Proposed Hen Program Ruffling Some Feathers

Is now the time for hens to take up residence in Lakewood?

If you're looking to start a farm in the city, don't put all your eggs in one basket.

Last week at , members from the Hens in Lakewood group appeared before the Lakewood Animal Safety and Welfare Advisory Board to propose a pilot program that, if approved, would allow for three local families to raise hens in their backyards. 

However, getting the OK could take some convincing. 

There’s an ordinance on the books that bans small-time hen farming in Lakewood, but Hens in Lakewood member April Stoltz said there is a loophole whereby Mayor Michael Summers could grant exemptions to allow for the launch of the pilot program.

The group is currently writing up a detailed proposal on how the initial program would work, and would most likely need the backing of the animal welfare board — which includes Ward 1 City Councilman David Anderson — for it to get serious consideration by the mayor. 

Anderson and the board agreed to review the plan in the coming weeks, but as of now, he said it’s a matter of trying to get comfortable with the “remote possibility” of having hens in Lakewood.

Several members of the board were hesitant to comment one way or the other following last week’s meeting. 

Yet, Stoltz and fellow Hens in Lakewood member Cherise Sims argue that the city is behind the times. 

Sims cited sourced material, stating that 65 percent of America’s major cities had reversed their bans on hen farming in specific areas — including Cleveland’s 15th Ward.

“Being able to raise hens in an urban area is truly the momentum of what an American city is going to be looking like in the 21st century,” Stoltz said. “It’s completely part of the move to raise your own food, to have local food, to have some control over the food that you eat. 

“It’s a complete connection to gardening and community gardening…it’s a huge trend that’s really taking off.” 

In the initial plans, Sims said that no more than six hens could be housed in a resident's backyard chicken coup, and that animal stewardship and cleanliness standards would need to be established and followed. 

She noted that the hens would be used mostly for their production of organic eggs, but the program would allow for their private slaughter in order for cooking. 

Annie Stahlheber – a member of Lakewood Earth and Food – said that LEAF would partner with the livestock group to fuel the initiative and provide assistance if and when the pilot program is launched. 

It's their hope to get an answer from the mayor by September.