The city of Cambridge has decided against allowing backyard hens within city limits and now it has set a deadline.
At a council meeting on Tuesday evening, councilors were presented with a report and two options.
The first option was to give residents with the birds about a year or two to find another home for them and dismantle their coops.
The second option, which failed, would have allowed residents who already have hens to keep them until the end of their lifespan.
There were concerns raised with the second option as some hens have a lifespan of ten years and during that time city officials would need to be checking in on the birds.
This first option was preferred by the majority of councilors, so homeowners with backyard hens will need to find them new homes.
