Chicken parade prompts changes to proposed restrictions in Iowa’s capital city

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa’s capital city is establishing a new pecking order for backyard chickens and roosters after some of their diehard fans paraded around City Hall with some of their flocks on Monday. City Manager Scott Sanders said in a statement issued late Friday that he thinks the city should find a way to better serve the whole community. Clearly, the small group of people who marched from the Statehouse to City Hall on Monday while holding chickens got the city’s attention. The city was considering cutting the number of birds allowed from 30 to 12 and banning roosters.  The new rules should allow roosters but require the licensing of chickens and allow for dealing with nuisance animals that can’t contain their cock-a-doodle-dos.