Buried in the Department of Planning and Development’s annual report was one “new enforcement issue” that the city says is nothing to yolk about: The issue of “transgender hens.” [pullquote]”Our inspectors are not ornithologists, so if a bird looks like a rooster and crows like a rooster, we will have to issue a citation for having a rooster.”[/pullquote]
In response to the city’s ban on roosters, some chicken owners have apparently been claiming that their roosters are actually hens in disguise.
According to DPD spokesman Bryan Stevens:
Some breeds (Barred Rock is one example) in which the hens have rooster-like characteristics which may include combs, wattles, and spurs…which makes it difficult to tell whether it is a hen or a rooster. Our inspectors are not ornithologists, so if a bird looks like a rooster and crows like a rooster, we will have to issue a citation for having a rooster. Owners would need to establish that what they have is not a rooster in order to avoid a fine.
Stevens says that of 20 to 25 annual rooster complaints, about two have involved chicken owners claiming their roosters were actually hens.
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