Educating Lakewood Residents About Backyard Hen Farming

Can hens be raised responsibly in a Lakewood backyard?

That was the question posed to dozens of Lakewood residents who packed the ’s main auditorium on Thursday night for a movie and a discussion on the subject.

Hosted by the organization and , the forum sought to address concerns regarding responsible backyard hen-raising in the city.

Among them:

• Aren’t hens loud? No.
• Aren’t they stinky? Nope.
• Won’t neighbors with hens drive down my property values? No evidence suggests so. 

That’s all according to the experts.

Another event — featuring experts from the Ohio State University extension, veterinarians, local Realtors, family hen-keepers and local food advocates — will host another forum on March 26.

A film, “Mad City Chickens,” which takes a “whimsical look” at the issue, was also presented to highlight the issue.

Hundreds of cities across the country, including Cleveland, now allow backyard hen farming.

Last year, Mayor Michael Summers OK’d a four Lakewood families to raise hens in their backyards.

later in the city’s ordinances that allows the mayor to make an exemption on the issue.