people who have helped their town change their chicken policy.

Is there any stories of someone approaching the town board and presenting a case to have chickens in town limits? What evidence did you give to persuade them?

I fought for ten years to get chickens in our town.
Did a survey that showed overwhelming support, they refused to participate then said it wasn't valid because they didn't.
Forced them to do their own survey. It showed 15% wanted a ban, 30% wanted chicken to be allowed, and the rest didn't care enough to participate.
Their response was to write the state's most insanely strict chicken policy, then failed to pass it.

Had to actually get elected to the council to get it done.
Now we can easily get chickens by asking the council. They got tired of embarrassing themselves.
Probably 6 households have chickens now.
One of the council members that fought it just asked for permission to get chickens.

I suggest starting with a survey in your town.

An area near me, the Council decided to draft a chicken policy.  Local chicken-lovers objected to some of the proposed rules, on the grounds that it would not be healthy/kind to the chickens and the Council changed the draft to include that input.

I tend to agree with Craig - a different local Council refused to draft a reasonable local policy, and so has the council where my sisters live. In some places, the only way change is likely to happen is by running for office, and having other chicken-friendly, food-security conscious people also run for office.

The place I would start is to find as many policies that you can in communities similar to yours, ideally in relatively similar eco-systems. Find out if possible (maybe write a letter to the local newspaper asking?) what the locals like or dislike about their chicken policy, whether many complaints or no complaints have been generated by locals having back-yard flocks, whether locals are even aware there is a policy and what it is.

Luckily, I'm on what is locally called, "Agricultural Land Reserve". I can not only  have chickens, but the local Council has a chicken coop size policy which includes a height limitation which I have a few friends that wouldn't like! (assuming that's the "outside height" which doesn't allow for rafters etc.)

A coop must:
(a) provide at least .37 m2 (4ft 2) of coop floor area per each head of poultry;
(b) be no larger than 9.2m2 (100ft2) in floor area;
(c) provide a minimum of .92 m2 (10ft 2) of roofed outdoor enclosure;
(d) be no more than 2 m (6.5 ft.) in height;
(e) be sited and setback no less than 7.6 m from all property lines;
(f) provide and maintain at least one perch that is at least 15 cm long for
each head of poultry;
(g) provide and maintain at least one nest box for each head of poultry; and
(h) be secured from sunset to sunrise, with poultry kept within.

I also disagree that you need 1 nest box/chicken - I think it encourages boxes that are minimal in size and construction. I make relatively deep boxes so they're dark and cozy and my birds really like them.

If I planned to change the policy, I would find a good policy and present that to people.
I have found if you simply as k for change, most will say no!
If you prevent a good policy, they will consider it.
Good luck.

In our town the chicken haters favorite tool was using baseless fearmongering to justify the ban.

If you let "them" have chickens "they" will want to have cows.
Downgraded to goats and pot belly pigs.
Also known as the gateway pet theory, ha.

"I got hystoplasmosis from 2 chickens 2 blocks away."
Which we proved was impossible.

" I don't want chickens running all over town".

Property values could crash.
 
"remember decoster farms? They had all those chickens".
Seriously someone brought that up.

Our small rural community has under 400 people.  There is a dairy inside our city limits.
This was a large turnout for one of our councils.
I had it put on the agenda after every election so this videos was from 2 years into the struggle:
 
If you can't tell, the mayor is one of the main opponents and wouldn't participate in my survey though he acts like it doesn't matter to him.
He's the one who said if you let them have chicken's they will want cows.

I have a bunch more videos of this struggle through the years, but haven't updated with them yet.

In my area chickens are still allowed, but the newcomers want them banned :(

Folks thank you all your advice and guidance. I have three great pointers to to go on: write a letter to the newspaper requesting feed back about the current chicken policy, do a survey about interest, and have a solid policy rather than ask for change and hope to figure it out as I go. This has been invaluable. I live in Oostburg Wisconsin and I will let you know the results in the coming months. All this has helped my heart grow by three sizes today. ( funny, but not meant sarcastically). Thank you

Sincerely,
Dylan

While this wasn't the reason I moved to a property outside city limits, it's a good reason to do so.  Though you also need to watch out for HOA rules too.  You wouldn't think a neighborhood with 3.5-5 acre lots in the county would even have an HOA, but mine does.  Get someone anti-poultry on the board, leave a few spots unfilled, mix in covid, and drama ensues quickly.  There's no specific rooster limitation in the CCR's.  Yet that person was threatening fines for people who's roosters would crow, claiming violation of noise limits.  During normal working hours.  The only good that came from that was a well attended HOA meeting to elect new officers (that individual stepped down voluntarily, thankfully).  Normally very few people attend HOA meetings.  Heck, we hadn't gone in a decade or so.

I can feel the pain about the newcomers wanting to change things.
I have used this approach with newcomers;
- obviously you chose to live here because it appealed to you in someway
- chicken rearing is one of the pleasant activities here
- that may contribute the the pleasantness of the district
- so why change it
- if you did not know about the chickens when you came, you failed due diligence
- why should the community change for your mistakes.
Perhaps suggest they meet people and get to know what they enjoy about the area.

START A PROTEST EVENT
- 'CHOOKS DESERVE A FAIR GO', chook deserve the same rights as humans, chook rights, ts time we welcomed them to our properties and made them feel welcome. Their eggs are yummy too!

John C Daley wrote:START A PROTEST EVENT
- 'CHOOKS DESERVE A FAIR GO', chook deserve the same rights as humans, chook rights, ts time we welcomed them to our properties and made them feel welcome. Their eggs are yummy too!

If you're going to take that approach, I'd add - "Pets with benefits are better than pets that just cost money! Chooks are better than TV, communicate with you (if you speak chicken), organic pest control for garden areas, give you feathers, organic fertilizer for your garden (some processing required), and breakfast. What do dogs give you???