If one is indeed the loneliest number, Winfield is sure to have some depressed fowl on its hands come January. City commissioners agreed Monday to a ban on chickens in the city limits, unless you happen to be raising one and only one, for a 4-H or Cowley County Fair project.
The chicken ordinance was the final regulation in a group of animal restrictions commissioners resumed discussing earlier this year. The city had been considering tighter restrictions on cats, dog and other animals for a number of years.
Winfield animal owners long have been restricted to owning just three pets in any combination. Thus, most chicken owners, unless they decided to skirt the law, could only own three anyway, according to city manager Warren Porter.
“We weren’t having a problem with the ones that lived on the outskirts of town where you have more space between houses ,” he said. “But when you have a chicken ? or a rooster crowing ? in a neighborhood where the houses are closer together, it’s an issue.”
City officials are also hopeful the ban will cut down on roosters being raised for cock fighting.
Porter acknowledges enforcement might be difficult at times. He couldn’t say how thorough any investigation into chicken violations might be.
“I guess if the person doesn’t have a kid, that might be the first indication they aren’t raising a chicken for 4-H,” he said.
The city has about a half dozen chicken owners who have acquired special permits to allow them more than three chickens. Those permits can be renewed for 2008 and 2009 but after that, owners will need to move the chickens out of the city limits to comply with the new ordinance. Everyone else has just a little over a month to comply.
Porter said the largest group of chickens belonging to one owner is thought to number a dozen or so.
Winfield Mayor Tom McNeish said he is convinced the ordinance was necessary.
“We have another ordinance that covers animals for educational purpose, so if there is a class at school or a program at the library, chickens will still be allowed,” McNeish said. “It wasn’t those chickens we were concerned with, it was the ones living six feet away from someone’s bedroom window.”
Chickens join gamecocks, ducks and turkeys as other fowl on the banned list in Winfield.
Displaced Winfield chickens might do well to trek down U.S. 77 to Arkansas City. Families there can have three chickens per household, according to regulations available online.
