Lisle allows backyard hens
Lisle has joined the ranks of DuPage County towns allowing residents to own backyard hens.
Last week, the Lisle village board voted 5 to 1 to approve an ordinance amending its village codes on animal ownership and licensing. Trustee Stephen Winz was not in attendance.
Lisle trustees have been debating backyard hen ownership since 2017. Lisle follows other communities, including Lombard and Villa Park, that have allowed or expanded chicken ownership in the past two years.
The initial Lisle permitting fee is $85, and residents can have a maximum of four hens - no roosters are allowed.
Hens are required to be kept inside chicken coops or enclosures at all times. These backyard-only structures must be 10 feet away from property lines.
Lisle also requires that chicken feed be stored in rodent-proof containers and set forth guidelines for properties to be kept clean and sanitary. Violators are subject to fines.
Before the vote, Lisle resident Leslie Yamamoto via Zoom spoke out against backyard chickens. Yamamoto questioned differing interpretations of sanitary and cleanliness standards for coops and encouraged the trustees to read college studies about bird flu.
"The number of predatory animals - especially foxes and coyotes - have increased such as it has become more common to see them walking within our neighborhoods or even in our backyards," "Yamamoto said. "Having backyard chickens may only encourage more of these animals."
By contrast, the growing backyard hen trend was welcomed by Angie Rojek, the owner of Villa Park-based Pioneer Garden and Feed - and not just for the increased demand from her store for chicken feed ranging from organic varieties to dried mealworms.
"We think it's great that more towns are starting to do this," said Rojek on Wednesday about residents who want to harvest eggs on their own properties. "Having chickens is such a great thing to do for the environment. It's a great thing to do for your kids, and it's a great way to know where your food comes from."
Lisle residents can start applying for backyard hens beginning Friday, April 1, by visiting villageoflisle.org.