Warner Robins considers letting chickens come home to roost

WARNER ROBINS —  Backyard chickens: farm-fresh eggs or feathery fiasco? That’s the question clucking its way through Warner Robins as officials consider whether to allow hens within city limits.

The idea took flight after a resident voiced support at a previous meeting, leading to community interest and the city crafting a proposed ordinance, presented at the city’s April 7 pre-council meeting.

Under the draft ordinance, residents with over a half-acre of land could have up to eight hens, but no roosters. For those with over eight acres, one additional hen would be permitted per extra acre.

Slaughtering hens on-site would be prohibited, and the ordinance includes detailed rules about enclosures, setbacks from neighboring property lines, and proper handling of waste and deceased birds.

“We’re trying to establish it, so if someone wants to have a small amount of hens for eggs – or maybe they just want them as pets – they would be able to do that,” City Administrator James Drinkard said. “But it would be very much regulated so that we don’t end up with farms in residential neighborhoods.” 

But not everyone was fully sold on the idea. Councilman Derek Mack asked who would count the birds. Drinkard said after they hatch, chicken complaints would fall under code enforcement; Mack questioned whether the department had the capacity to handle the potential uptick in calls.

Councilman Charlie Bibb said he sees both sides of the coin. He doesn’t prefer chickens next to his property, but understands folks owning chickens to save money on eggs. 

This led to a discussion about the role of homeowners associations. Drinkard clarified HOAs can enforce stricter rules than city ordinances; even if the ordinance passes, chickens could still be banned in certain neighborhoods.

Councilman Keith Lauritsen noted older neighborhoods without HOAs might be more likely to qualify, while Councilman Larry Curtis pointed out many of those lots might be too small to meet the ordinance’s half-acre requirement.

Lauritsen said the city had considered allowing chickens before with different guidelines, but they were too strict and not many residents qualified. He also brought concerns about property size and distance from the property, saying a smaller lot may not be enough to handle eight chickens.

To avoid ruffling feathers, Lauritsen and Bibb pitched the idea of gathering more public input before finalizing the rules.

“I think we might see that a lot of people who want chickens may not qualify to get chickens, and then you have to break their heart and tell them, ‘No, you can’t have them, but your neighbor can, because they have just a little bit more points than you do,’” Bibb said. “So why can’t we get the community involved and find out, actually how many people [want them.]”

Drinkard acknowledged there’s already been interest from residents and agreed that gathering more feedback is a good next step.

The proposed ordinance may get to the other side – and to a council vote – at a future meeting.

Beyond backyard chickens, the council also discussed ways to improve government transparency, particularly around how the public sees city decision-making.

Drinkard raised concerns about the city’s pre-council meeting, where much of the council’s discussion and background on agenda items takes place. While the public is welcome to attend in person, the venue isn’t equipped for live streaming, something many residents rely on to follow city business from home.

“What the [watching] public sees is just what takes place in the council chambers. They don’t see the benefit of the questions y’all ask. They don’t see the benefit of the discussion that takes place. What they see is council walk into a room, approve a bunch of stuff and go home. We’ve got some concerns that we may not be as transparent as we would like,” Drinkard explained.

To address this, Drinkard proposed shifting pre-council discussions into a workshop format, held in the council chambers and included in the official agenda. The goal would be to present upcoming items for discussion—not action—and allow council members to ask questions, offer feedback, and clarify direction in a more public setting.

“It will be very specific to the fact that we’re not asking for action from Council. We’re asking for feedback, input and for us to understand directions that council may want to go,” Drinkard said.

Bibb noted that some residents may be concerned about extending the length of meetings. Drinkard acknowledged the time concern, suggesting that workshop items would be placed at the end of the agenda and tabled if needed.

The council meeting covered several topics and initiatives, including Autism Acceptance Month, Month of the Military Child and roof replacement on the Haven Hope House homeless shelter.

A full livestream of the meeting can be found on the city’s Facebook page: “City of Warner Robins Government.” Supporting documents from the meeting can be found on the city’s website.

The next Warner Robins City Council meeting will take place Monday, April 21, at City Hall, located at 700 Watson Boulevard. Pre-council will start at 4:30 p.m., the council meeting will follow immediately.