BASTROP, Texas – The Bastrop City Council agreed last week to allow officers to enter residents' property to collect feral chickens. If residents refuse, they will face a criminal complaint.
- Police collecting feral chickens
- Residents fined for harboring chickens
- Could face a trial by jury
Mary Ellen Arbuckle often spends hours in her front yard. She has gotten used to the feral chickens in the past five years since she moved to the area. Although Arbuckle has never kept the birds on her property, she is concerned about her privacy.
"I may not even disagree that you want to remove the chickens, but I just do not want you coming into my property. This became a whole different deal for me when they said that," Arbuckle said.
The criminal complaint will be taken to municipal court, where the offender can plead guilty or not guilty and face a trial by jury or judge. If convicted, residents could receive up to a $500 fine.
"It's possible that you may be looking at five charges, 10 charges. It just depends if that's what you're going to require us to do. That's what we are prepared to do," said Police Chief James Alrgelt.
Chickens are not allowed to roam in backyards. They are required to be enclosed in some way.
"If they do have, in the words of Council Member Jones, a favorite chicken that they would like to protect, they need to start building a coop or buying a coop right away," said Mayor Connie Schroeder during the meeting.