About Hen Ellyn
Hen Ellyn is a group of Glen Ellyn community members working to protect henkeeping within the Village by reforming the Village Code. Under 6-3-8 of the Village Code, residents are prohibited from keeping chickens on their own property. Our goal is to demonstrate the benefits of henkeeping to the Board of Trustees and Village President and advance the passage of a residential henkeeping ordinance in Glen Ellyn.
The benefits of henkeeping are numerous and appeal to a broad and diverse array of people. The local and national trend is toward legalizing residential henkeeping:
- Lisle and Lombard passed henkeeping protections in 2021.
- Naperville, Darien, Downers Grove, Batavia, Burr Ridge, St. Charles, Westmont, Bensenville, Wayne, Warrenville, Villa Park, and Bartlett all allow henkeeping in varying forms.
- DuPage County recently legalized henkeeping in unincorporated areas.
- Woodridge is currently enacting a Pilot Program for backyard henkeeping with unlimited participants.
Allowing for the keeping of hens in Glen Ellyn is a tangible, actionable way to directly support the goals of the 2023 Glen Ellyn Comprehensive Plan (adopted August 2023).
The Comprehensive Plan envisions Glen Ellyn as “a healthy, resilient, and sustainable community where the Village leads by example, prioritizing our commitments to preserve, protect, and enhance Glen Ellyn’s natural resources for current and future generations through stewardship and thoughtful development.” (Goals and Objectives: Sustainable Resource Stewardship, Page 9).
Specific relevant objectives include:
- Objective 3: Encourage the reduction of the volume of waste sent to landfills, including recycling of reusable resources and reduction of pollutants through diverting organic or hazardous materials.
Allowing for the keeping of hens will allow Glen Ellyn residents to significantly reduce household waste and divert landfill material. Hens gladly eat most landfill-found food waste, turning what would otherwise be trash into rich compost to beautify our yards and gardens. See “III: Food Waste Facts” in this packet for more detail on the positive environmental impact of hens.
- Objective 4: Inspire community engagement in environmental stewardship.
The keeping of hens will inspire even our youngest community members to positively engage in environmental stewardship. The benefits are many: Hens teach our children about where our food comes from and encourage an ethical mindset regarding animal treatment in agriculture. Hens are a positive, community-building component of a holistic approach to the sustainability of our suburban environment for future generations.
