Will Allow up to 12 Chickens, Depending on Parcel Size; Roosters Still Prohibited
A public hearing was held on June 20 to consider a code amendment that would ease restrictions on raising chickens in the Town of Brookhaven. Following the hearing, the Town Board unanimously passed the new law, 6-0.
“This decision aligns perfectly with our mission to support local food initiatives and empower residents, especially young people, with the knowledge and skills to care for chickens,” said Vanessa Lockel, the executive director of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk County. “CCE Suffolk looks forward to continuing to provide resources and support to our community’s backyard chicken enthusiasts.”
The amended code eases the setback requirements from 50 feet from all property lines to 10 feet, allowing more residents to meet the requirements without the need for a variance. The code also changes the standard from a universal hard limit of 6 chickens to a standard that reflects the size of property. The new standard holds the limit of six for parcels under 20,000 square feet and allows up to 12 chickens for parcels over 20,000 square feet.
These changes will afford more residents with the benefit of raising chickens on their property, providing more sources of fresh eggs, and more safe and lasting homes for chickens. It also provides the public health benefit of combating tick infestation as chickens eat ticks. Chickens also promote a circular economy by the removal of kitchen food scraps from the waste stream, turning it into protein for energy and providing households with fresh, locally sourced eggs and poultry.
The Town’s amended Chicken Code includes a prohibition on roosters, which remains unchanged.