Sometimes i think they just make up these laws because they have nothing better to do with themselves.

Who cares if somebody has a chicken. If you own the property then the government shouldn't care what you keep on that property.

Why should I pay to have chickens in my yard???? Money for the city.

Is there ANYTHING we don't need a permit for?

How come dog owners don't have to buy a "permit". Sure some get their dogs licensed but MANY don't even do that.

I care a great deal if my neighbor has chickens. Chickens make noise and smells that easily could be annoying to the neighbors who have to listen to and smell them. This in turn lowers property values. We live in a city for goodness sake. If you want to live in the country, then go move to the country!

Also, the article contradicts itself. Does the ordinance allow chickens for lots of 3,000 sq ft or 6,000 sq ft? That is a huge difference.

Well, it is going in the right direction but the fee part is absurd. I am old enough to remember when chickens in a city yard was no big deal. We use to raise Rhode Island Reds in the city for eggs and eventually chicken soup. Suddenly everyone got crazy and started banning animals. Now the trend is reversing but the government has found a way to make a little money.

Provo is literally going to the dogs and now to the chickens. When are cities going to start protecting the families who want to live peaceful lives free of "foul" things?

Provo doesn't even enforce its leash laws or its illegal animal laws until someone gets seriously hurt. Kids can't play freely for fear of loose dogs. Families can't sleep at night or have a quiet BBQ in the yard due to the constant barking of dogs. I get to smell dogs (and now chickens) when I am outside. I am tired of cleaning poop off my lawn from stray dogs and the horses that someone rides by. Maybe if I move to a rural area I can finally live the quiet, peacefull, fresh-air, poop free sub-urban life I wanted.

Tax the heck out of these owners. And yes, add dogs to the list.

And they are a LOT less trouble than dogs. Which ARE noisy, they dig under, jump over or otherwise figure out how to get out of yards. And then pose a public safety hazard whether it's biting somebody, scaring somebody, running across the street and causing an accident, etc.

Now I just hope South Jordan moves in this direction. I've got 1/4 acre and would love to have a few hens - no roosters! Now they ARE noisy - but there are a few 1/4 mile from my house on bigger lots.

As stated before, it is Roosters, not Hens, that are problems. The new ordinance prohibits roosters. Hens, kept with even minimal care, rarely stink or make much of any noise. They are excellent pets and, unlike dogs or cats (in the US at least), they actually do something useful beyond companionship. Just because you find something on a farm doesn't mean that they should only be on a farm. If you believe that with chickens, then no one should have parakeets or other birds, cats, dogs, fish (those are water creatures requiring a lot of care and they smell), etc.

I would love to live in the country, but I happen to own a home where I can get to work and could afford it at the time. Until I can do otherwise, I appreciate it when ignorant (not stupid, just ignorant) neighbors stop trying to control every facet of the lives around them.

Nobody here has said what great bug eaters they are. Get yourself a couple of hens, and say goodbye to whatever insects you have around the yard! They do a TERRIFIC JOB of aerating the soil while they're at it with their scratching. If anyone really wants to "go green" and be eco-friendly start with chickens!

Its just too bad that local govts. feel like they have to have a have a hand in EVERYTHING we do!

We have 7 chickens and will never own a rooster - don't need one, unless you want fertilized eggs/baby chicks. In Highland, you can have up to 12 birds if your lot is at least 14,000 square feet. Our birds are clean and quiet - unlike our neighbor's dogs who bark 24 hours a day and tear up the neighborhood yards. Our next door neighbor didn't realize we even had chickens until we told her. If you can smell your neighbor's chickens, then they aren't taking care of their animals correctly - they are a sizeable responsibility like any other animal (and if all you can do is complain and obsess about your neighbors, maybe you should move far far away from people - no matter where you are, somebody is going to do something that will annoy you).

Chickens also produce some of the best organic fertilizer possible. Plus, our chickens' eggs taste better and are healthier for you. Do a little research on the nutritional differences between free range eggs and commercial eggs.

Wait a minute.

So they are imposing an enforcement fee on people who want to legally do something that wasn't legal before but will be now yet which people were doing illegally before and without a fee or enforcement?

And I thought my chickens were silly.