We can have backyard chickens here in Gainesville, but they don't stay in the back yard. I see them wandering around all over downtown when I walk to the library. A lot of the more southern counties don't allow them because of avian flu. It's not as bad up here, but that's the excuse they gave for no chickens in North Port. People were petitioning to change the law so you could have them if you put screening up over the pens, but I don't know how that went. Chickens would peck through any screening pretty easily, unless it was put a few inches from the pen wiring.

Thanks for posting this.

Chicken running around town apparently is a problem too in Fort Lauderdale but perhaps like you said what we need is regulation to not allow them to escape rather than banning them all together. Chicken are banned in Miami too.

Did I see where Key West has 'native chickens' that are all over town ? and accepted as part of the ambience.... nothing wrong w/chickens as long as they are confined in a yard, it's the rooster that gets people going ! sally