ALBANY — The Common Council passed an ordinance Monday night that will allow residents to keep chickens in their backyard.

"I believe passing this type of legislation sends a clear message about the type of Albany we want to become," said Owusu Anane, a council member who represents the 10th Ward. "Do we want to become a city that rejects bold ideas and initiatives because it makes a few people uncomfortable, or do we want to become a city that tries new things and is on the forefront of progress?"

The proposal passed 12-1. Councilman Derek Johnson voted against the ordinance. Council members Joyce Love and Ginnie Farrell were absent for the vote. The ordinance will now go before Mayor Kathy Sheehan, who supported and helped craft the proposal.

In March, Anane along with fellow council members Tom Hoey and Judy Doesschate proposed to amend the city's prohibition on "farm animals" to allow backyard hens, but not roosters.

The ordinance will allow residents to keep up to six hens. The square footage needed for each hen is stipulated in the ordinance.

It also sets requirements on setbacks from neighboring properties, details how coops should be built and maintained, and requires residents to pay $25 annually for a license to keep the birds. It also prevents people from slaughtering their hens.

Roosters will still be prohibited because of their penchant for crowing at early hours, their possible aggressiveness, and a fear of people using them in cockfights. Other farm animals including cows, horses, pigs and ducks remain prohibited.

The city's codes department will enforce the revised ordinance, inspect homes before granting permits, and issue warnings for any violations. If violations aren't corrected within 48 hours, people could lose their permit for keeping hens.

The ordinance is a pilot program that will be reviewed and voted on again by the Common Council in two years, Anane said. If issues arise in the meantime, the council could vote to review the ordinance earlier or if it is successful, the council could vote to make it permanent.

The ordinance amends the city's broad early-2000s prohibition on farm animals, which considered them incompatible with urban life.

In the spring of 2011, a measure narrowly approved by the Common Council would have lifted the prohibition on chickens; it was vetoed by then-Mayor Jerry Jennings, who argued the proposal didn't adequately address enforcement issues or violations, among other concerns.

"Since this backyard hens legislation was introduced, we've looked at the history of this type of legislation — the concerns people had about it and why the original legislation was vetoed," Anane said.

This time around, the sponsors said they were confident that allowing residents to keep a few hens in their backyards would be a welcome addition to Albany.

"Sustainability seems to be the big buzzword these days, and I think that has a lot to do with it," Hoey said when they brought the proposal to the table in March.

Hens provide eggs almost daily, compost material to be used in gardens and eat weeds and bugs like ticks.

"We drafted legislation that is a common sense approach to allowing Albany residents to have chickens once again, which providing an appropriate regulatory approach that addresses residents concerns about raising chickens in an urban environment," Anane said. "In other words we'll be encouraging responsible care for theses birds without worrying about finding out what happens when a chicken crosses an Albany road."

Amanda Fries contributed to this report.