ALBANY — Common Council members have hatched a new plan to allow residents to keep chickens in their backyards.

In the spring of 2011, the Albany Common Council narrowly approved lifting a prohibition on chickens — allowing only hens, the female, egg-laying birds — but the measure was vetoed by then-Mayor Jerry Jennings, who argued the proposal didn't adequately address enforcement issues or violations, among other concerns.

This time around, sponsors Tom Hoey, Owusu Anane and Judy Doesschate, who worked on the proposal with the city administration, are confident that allowing residents to keep a few hens in their backyards could be a welcome addition to Albany as focus continues to shift toward more sustainable ways of living.

The birds also eat weeds and bugs like ticks, which have become pervasive in the Northeast.

"It seemed like it was the right time," said Hoey, the 15th Ward councilman, of the proposal's introduction this week. "Sustainability seems to be the big buzzword these days, and I think that has a lot to do with it."

The ordinance would amend the early 2000s prohibition on farm animals, which considered them incompatible with urban life, to allow for residents to keep up to eight hens, provided that 800 square feet of total lot area per hen is available.

The new proposal stipulates requirements on setbacks from neighboring properties, details how coops should be built and maintained, and requires residents pay $25 annually for a license permitting the birds. It also prevents people from slaughtering hens, a measure Jennings had said wasn't included in the 2011 proposal and played a part in his veto.

The proposal will go through the legislative process before public hearings are scheduled.

"With greater interest in urban farming as a means to promoting sustainability and ensuring that food is made naturally, with the appropriate regulations, there's no reason that Albany residents can't have backyard hens," said Anane, a council member who represents the 10th Ward.

Larger cities like New York City and Buffalo already allow residents to keep the birds.

Roosters would still be prohibited, because of the nuisance they cause with crowing at early hours, their possible aggressiveness, and a fear of people using them in cockfights, Hoey said. Other farm animals like cows, horses, pigs, and ducks also are still outlawed.

The city's codes department would enforce the revised ordinance, inspecting homes before granting permits to ensure proper housing and maintenance of the hens. The department would also issue warnings for any violations, which would need to be corrected within 48 hours, or in a reasonable time frame determined by the department. If violations are not addressed, people could lose their permit for keeping hens.

These outlined measures should help alleviate any concerns that remain with introducing hens to Albany, Hoey said.

"There would be more control," Hoey said. "Codes would go around and make sure it's humane, the living condition for these animals. I think it's better than having people sneaking around."