Hillsborough County Florida Chicken Owners Look Here!!!!!

LithiaBirdman · Jul 8, 2011

OK SO I AM GOING TO ATTEMPT TO CHANGE THE COUNTY ORDINANCES ABOUT THE BACKYARD CHICKENS.. I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM ANYONE ELSE WHO IS INTERESTED IN OVERCOMING THIS HURDLE... THERE IS SUPPORT IN NUMBERS. MY PLAN IS TO ADDRESS THE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS, CODE ENFORCEMENT AND MAKE A HEAD ON ATTACK WITH THE MEDIA..LETS GET TOGETHER ON THIS SUBJECT. ANYONE WITH ANY ADVISE ON HOW TO PROCEED ANY AND ALL INFORMATION OR RECOMMENDATIONS ARE APPRECIATED.

JEFF

[email protected] PUT CHICKS IN THE SUBJECT

jlexilc · May 25, 2012

Hi -

I am looking for good homes for my pets (chickens) - and I'm interested in changing the ordinance for Hillsborough County. The penalty for violation is $1000/day/violation and $5000/day/re-violation. Who was responsible for such an arbitrary law and usuary fines?

I found and signed the petition http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/hillsborough-county-citizens-for-backyard-poultry.html . I hope to see positive action come from this.

I wonder how much billboard cost is...say, along St Rt 60 in Brandon? Thinking along this - "How do you like your eggs" and "How do you like your chicken?" with pictures of crowded birds in a cage as the food industry operates, contrasted with a few chickens in a nice coop or tractor, maybe another picture of true free range birds...and then a message - "If you prefer fresh - Sign up - (perhaps the petition)" and here we need some people willing to devote time and energy to get the ordinance changed.

On a personal note -
A young man in NW Tampa said he would take 5 and I'm thankful for that. I still have a few more to place...and time is running out.

I'm really in turmoil over this - trying to think along the lines of it is better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all - in terms of my chickens. And still I hope to be able to have chickens in my yard again soon. The chickens have given my daughter and I many fond memories and highlights of this time in our (much too busy) lives. They were a positive impetus for us to do projects together, and to get me outside and active. I saw my daughter accepting some responsibility for their care and protection as evidence of personal development in a positive direction.

The summer rains will be coming soon, along with the weeds and vines. I really feel depressed over our "chicken experience" ending at this time. The neighborhood kids won't get any more fresh eggs, or homemade angelfood cakes...

Readers here already know - there is no need to go over all the reasons why chickens make great pets.

They have been a pleasant presence around my home and will be missed...even those sun-bath holes : )

MaryLang · May 25, 2012

I'm so sorry you are going through this. It makes me so mad. I don't know much about your area of the country, but we recently had to rehome some hens. And it was very heartbreaking. These ordinances are ludicrous, And the emotional toll this takes on a family is hard. I'm up here in MI and spent the winter taking care of these girls, they didn't lay an egg all winter. Now spring has sprung, they've been laying wonderfully and running around happily eating all the bugs in the yard, they were just getting more friendly with the kids. And bam. They're gone! I bet you'll have good luck, I'm sorry you've had to deal with this in the mean time. It's just not right.

CherryBobbery · Oct 20, 2015

I got a United States Department of Agriculture Loan to buy my home. They provided me with a map with agriculture area for me to choose a home in. I chose my home. I was told I had no deed restrictions and I could even have chickens. We, my husband and I, moved into our home October 31, 2011.

I see the petition was began in 2011. I see this person in thread speaking of doing something in 2011. I sure wish you all would have done something because it may could have been done by now.

For the first four months in my home, Starting From Day two and for the next four months, every single day, while living to one side of us is a retired code and zoning enforcement whatever being, a total ******* for sure. He and his wife wanted to hang at the corner of their fence, holding me up from everything I had to be doing. Every day!!! Every day!!! Two and three hours, every day!!

I could not go to my mailbox without the man's wife tripping over herself to run to the mailbox to hold me up so she could gossip for two and three hours!!! I could not mow my lawn without the man and his wife or one or the other rushing to the corner of the fence as soon as got to that side, two and three hours and I could not even finish mowing my lawn.

I could not go out into my yard to plant a plant, rake, mulch, put up borders - I could not go to my yard!!!!!!! Without these people rushing out to gossip about their stupid ongoing argument and battle with another man living kitty corner to them. To tell me about how Mr. Big Retired Code Enforcer keeps calling out the Sheriff and Code and Zoning Enforcement as his pay back for the guys retaliation to him.

This retired code enforcer doesnt know how to battle the battles he starts, he isnt a man - he starts battles and then he uses his code and zoning buddies to back him up or he will call the Sheriff or Fire Department, making sure to let them know he is Mr. Retired Code Enforcer - as that seems to make him to be someone to be heard -- and he is so full of **** lies it aint even funny. The man LIES!!

And when I wanted to put up little borders to hold my mulch, I had a light weight mallet and was hammering. As I was hammering my borders in the ground, this retired code enforcement creep's wife ran out her door hollering my name. I looked up at her as if she was insane. She goes -- What are you doingggggg???? I still just looked at her as if she was a total friggin fool. She then goes -- You are hammeringgggg!!!! I just picked up my stuff and went back inside the house because you cannot even begin to imagine the names I had going through my mind about this ignorant woman.

There was a family of squatters who had taken over the house across the street from us that was in foreclosure. This retired code enforcer piece of **** and his wife hung at the fence four hours and hours, every single day, with the woman squatter, gossiping about everybody around us and I am sure including us. The retired code enforcer never ever called anyone to report the squatting of the squatters - hey, they were the only ones who would hang at the fence and gossip with them. They also dont report all of the many violations all in this entire neighborhood that are in plain site. He only reports people he cant force to hang at the fence and gossip with him and/or force to kiss his stinky ***.

I was so sick. Four months of this crap with these people. I didnt want to step outside my door. I hated that I ever bought this house and I am stuck with it and stuck with this married couple of creeps living beside me. I had to go to my yard, God forbid. I was working in my yard and this retired code enforcers wife ran out to tell me how I should be doing what I was doing. I kept my head down and kept working. I was thinking to myself - ok just dont talk and she will go away. But NOOOOOOO - yakity yak yak on and on and on - to tell me what I should be doing and how to do it and why I shouldnt be doing what I was doing and the idiot had no idea what my plans were to begin with along with the fact that what I was doing was none of her **** business.

I finally stopped what I was doing, looked her in the eye and told her what a nuisance she and her husband had been for the entire four months. I told her to please leave me alone and let me get my work done. And so ... the retired code enforcers battle was on -- keep in mind, he cant battle like a man, instead he battles like the weasel he is - calling fire department and code and zoning buddies to his aid. I have never hated anyone in my life and I truly hate this sick couple. They are SICK!!! And so that is what we have working in our county code and zoning department.

And if any retired code and zoning person calls in a complaint or calls his still working code and zoning buddies out to anything, they should be ignored. They should not be allowed to make a complaint because they only do it as a means of revenge - to anyone who doesnt kiss their *** and hang at the fence for their two and three hour daily gossip sessions.

He left my chickens alone for these four years. My two roosters and four hens. I have them nicely housed and with runs. They stay clean and the house prevents the rooster sounds from echoing over to this creepy couple. My chickens have never bothered them and obviously so because he never called anyone out on them.

There are two families at the end of the block that are on agriculture zoned land. They both let their chickens go free. I went to one girl to ask her to sell me a hen, after one of mine passed away, and she told me she couldnt afford to feed her chickens and her farm animals had eaten all the grass and bugs so she let her chickens go free. I went to the other family to see if they would sell a hen to me and that lady told me they had let their chickens go free.

So, a whole bunch of chickens showed up down one of the roads around here, near where these chickens were let to go free. Gradually, some have moved up our way and are all around my house, the place behind me, the place kitty cornered to me, the place across the street from me - they are all out here ...

And you know who this retired code enforcer ******* has had a code enforcer out to see??? ME!!!! That fool thinks these are my chickens!! He is too stupid to have noticed, like all the rest of us noticed, the chickens moving from one end of a road, gradually to up here where we all are.

Code and Zoning showed up at my house on October 14, 2015 - to tell me I had to get rid of all of the roosters and hens. I informed him that all the ones he sees are free range chickens let go by someone down the road on agriculture land. These are not mine! He said but you do have a chicken house, dont you? I told him - yes, I have four hens and two roosters in a chicken house. He tells me I am not allowed to have them. I explained the USDA loan on the house and I was told I could even have chickens. Well, I am now learning I cant.

He told me I have 21 days to move them. I just got the letter from Code Enforcement, on October, 18th, that says I have 15 days. I am in a rush to get something built that is safe for them to live on my Mom's property. She lives six miles away on agriculture zoned land. Money is the issue. To be able to set up something safe for my pet chickens cost money. So this has put us in a real bind. I love my pet chickens as much as I love my dog. They are my pets. I take care of my chickens and I want them safe from predators.

He told me I have to get rid of my housed chickens. This retired code enforcer is still going to be left with what he really was complaining about - the free range chickens let go from agriculture land. They are not mine. It is not for me to try to round them up and get them anywhere. Ya ever tried to catch a free range chicken??? hahaha It isnt for me to interrupt my life to be out here catching chickens that someone let go and they have all obviously added to their family clans with more chickens.

I called code and zoning just to confirm that I am not allowed to have my housed chickens. The only reason my housed chickens got tossed into this complaint is because that stupid retired code enforcer thinks I am actually housing all of these many, many free range chickens in my little chicken house. He has got to be the biggest fool I have ever encountered in my entire life.

On the phone, it was confirmed to me that I am not allowed to house any chickens. I was told that I have to get mine moved and just to let them know there are free range chickens out here that are not mine and they are not my responsibility.

I will have to go visit my mom three days a week now, to stay all day so that I can visit my own chickens. This is gas money I do not have and it is added work to my work load. My chickens did not upset anyone. They didnt stink. They were fine, right here. It was the free range chickens let go from agriculture land that caused all of this. And being as I am not an ******* of the earth, the free range chickens dont bother me. They dont bother any of my neighbors either, except for the retired code enforcer *******. Everyone else enjoys watching them all. Not him.

He is such a miserable human being, he cant stand any life going on around him unless that life can hang at the fence for two and three hour daily gossip sessions with him and his sick wife. He and his wife are worse sounding than any hen or rooster out here and they both stink to high heaven and none of these chickens out here even stink. The retired code enforcer and his stupid ignorant wife are the ones who need to go.

So, I would like to see where someone is doing something about getting our backyard chickens legal. If it means I cant have my roosters, then my four hens and two roosters will have to live at my Mom's because it is one Dominique rooster and he has two Wyandotte's for his hens and then my little Bantam rooster - I dont know what he is exactly but he is of many colors - I did have a Bantam Sultan Silkie but he passed away not long ago so I went and got this other bantam rooster from a feed store -- but he has my two Silkie hens for his hens. However, if I am ever told I can have hens, you can bet I will have more put right here in my back yard! I love them! If ya didnt want country life, why would you retire in the country? You have got to be a total fool!

Hillsborough County Florida Chicken Owners Look Here!!!!!

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LithiaBirdman

Hatching

jlexilc

Hatching

MaryLang

In the Brooder

CherryBobbery

In the Brooder

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