The City of Lewistown, Montana restricts residents from raising backyard chickens. As an agricultural, family- oriented community it only makes sense that Lewistown should embrace the practice of urban backyard chickens.

We believe that small scale chicken keeping is a healthy, economic, and sustainable way to feed and enrich our families and our community. Besides making great pets, hens provide us with fresh eggs and encourage local sustainable living. The ability to raise chickens offers educational opportunities for our children. Teaches children that their food doesn't grow on a grocery store shelf.

By signing this petition, you'll be telling Lewistown City Council Members that you, want, to be able to raise your own chickens, free of hormones and antibiotics, and let them enjoy a grassy backyard, instead of the terrible conditions so unfortunately common in factory farm chickens.

Even if you are not interested in owing chickens, you can still benefit from this change in ordinance. Neighbors love to share!

The most common concerns residents have regarding urban chickens are noise and smell. Hens are very quiet animals. They will proudly call out when they have just laid an egg, but a hen's call is less obtrusive and more pleasant then a dog barking. Roosters WILL NOT BE ALLOWED!! As for smell, it is true that any animal leaves behind waste. Just like dog owners are expected to clean up theirs pet's waste, so should chickens owners. In fact, the very same ordinances that allow for chickens in our surrounding communities require chickens be kept in sanitary conditions just as other pet owners are expected to do.

The benefits of having happy hens clucking around far outweigh any of the concerns. Chickens for Lewistown, a local movement of residents, urges you to join our fight. Use your given rights to vote for this change and sign the petition to bring chickens to Lewistown.

We, the understanding, call to the elected City Council Members of Lewistown, Montana to repeal the The Animal and Fowl City Ordinance: 6-3-21: DOMESTIC ANIMALS: prohibiting residents to keep backyard poultry.