ODESSA, Texas — With egg prices on the rise just about everywhere, people have been looking for ways to keep their grocery bills down.
One of these ways is by keeping their own chickens.
However, city ordinances do not currently allow Odessans to have chickens inside the city limits.
During a workshop meeting on Tuesday, the Odessa city council has started discussions on letting people have up to four hens.
Several residents came out to speak in favor of the amended ordinance, citing reasons such as wanting to have fresh eggs and fertilizer on hand.
"Today was gathering information, having people come forward, and so pretty much we had a handful of people here that were all pro, not one was against, but that isn't a clear indication of what the community is out there, so we still need more information," said Odessa Mayor Javier Joven.
There are still other factors to consider with this proposal, such as shortages in animal control staff and fees and permitting for compliance, but the discussion was the first step to getting this on the city council agenda.
The City of Midland also currently allows four hens, no roosters, inside the city limits.