rural town has a group of houses that have an hoa...

and I just found out that we moved into that little group of homes that has the hoa rule about no "farm" animals allowed; just wanted my 2 laying hens, a little goat and a sheep for my spinning. I have more than an acre of land! Why can't we get this changed? I am very upset about this absurd rule...along with no fences, no garden sheds...omg...is this really America?

Yes, hoas sound like a horrible way to live.

It's disclosed to you when purchasing a home that it's under an HOA agreement. By purchasing your obligated by that contract. You can try and canvas the HOA to see if there is support for some of what your wanting then petition for a meeting and vote to change the existing bilaws. Or you can sell your home and purchase one that is not in an HOA. But again, you must research the town ordinances before making a decision to buy. Many areas have strict zoning that are not unlike HOA's.

I have to second Egghead's post. This had to be disclosed to you when you bought the property.

When we were looking for a new place this spring, I was very clear to the Realtor what we wanted to do on the property. No HOAs, no CCRs that limited or restricted how many or what types of animals we could have.

Yep, egghead is right on the money. I've run afoul (a-fowl) of HOA's most of my adult life so I avoid them like the plague. Just about everything I like to do such as raising poultry, amateur radio, building my own shed's, shooting airguns, etc. is restricted in one way or another by most HOA's. Even if you find a home in a non-HOA neighborhood though, you have to be sure to read the zoning allowances/ordinances and CCR's just as thoroughly as you would HOA rules because they can be every bit as bad as HOA restrictions. The only difference if you break the rules is you'd get sued by a neighbor or visited by a zoning officer instead of ordered to stop whatever it is you're doing by the appropriate HOA committee. So it definitely pays to do your homework before buying a house. Don't be deceived by the rural appearance of a property or if it's large because some of the most appropriate looking properties can have some of the worst restrictions. I very much empathize with you though and hope you're able to pursue your interests in the future.