoming the latest Tennessee town to allow for backyard chickens, one of the more popular manifestations of the revival of domesticity in 21st-century America.

The town is asking residents to chime in on proposed poultry husbandry regulations, which will allow up to six hens — but no roosters and no breeding (sorry, fellas) — in certain residential zoning districts, provided various regulations on coop and run size are met. An initial poultry permit will cost $50 under the proposal with a $25 annual renewal fee.

Specifically, the proposal as written will allow for hens in R-1 and R-2 zoning districts, the lowest-density residential districts in the city, and require coops and runs to be enclosed by a six-foot fence meeting minimum setback requirements.

Read the proposed regulation and chime in on the town's survey.

The proposal reads similarly to the so-called chicken law passed in Metro in 2012, which ultimately ended up a bit of a legislative anomaly, as it allowed councilmembers to opt their districts out of the law. No such mechanism is in place in Smyrna's proposal.

Image via Pixabay user Lushtk0, used under Creative Commons