Weber County residents learn proper care for backyard chickens after new ordinance passes

OGDEN – It’s becoming a hot topic in Ogden: backyard chickens.

In December, Ogden’s city council passed an ordinance allowing homeowners to have up to six chickens with at least 2,000 square feet of open backyard space. And as the trend becomes more popular, so is the need for education on the topic.

USU Extension in Weber County put on a Responsible Chicken Owner Certification Course Tuesday night for residents thinking of taking advantage of the new ordinance.

Weber County resident Jeannette Maw was one of nearly a dozen in attendance.

“I am hoping to learn a responsible — if I choose to have chickens — a responsible way to have them so that I am a good neighbor and I am also a good guardian of chickens,” Maw said.

The course organizer, Ron Patterson said before you make the decision to take on these feathery friends, there are important things to consider.

“The big problem typically is you let them roam free and so they’ll go over into the neighbor’s yard,” Patterson said.

Class attendees learned how to properly keep the chickens in a yard, their nutrition and tips on noise control.

“Since roosters crow, don’t have roosters,” Patterson said. “Just stick with hens. They are much quieter and will make less noise in the neighborhood.”

Litter management was also important course topic. Patterson said it was important to not only consider the health of the chickens but also of those living near them.

“To prevent caking, is make sure you move your feeders and water periodically around,” Patterson said.

Patterson said backyard chickens are becoming so popular in the county right now that of all the Intermountian Farmers Association stores in the nation, Ogden’s store sells the most chickens.