Local Chicken Expert Responds to City Council

Macomb aldermen this week decided residents will not be allowed to own chickens within the city limits.  A McDonough County man who knows a quite a bit about raising chickens disagrees with the decision.

Harold Schmalfeld is a past president of the Eastern Iowa Poultry Association and has raised chickens for show, including so-called fancy or antiquity breeds. He has raised chickens for more than seven decades, starting when he was a boy growing up in the Chicago Suburbs.

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Macomb aldermen this week decided to continue a prohibition against owning chickens within city limits.  One alderman suggested that those who want to raise chickens should leave town.

Schmalfeld feels that is not a reasonable solution. He said that chickens aren’t noisy  or smelly when well taken care of. Another alderman said that if the council allowed chickens larger animals including pot-bellied pigs would be next.