The fate of chicken keeping in Sacramento is still undecided after Tuesday’s Law and Legislation Committee meeting when Councilman Steve Cohn walked out and prevented Sandy Sheedy and Lauren Hammond from voting down the ordinance advocated by CLUCK (Campaign to Legalize Urban Chicken Keeping).

Cohn was the only supportive voice on the committee. “What I’d like to do,” he said, “is allow more work to be done and have an actual ordinance be drafted.”

Hammond said, “I have never been enthusiastic about the idea.”

Cohn replied, “If you wanna kill it, kill it, but I’ll bring it back when you’re gone.”

This was a disappointing finale for CLUCK as supporters were left puzzled by Cohn’s abrupt departure and left wondering if their efforts had been wasted.

Members of CLUCK discussed principles they’d written for proper chicken keeping, which address health concerns, zoning plans, enforcement costs and license fees.

Reina Schwartz, director of the Sacramento's Department of General Services, said the cost of enforcement for proper chicken keeping would be about $30,000 annually.

“There is no evidence of how this will change if chicken keeping was made legal,” Schwartz said. “It will shift the nature of complaints, but not the volume.”

Sheedy, however, said she couldn’t understand how allowing chicken keeping wouldn’t make a difference in complaints if keeping were to be legalized and the backyard chicken population in Sacramento increased.

“We don’t have the staff to support this,” Sheedy said. “Our animal control staff is pushed to its limit already.”

Some residents agree.

“My neighbors have illegal chickens, and it’s a big problem,” said Todd Harlan. “When the wind blows, you smell them. When they fly up on the fence, the dogs get them.”

Those opposed to chicken keeping in Sacramento were concerned about avian flu, which Placerville veterinarian Jeanie Smith claimed was unwarranted.

“There are more deaths by traffic accidents in Sacramento annually than by avian flu worldwide,” she said. “There have been six historical outbreaks, and none in the western hemisphere.”

Community supporters encouraged the council to consider the educational benefits of teaching children how to raise animals for food. Some claimed chicken keeping would create an economic boost. Supporters said the same city ordinances used for cats and dogs could be applied to chickens.

“Sacramento is behind the times,” State Director of Pesticide Watch Paul Towers said, “and we urge Sacramento to see the value of backyard chickens.”

“Eight of the 10 Forbes ‘Most Livable Cities’ allow chicken keeping,” CLUCK supporter Joseph Calavita said. “All different kinds of communities already allow it.”

With no progress made by this meeting, members of CLUCK will have to wait until January to bring the ordinance back before the new council.

“It seems that enforcement is their biggest concern,” CLUCK member Susan Ballew said after the meeting was adjourned. “There just aren’t enough city resources.”