Pictured above are the Auburn Cluckers. Among those hobbyists attending the first meeting of the Auburn Cluckers are front row left to right: Slayton Crawford, Mary Elizabeth Crawford, Emily Mann, Lydia Mann and Becky Retzlaff. Back row, left to right: Debra Johnson, August Johnson, Rich Mauer, Jason Sikes and Robert Mann

 

Founding members of “Auburn Cluckers,” a new club promoting the keeping of chickens in urban Auburn, met recently to compare notes and learn more about the hobby which was recently approved by the Auburn City Council.

The keeping of chickens in urban settings is a popular nationwide movement, spurred by such things as the desire for fresh eggs and garden fertilizer, the wish to promote a better understanding of food sources among children, a need for alternative pets for those with allergies, and a desire to facilitate 4-H projects in an urban setting.

Katie Robison of the Auburn Planning Department discussed the new ordinance and what is required for legal compliance. Roosters are prohibited, as is slaughter of chickens in the city limits. She described the permits and fees required and the guidelines in relation to home or property lines. It was noted that covenants in many neighborhoods preclude the keeping of chickens, regardless of the City’s new ordinance.

Slayton Crawford, a hobbyist in Cary Woods, provided a thorough description of his experiences in the first weeks on the hobby. He has a variety of breeds and has constructed a chicken house and enclosure which, he says, is not readily obvious to anyone in the neighborhood. Emily Mann reported on her development of a website for the club, currently under construction.

Jason Sikes of Sikes Pet and Farm Supply discussed various breeds of chickens, egg production and appropriate feeds. The club seeks to share information with other hobbyists with regard to types of fencing, chicken houses, feed and various breeds of chickens. For more information, contact Jason Sikes at (334) 502-2469 or at Sikes Pet and Farm Supply on West Glenn in Auburn.