Quote:
Originally Posted by
Nocitychickens 
I have lived in the city of Debary for 18 years and recently a home in my neighborhood has decided to keep chickens. I am now dealing with rats in my back yard and feel the chickens are drawing them in. If people want to keep poultry then they should live in the country, not in a city. Most of us live in a city for a reason, and it's not to listen to chickens. I'm on a mission make sure no chickens are allowed in our city limits.
I guess that eliminates me as the neighbor, since I have had the chickens for well over a year and a half now.
Correlation does not imply causation. Debary has rats and has had them for a very long time. I know many people who have lived here, lots of family, who fight rat problems often - especially in the summer during the rainier times. My cousin's boat interior was chewed to heck 6 years ago by rats, and they seem to enjoy eating the rubber barriers on the bottom of garage doors at my aunts house every year. Chickens don't draw rats in anymore than other animals, and they certainly did not create them out of thin air. Rats are attracted to food that has not been contained such as pet food set outside for a cat, garbage, and dark places to hide and escape from the rains. Florida is also home to palm rats, which live in palm trees and are all around us and we don't even know it.
A lot of areas are allowing backyard chickens all across the U.S. because the people want them. They want the eggs and direct control over the food supply, plus they really do make great pets. They are very soothing to watch pecking around the yard, eating bugs. They are hilarious when you have treats for them, they jump up like little puppies to get bits of bread. They have surprising depth to them and are really quite personable little animals. These birds are my pets, my little feathery buddies. They aren't food, they aren't poultry, they have names and personalities - they are my pets. I don't understand why I shouldn't be able to have pets in my own neighborhood, in a city that has codes so badly written that I scoured them and found nothing about chickens at all. I moved to this place thinking I could have them here. I love them. Additionally, I would never tell anyone what they can or cannot do in their own yard and home, and I figure the courtesy would be returned. People have all sorts of pets, why not a chicken?
It seems like your only complaint is 'hearing' chickens. Is it the sound of a rooster you are hearing? I am legitimately curious about the exact time frame of the noise and why it is bothering you. If I was your neighbor, I would really like to know if it was bothering you and try to take steps to correct it. No one has come to me and told me they have an issue, I only got the letter. Is it possible you attach a stigma to the sound? I only have hens now, and they only make a small amount of noise when they lay an egg during the afternoon, usually when there is already the din of cars, dogs barking, children yelling, lawns being mowed, etc. Normal, everyday living sounds. I don't see why a hen laying an egg once a day or less (since they usually lay 5 eggs a week or less) and singing her little 1-2 minute song about it couldn't become a normal everyday sound. It is not even exceptionally loud either, hens usually make noises between 60-70 decibels when singing the egg song, and that is about the sound of two humans talking. Otherwise they make very low clucks that are imperceptible to humans a few feet away.
I would really like the opportunity to address any concerns you may have. I can totally understand your resignation to the idea - many people have a lot of things about chickens all wrong. I am glad you came to this place and I encourage your questions and participation. If I was your neighbor, I certainly would want everything to work out amicably. It is certainly hard to live next to someone who hates you, you know? I am sure that compromise can be reached somehow. I would perhaps reach out to your neighbor like God has commanded, and be kind to them, letting them know the issue you have.
Thank you, God Bless.
Edited by Nimby Chickens - 7/6/12 at 7:45pm
