Cranston, Rhode Island - Help to Change Ordinance to Allow Chickens

Through P.E.C.K. (People Encouraging Chicken Keeping in Greater Providence) some Cranston residents have joined together to try to change the ordinance prohibiting chicken keeping on less than 10 acres. Please assist us by signing our on-line petition or find additional information from these links:

On-Line Petition
http://www.change.org/petitions/cranston-ri-city-council-allow-residents-to-keep-backyard-chickens

The Suburban Hen (for information on the effort in Cranston specifically) http://thesuburbanhenri.blogspot.com/

P.E.C.K. (for information throughout the state)
http://www.facebook.com/groups/20411407921/

Rhode Islander's! Let's join together to help all of us to legalize the possession of our state bird in our own backyards!

GREAT NEWS!!!

Last night the Cranston City Council's Ordinance Committee voted in favor of our backyard chicken ordinance, 5 votes to 1. Next Monday we go for a vote by the full City Council. Wish us luck!

The Suburban Hen

It looks like the ordinance was passed, congratulations.
The projo says that chickens has to be locked up from sunrise to sunset, but I am wondering if it should say from sunset to sunrise since it's at night they need to be locked up...

mandalitten said:

It looks like the ordinance was passed, congratulations.
The projo says that chickens has to be locked up from sunrise to sunset, but I am wondering if it should say from sunset to sunrise since it's at night they need to be locked up...

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Thank you.

Phew...just double checked the ordinance and the projo was incorrect. The ordinance is correct and says that all chicken hens must be confined within the coop from sunset to sunrise.

Just heard on local news radio that Mayor Fung vetoed the new ordinance, saying that concerns about rats and lowered property values caused him to shoot it down. He admitted that there is no proof that chicken-keeping attracts rats, but stated that outdoor animal food and excrement do attract rats.

Dog- and cat owners put pet food out on the back steps and lawn for their animals, and of course dogs and cats leave plenty of excrement. Keeping chickens vs having a doghouse out back with a big bowl of kibble... if he's gonna ban chickens he should ban dogs too.

Oh, and Mayor Fung should ban birdfeeders, too! Birdfeeders attract rats, bigtime... No chickens? Okay, then no dogs, no cats, no wild birds... may as well say that only humans can live in Cranston. Sheesh. Will someone please educate Mayor Fung? Cranstonites should protest loudly and relentlessly to get the mayor to reverse his veto.

GardenerGal said:

Just heard on local news radio that Mayor Fung vetoed the new ordinance, saying that concerns about rats and lowered property values caused him to shoot it down. He admitted that there is no proof that chicken-keeping attracts rats, but stated that outdoor animal food and excrement does attract rats. Personally, I think Cranstonites should protest loudly and relentlessly to get the mayor to reverse his veto. Dog- and cat owners put pet food out on the back steps and lawn for their animals, and of course dogs and cats leave plenty of excrement. Keeping chickens vs having a doghouse out back with a big bowl of kibble... if he's gonna ban chickens he should ban dogs too.

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Yes he did veto our ordinance. I have really lost faith in the "system". We did everything the "administration" (aka Mayor's Office) wanted (like permitting and registrations) and we get vetoed. What???

Rats are a huge issue here in our city which is why we made sure our ordinance covered everything we could to prevent, rather than attract the nasty critters. Did anyone even READ that ordinance?

I am amazed at the amount of misinformation that people are throwing out there. I can't even look at comments in the local newspapers as it makes my blood pressure bump up at an unhealthy rate. One of my favorites? "I thought that we've evolved from an agrarian society." Yeah, let the big factory farms produce all of our food. yeah, that is a good idea.

Sincerely,
Frustrated in Cranston

People have kept chickens in cities throughout urban history. What about chickens as pets? Rare breeds, bantams? Why is it okay to keep an aviary full of budgies, or several parrots that squawk, or even pet pigeons, but not a few gentle, quiet hens? There is no logic, only knee-jerk emotional reactions.

Rats are a problem EVERYWHERE. No matter how modern and "perfect" the society, there are rats, roaches, and other animals that have adapted to co-habit with humans. Even the fanciest, wealthiest neighborhoods have rats... probably attracted to all the fancy food in the restaurant and country club Dumpsters.

I live in a small city, and there are plenty of rats downtown... scurrying around in the trash at all the restaurants and taverns. I keep my barn and animal areas spotless, and the animal control officer inspects my property every year and comments on how clean it is, and there's no smells or varmints. Meanwhile, parts of the city where there are no chickens nor livestock, have plenty of rats...

Don't give up -- educate your mayor and (gently) point out the hypocrisy. He may change his opinion and reverse the veto.