Belleville follows Metro East trend by lifting decades-old ban on backyard chickens

Up to 50 homeowners in Belleville will be allowed to keep chickens in their backyards under an ordinance adopted by the City Council on Monday night.

It was a victory for a grassroots organization that formed seven months ago to persuade Belleville officials to follow the lead of Metro East communities such as Edwardsville, Swansea, Collinsville and Shiloh and end the city’s decades-long ban on chickens.

The new ordinance includes five pages of rules and regulations related to the placement, housing, upkeep and control of “urban chickens,” which will be limited to hens only. Roosters, known for their loud crowing early in the morning, are still prohibited.

“There had to be some give and take, but I think their restrictions are reasonable,” said Andrew Tufto, 40, of Belleville, one of the organization’s leaders. “We’ve always understood that there were going to be restrictions. It’s not going to be a free-for-all.”

Andrew and his wife, Amber Tufto, are two of three administrators of a Facebook page called Belleville, IL Backyard Chickens. It was created in February and now has 580 members.

The Tuftos live in a home built by Andrew’s grandparents on an acre of land near St. Augustine of Canterbury Catholic Church. They’re avid gardeners, and they like the idea of having farm-fresh eggs.