EDGEWATER, Fla. – Edgewater police and city leaders are moving forward with a proposed ordinance aimed at regulating backyard chickens as more residents already keep hens at home.
“I get probably at least five or six messages a year saying I didn’t know I wasn’t allowed to have chickens,” says Mayor Diezel Depew.
On Monday, Police Chief Charles Geiger updated the City Council as members considered rules for when and how chickens can be kept in residential neighborhoods.
“You would be issued a notice of violation with that your permit would be suspended until it’s fixed and you’d have to reapply... There are a lot of safeguards in place,” says Chief Geiger.
Under the proposed rules, only female chickens (hens) would be allowed as household pets for personal egg harvesting. The ordinance would also prohibit commercial use of any kind and ban roosters.
Some residents raised concerns about potential noise.
“Chickens crow, too. I mean, not just the roosters, and they’re very loud.”
But Chief Geiger told council members he hears more complaints about coop conditions and waste than chicken noise.
Other residents worried about unintended consequences if the city doesn’t set clear limits.
“We have a 48-unit complex and we don’t wanna end up like Key West and have a bunch of roosters.”
If approved, the ordinance would allow:
- Up to five hens on lots smaller than a half-acre
- Up to seven hens on lots a half-acre or larger
Monday’s vote was a first reading only, and the ordinance passed unanimously. A second reading will be scheduled for a later date.