FORSYTH.– Residents of Forsyth want to raise chickens in the city limits.

Last summer, city leaders in Forsyth said no to raising chickens within city limits for the second time and they’ve decided on it and won’t vote again.

Other cities allow residents to raise chickens with restrictions that typically prohibit roosters, and limit hens to no more than six.

KOLR 10’s Chrystal Blair revisited an ordinance in Forsyth, which means some farmers will have to move if they want to get in on the boost in chicken sales.

Jack Fitzpatrick, who lives just outside the Forsyth city limits and has owned his farm since 1965 said, “If the farmer loses out, the city boys gone starve.”

“I’m just an old country boy that don’t know too much but… stores and everything you go by them and people want fresh eggs and we’re trying to provide some to our neighbors,” Fitzpatrick said.

According to city administrator Chris Robertson, the issue of raising chickens within the city limits is not because the city is anti-chicken.

“First of all, it would be the noiseRobertson said. “We think not everybody would go by the no rooster rule. The smell. I would think there’d be odor issues and complaints from the neighbors. There’s also the CDC has studies about sometimes the backyard chickens cause salmonella outbreaks and things like that.”

Robertson says the board voted four to one against raising chickens within city limits for a number of reasons. One, he said they have a small budget and a big enough problem policing the dog and cat problem.