oklahoma city zoning - busted for my chickens!

Aw. That's rotten. :mad: Sounds like it's time to fight city hall. Look at the post about the NYC coop. In the city folks are allowed an unlimited number of hens, just no roos. Tell your lawyer. And there are other folks on here who have fought and won the right to keep a few hens. I hope it works out for you!

If you've got a lawyer fight and if found that you can have chickens, get some roo's to annoy the nosy neighbpr that turned you in for having hens:)

good luck to you. Some people are incredibly ignorant about chickens. I had one such neighbor, but fortunately for me, I live in an unincorporated area of our city and she couldn't do a thing about my "pet birds".
D

I would fight it. They are pets you are not RAISING them for commercial commerce. You are not cycling them (Growing them, killing them etc). It says no where in the ordinance specifically about chickens. What if you had parrots or some other exotic animal?? ALSO if you have rare breeds of chickens you can fight it on that aspect to.
Like you said are you not allowed to own cats, dogs, turtles, mice, etc etc. If you do lose the case I would turn around and sue the city over it. If you can't have a pet why should anyone...They will change that law fast.

Bubba

Wooo!!! Go FIGHT IT! Cluck cluck  cluck.... so much nicer than barking, yelling, police cars, fire engines, teens, coffee can mufflers, and parties.

Besides, they are just pet birds.

Hi Haleyluna,

If in fact you need to fight it or try to change it, feel free to contact us. We'd be happy to share all the research we've done (dozens of hours at this point, on other cities ordinances, how they've worked, etc) for our battle (www.SoPoChickens.org)

Maybe you can use the angle that they're pets, not livestock..... if you can "raise" dogs and cats on less than an acre, why not pet chickens (if they're not specifically banned).... did you read the "definitions" section of the code to see how they define "animals" as opposed to "pets" or "Livestock"...... I'd think that would be your strongest legal point... maybe the definition for "pets" can apply to chix. Also, did you check both the "Zoning" and the "Animals & Fowl" sections?? Sometimes there are restrictions in one but not the other......

Keep us updated!!

Stacey


Good luck Haleyluna!
-Olivia

Well thats sorry. I would also fight it. If you are not raising chickens but just have pets this does not look like it applies.

And what is with the wrong date thing.

Keep us posted on what happens.

Sure glad I live in the boonies and don't have close neighbors.

Don't you love 'big brother'?!  I sure hope you get everything in order!  Right now I'm going through a similar fight with big oil and their pipeline easement.  I wonder who said anything about the chickens to tip the city off...

How much land do you have?? JUst out of curiousity...
I'd fight it also. I agree, if her phrasing is correct, then you cant have dogs, cats...or children for that matter!

Seachick's advice sounds great-I would look into that.