ORANGE CITY, Iowa (KCAU) — In just two years, Orange City resident Christy Reed has acquired more than 25 chickens in her backyard. But these chickens aren’t around to just bring in daily eggs. 

“I find that my chickens, despite however many there are, they create a routine for me,” Reed said. “There’s accountability that I need to be there for them.”

Back in 2022, Reed started growing her certified emotional support flock to help with her diagnosed PTSD after losing her first husband in 2008.  But a few months ago, she got a notice from the city telling her to remove her chickens from the property or pay a fine.  

“When this first came about in June, all of it was that we were in violation of the city ordinance for livestock,” Reed said. 

The ordinance states that it is “unlawful for a person to keep livestock within the city except by written consent of the council, or except in compliance with the city’s zoning regulations.” But it wasn’t until 2014 that poultry was added in as restricted livestock.

“Nobody was aware,” Reed said. “So everybody maintained their chickens, kept them, and more people kept getting them, and nothing was ever being enforced.”   

Now, many Orange City residents are having to choose whether to keep their chickens or fight the city’s ordinance.  

“My chickens are my pets,” resident and chicken owner Tammy Torres said. “They all have names. They were shipped to me the day after they hatched. I raised them in a brooder box. For the city to tell me that I have to get rid of my pets is ridiculous.” 

“I’m really bummed out,” resident and chicken owner Barry Brown said. “We got rid of those in September, and it’s just not the same. I can’t even go in my backyard anymore.”

“We were going to meetings for a while thinking that was the way to deal with it,” resident and chicken owner Caleb Witt said. “Maybe some kind of dialogue, but it kind of became clear that the city wasn’t going to budge, essentially. So now we’ve been straight up looking into moving and everything just because we want to be able to live our lives in a way that works for our family.” 

Reed and four others have requested for a livestock exemption to the ordinance, all of which have been denied. Now Reed is fighting the city to amend the regulation and keep her emotional support flock.

“I’ve had these chickens for two years, it’s not like they’re brand-new,” Reed said. “You’re talking two years they’ve been a part of my life, two years I’ve raised them and I’ve been with them and to just have them be gone, I once again would be losing a part of myself.”   

KCAU 9 has reached out to the city regarding the ordinance but has not received a statement.   

Reed and two other chicken owners have a court date set for Dec. 12.