Want to own chickens? Take this Carbondale tour first
Want to get a better idea if keeping backyard chickens is for you? Keep Carbondale Beautiful is hosting a self-guided tour of Carbondale chicken coops from 2-5 p.m. Saturday, June 3.
The tour begins at the Old Train Depot/Carbondale Main Street (121 S. Illinois Ave.), where maps and tickets will be available for $5.
Chickens, or at least hens, have been allowed in Carbondale since 2012, with almost no problems reported, the organization says. The Coops of Carbondale Tour is a chance for everyone to see how it works and to find out if chickens would be a good fit for their family.
Currently, city ordinance allows for a maximum of 30 licensed coops. Each coop can have up to six hens. There are limits on coop location, the size of coops, and the amount of waste at any one time.
Visitors on the tour will see a variety of styles and designs for coops.
"Nearly every coop is different," City Planner Mark Price said. "Some are pre-manufactured, some are home-built." One coop on the tour is a re-purposed children's playhouse, a yard-sale find. Often a dog kennel is used for a chicken run.
One problem coop owners confront pretty quickly is that they need to cover the run so that chickens don't fly out, even if they build a 5-foot fence to contain them.
Why have chickens?
"You don't have chickens to save money," Price said, "You do it to know where your food comes from." Lorena Masterson, a chicken owner whose coop is on the tour, said, "We find them economical, entertaining, and productive pets."
Price agreed, adding, "These animals require attention. They want to interact with you."
Carbondale records indicate the city has 17 active coops. Prospective chicken farmers must first file an application and pay a $25 fee before they can build a coop. Only after the city inspects a coop can the hens move in.
Licenses are renewed each year in December, which involves an inspection and $10 fee. For more information on the tour, contact Keep Carbondale Beautiful at (618) 525-5525.