Raised in L.A., Carrie Wilkins never thought she would have chickens running around her backyard. But when a stray hen made a nest behind the family garbage can, it was the beginning of a new way of life for her and her family.

Husband Jason built a coop for the bird and two chicks that hatched. Three years later, they have 12 chickens, more fresh eggs than they can eat, and their son Elliott, 8, loves them.

“It has been a really good introduction to see how close we are to the food chain,” she says. “And being able to go out to the backyard and bring breakfast in is awesome.”

They have used the chickens to learn more about the sustainability of their food supply, a lesson they hope resonates with their son.

“This summer we planted our own garden for the first time, and Jason planted a bunch of fruit trees,” she says. “We are just trying to help him realize your own food source can be in your own backyard.”

Wilkins lives in rural Williamson County, and doesn’t have to worry about breaking any codes with her flock. “Everyone out here has them,” she says.

And with this week’s final passage of the much-debated hen ordinance, Davidson County residents now have the option to keep chickens, too.

But there are restrictions. Based on lot size, the bill allows no more than six hens per residence, some only getting two. Owners are required to apply for an annual $25 permit from the Davidson County Health Department and maintain predator-proof coops and food containers. A setback of 10 feet from property lines is required, 25 feet between the hens and a neighbor’s residence. And roosters are strictly prohibited.

“The biggest misconception about this is that people think you have to have a rooster to get eggs, and you don’t,” says Mollie Henry with Urban Chicken Advocates of Nashville. “Hens have eggs every day without the help of the rooster. They will never turn into chicks without a rooster, but you will still get eggs.”

Freddie Haddox, who runs the Mamushi Nature Farm Initiatives school in Williamson County, shows off one of his farm’s garlic patches.

-- Photos: Lyle Graves | Nashville Ledger

And it is the egg-gathering that is most appealing to advocates of urban agriculture. Many simply see chickens as an extension to their gardens, and the passing of the ordinance as a step in the right direction for sustainable eating.

“We look at ways people can be self-sufficient and provide food for their dinner table, at least a part of it,” says Sizwe Herring, executive director of EarthMatters Tennessee, which teaches people about the benefits of environmental responsibility.

“Even if someone is just growing a tomato plant, it is a sense of empowerment for them to have their own plant and share their pride in growing it. It is the same with hens. If you are going to eat eggs every day, and a large percentage of people do eat eggs every day, then start thinking about how you can be responsible for your own eggs. And here is a solution to that.”

The idea of having hens feed your family from the backyard is not an entirely new concept. Brooklyn, Chicago and even Memphis and Knoxville have all passed similar ordinances. But the idea isn’t that far rooted in the past either.

“It has only been 50 or 60 years since it was common practice for people to have a few hens in the backyard for their eggs,” Henry says. “Keeping hens does not infringe on the rights of others any more than a dog does. In fact, it is a lot less. And I feel like people are scared of it for reasons that don’t exist.”

One of those reasons is roosters, which are not allowed by the Metro ordinance. But they are bound to pop up anyway since it can take up to six months before the sex can be determined. Wilkins found this out when she ordered a batch of day-old chicks online, paying extra for what were likely hens as distinguished by a “chicken sexer.” These are only educated guesses however, and they now have one rooster – who crows all day.

“We haven’t had any complaints out of the neighbors at all, and I did ask them,” Wilkins says. “Being a city girl, I am totally amused by it. But I do agree with the Nashville ordinance of hens only because they don’t make any noise. Barking dogs are way more of a nuisance.”

Freddie Haddox runs the Mamushi Nature Farm Initiatives school on 70 acres of land in Williamson County, and plans to provide a “rooster rescue” for people who find themselves in the same situation as Wilkins.

“We are going to let them keep the roosters here until they grow to be fryers, then teach them how to process the chickens and compost the feathers, and make an education program out of that also,” he says.

Henry states that UCAN is also ready to assist Metro Animal Control with any chicken rehousing should they have to pick up strays, roosters or hens from people keeping too many.

“It’s quite easy to relocate hens and roosters to surrounding farms,” she says.

Haddox also participates in the Intergenerational Gardener program hosted by Community Food Advocates, passing on his wealth of knowledge to eager young minds.

“With the economy the way it is, the idea of teaching people to do sustainable agriculture – even if they can’t afford to pay to get an education like the one I had at Vanderbilt – is possible,” he says.

His Mamushi Business School is a free agri-business education and training program available online. It includes short teaching discourses and case histories of successful business people. And he has seen more interest since the flood in May 2010.

“I am surprised how this urban gardening movement has grown since that flood,” he says.

Herring also has noticed increased interest since then.

“People realized we are really dependent on these bridges to get food in and out of Nashville, and if something happened to these bridges we are in trouble,” he says. “It helped us realize how important our own sustainability is.”

Brandon Frohne is a chef who always wants the best, freshest ingredients. He runs the Nashville Urban Gardeners blog to chronicle his sustainable food adventures and says hens will certainly be in his future.

“With that small number of chickens, it is not going to hurt anybody,” he says. “I think it is a win-win. It is going to reduce food costs for families if they can have chickens and have fresh eggs.”

And Henry is looking forward to getting some chickens back in her yard after her family had to give their three up a few years ago because they weren’t allowed.

“We had just started getting eggs when the half-billion eggs were recalled in 2010, and we were very relieved that we didn’t have to worry about the quality of our eggs,” she says. “We really did see our chickens as an extension of our garden.

“I think legislation on any level – local, state or federal – needs to protect the rights of people to feed themselves. And so I think on a very fundamental level, this gives people a way to feed themselves and their families without depending on corporations or the government.”