Her family wants chickens

By Don Rush

Kelley Eversole and her family moved to Oxford Township after they had their home in the Savannah Ridge subdivision built in 2020. The subdivision, in the southwestern part of the township has a little over 30 homes – each home sitting on at least one-acre lots. The large lots were one of the reasons they built in Oxford.

“After settling in, we started talking about how nice it would be to utilize the yard space we have to plant some gardens, possibly some fruit trees and then we started talking about maybe getting a few chickens,” Eversole, 42, said. “We thought it would be nice to not only have some fresh produce — and possibly fresh eggs — but that it would also be some great goals to set for our family, as well as an additional way to spend family time together and make new memories.”

They are a family of four, Eversole, her husband Adam, sons Cole, 13, Levi, 10 and their Australian Shepherd/Labrador mix, Ellie. Oh, and of course their four hen chickens.

“The more we talked about it, everyone was on board for starting the gardens, even the kids were involved. I was the one who brought up the idea of getting a couple of chickens, and what a nice addition I thought it would be. Last year, we started with the garden boxes earlier in the spring season. Little did I know, my husband was looking into the possibility of getting chickens – checking with the HomeOwners Association and looking through the township ordinance to see if it was allowed. Come Mother’s Day, I was surprised by my husband and the boys with the chicken coop,” she said. “The kids were so thrilled with the ‘secret’ and I was pleasantly surprised with the gift. That day the three of them worked to build the coop and get it all set up. The following week we went to pick out the chick’s from the local Tractor Supply store. We had been told the minimum was four (chicks), which worked out perfectly, as we could each pick out our own. It was quite the process as we all took our time to choose just the right one. On the drive home, we all decided on a name for our selected chick. The whole family became attached to them, right away. Even our dog took a liking to them immediately. It was very sweet – and another memorable day for our family. The chicks were approximately 2 weeks old when we got them, so we have raised them into full grown chickens.”

There’s only one problem, Oxford Township ordinances for farm animals don’t allow for chickens unless property is zoned “Farmland” or is two and half acres or more.

According to Tim London,  Oxford Township Building Official/Zoning Administrator, Oxford Township Zoning Ordinance 67A-029 Article 3 establishes the Zoning District Regulations. Article 3, 3.5 Schedule of Regulations identifies what uses are permitted in each zoning district within the township. Article 2 Rules of Construction and Definitions identify chickens (poultry) as a farm animal as does state law. In the ordinance, domestic animals are defined as “horses which are kept for pleasure riding purposes and ordinary household pets such as dogs, cats, and pot-bellied pigs.”

Farm animals are defined as “livestock, including beef and dairy cattle, goats, hogs, horses, poultry, sheep, llamas, alpacas, and other fur-bearing animals.”

He said there is a minimum lot size requirement for each zoning district, however there are non-conforming lots within each district. The zoning district where a property resides regulates what permitted use is allowed not the size of the lot. Farm animals are only allowed within zoning districts Agriculture and Suburban Farm.

“Everything was going well until we got a letter from Oxford Township last summer when we were out of town on the 4th of July weekend. A few of our neighbors have chickens as well and they also received them,” Eversole said. “Apparently, having chickens violates a zoning ordinance that forbids having them. None of us were aware that this was buried in a zoning ordinance. We thought we had done our diligence in checking the local ordinance of the township which made no mention of it, and the Village of Oxford, permits it. Apparently, the loophole was brought forward by a complaining neighbor.”

Eversole, a project manager for a cyber-security company, said she has a petition signed by “a majority” of her neighbors in support of her chickens. She also has an online petition and wants to work with Oxford Township to change the ordinance to allow chickens. The cost to change an ordinance is around $6,000, she said. “Last week we asked the township if they could waive some of the fees,” she said, adding besides the online petition, they have set up a GoFundMe account to help defray costs.

Oxford Village’s ordinance for chickens in part states, “ . . . any person residing in a detached single-family structure in a single-family residential district in the Village of Oxford may keep hen chickens in compliance with … A maximum of four chickens per residential address are permitted for personal use only and not for any business or commercial use; roosters prohibited, slaughter is prohibited unless conducted in a fully enclosed structure, chickens must remain in a fully enclosed coop and fenced in enclosure . . .”

Eversole’s coop measures 76 inches by 36 inches.

“It’s designed to house six chickens, but we only have 4 hens. We have it well integrated into our backyard, tucked in the corner next to our elevated deck. It is barely noticeable to anyone, with the exception of our immediate neighbor,” She said, adding “The chickens themselves are quite easy to care for. They primarily stay in their coop and are let out to free range only when one of us can be out there with them.”

She said their coop gets cleaned out about once a week with fresh pine shavings added.

“We are frustrated and saddened, but also feeling motivated to push this forward. This is not only so we can keep our chickens, but so we can hopefully pave the way for others to have them as well. We love having them. It has been a great way for the kids to learn about the responsibility that comes with caring for and nurturing animals, as well as introducing them to an organic lifestyle. It’s also been family bonding time together, and memories made,” she said. “Aren’t these the things we should be advocating for? Our family isn’t the only one enjoying the chickens, we have neighbors who also enjoy them, bringing their kids over to see them as well.”

To look up their petition, go to https://chng.it/Kr6fDNL9

Their GoFundMe page is https://gofund.me/12e5d9c9