Montgomery City residents are asking city officials to change an ordinance that prohibits farm-type animals – including chickens – within the limits of Montgomery City.

Three city residents – Lexy Campbell, Brenda Mackey and Kelsie Edge – expressed their concerns on the ordinance during a City Council meeting on Nov. 18 at Montgomery City Hall. They spoke for 40 minutes combined.

“I feel that it is a bad ordinance,” Mackey said. “There are so many people that want to (raise chickens here in Montgomery City) and will take care of their animals.”

The ordinance, which is known as Sec. 64-31, states that residents are not allowed to raise farm-type animals such as chickens, pigs, sheep, goats, cows and horses and will be fined $500 a day if the rules are ignored.

“We passed this ordinance quite a few years ago because there was an issue,” Montgomery City Mayor Mike Spirz said. “We just did away with all farm animals that could not be inside the city limits.”

Campbell, who has been living in Montgomery County for three years, owns eight chickens. Earlier this month, she received a letter from the city that her animals must vacate city property by Dec. 1, forcing her to create a petition event near Bratchers Market on Nov. 16 and attend the city council meeting two days later.

“We have chickens in our home,” Campbell said. “We had them for seven months. We got four of them at Tractor Supply here in town. I talked with a few people and they were under the impression that we had them in town, so we went ahead and got them. Now, I know we should have asked City Hall first. Lesson learned on this. My chickens have been such a blessing to me.”

Campbell just spent $300 on a chicken coop for her animals. Now, she may have to take them to a relative in Bellflower if the ordinance is not revised by Dec. 1.

“They just bring me so much happiness just being with them,” Campbell said. “They’re not doing anything wrong. They’re not hurting anybody. They don’t peck people.”

Campbell’s petition event lasted nearly five hours on Nov. 16. Residents also got an opportunity to sign the petition online at change.org. Campbell received over 100 signatures.

“Our aim is to not create chaos, but to cultivate a community that is allowed to engage farming and gardening activities responsibly,” Campbell said.

Mackey inspired Campbell to voice her opinion on the ordinance. Mackey, who lived in Montgomery City for nearly five years, had five chickens before the city took them to another home .

“They found them a home, but they were valuable birds, really,” Mackey said. “I was not recompensed for them. I was not recompensed for the food that I had for them in the garage.”

Mackey said raising chickens at home has many benefits such as supplying fresh eggs and showing companionship.

“It sounds very strange, but a chicken can be a pet,” Mackey said. “I thought they were just dumb animals. I got them for the eggs. I got them for something to keep me busy. It turns out that these chickens recognize you.”

Edge has been living in Montgomery City since 2017 and doesn’t have chickens. She raised six chickens while living in the Kansas City area. She feels that chickens are allowed to stay within Montgomery City limits.

“It’s something to have a little bit of sustainability in yourself to be able to continue to move forward in your pursuit of happiness and freedom,” Edge said. “It’s something to be able to say, ‘This is mine, this is mine and this is what I did,’ instead of having to rely on something outside of myself because we should only rely on ourselves. I think the city ordinance could be changed. I’m not saying it needs to be abolished. Lots of cities have working ordinances for backyard chickens.”