Bremerton raises city hen limit; 5 now OK

BREMERTON — Now that it has embraced chickens in the city, the Bremerton City Council is fine-tuning its poultry policy.

In a unanimous vote Wednesday, the group approved Councilman Roy Runyon’s motion to raise the upper limit on hens from four to five.

The Kitsap Sun reported that resident Carolee Valentine asked for eight, saying that would help prevent a lag time between when old hens stop laying eggs consistently and new chicks become old enough to produce.

Runyon said he might favor more, but five was a number the whole council could accept. In his words, “We’ve got to be pragmatic.”

The council approved city chickens late in 2010. Hens, that is. No roosters.

Now Councilman Greg Wheeler is enthused about the benefits of chicken ownership, calling it fun as well as “a safe, healthy hobby.”