The UF/IFAS Extension Pinellas County held a “Backyard Chickens 101” class Saturday for anyone interested in raising chickens. 

  • Pinellas County offers 'Backyard Chickens 101' to residents
  • Class to give families tips, directions on how to raise chickens
  • Enthusiasm for raising chickens in urban areas has grown

The class is meant to give interested families tips and directions on how to get started.

"We are addressing questions people have about ordinances, about feeding, about biosecurity and giving people something to anchor their ideas on,” Mary Beth Henry with the Polk County UF/IFAS Extension Office said.

The county said it’s seen an increased enthusiasm for raising chickens in urban areas in recent years.

"I think that people have an interest in knowing where their food comes from more and more,” Henry said. “And there is some distrust out there about the food system in general so I think people are interested in connecting to where their food is coming from."

Sari Wood and her husband attended Saturday’s class. They recently bought a home and some land in Dunedin and are interested in raising chickens.

"We are very concerned where our food comes from and we like to eat organically,” Wood said. "We had no idea what we were getting into so we are here with open eyes and minds and ears and trying to be sponges and absorb everything we are learning and take the information back and just sit on it for a little while and figure out how we can work this into our lives."

You can’t have roosters in Pinellas County, only chickens. The number of chickens you can have in your backyard depends on what city you live in.