Welcome New Section: Local Chicken Laws & Ordinances!

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Taylorsville City, Utah is drafting a new chicken ordinance currently and will be discussing it in April 2010. Currently, chickens are not allowed in any residential zone in Taylorsville. I am hoping that some more local chicken lovers will participate in the city council meeting- I don't have the date in front of me but it's towards the end of April. It looks like they will allow chickens if the new draft ordinance passes it seems pretty positive, it's mostly concerned with proper housing and care but they do want to collect fees, and the wording about neighbor complaints is pretty broad. Just wanted to make others aware that it's going on I couldn't find any info online about Taylorsville City's ordinance other than @ B.Y.C. I am interested in networking with others in the area to help make chickens legal in Taylorsville, Utah. As it stands now Taylorsville is one of the most restrictive cities' in Utah- chickens are not allowed in residential zones:barnie- Lets help change it! If someone out there has some experience with the wording of zoning ordinances and wanted to look it over the new draft I could email it to you to look over. It's a pretty long ordinance and most of the wording seems to give the city lots of reasons to prosecute you if they choose to, sort of a- well let you have chickens, but, if we don't like you we will find a reason to say no. At least it's a step in the right direction though.
 
Hi Everyone,

I live in a small town on the edge of town in Texas. I have chickens in my backyard. I have had a few run ins with animal control about some of my younger hens who jump the fence when they first learn how to fly. In the last incident they came into my yard and there were no visible fece's or smell. I use pine bedding and Food grade DE in my yard and hang trays with Whitefly in the trees. I also use a rake, hoe and broom to sweep the area where my hens play and sleep every day. Many people have commented on how clean it is. I even had a Detective come to my home on a "visit" She kept peeking and straining to try to get closer to see in my backyard.. I thought it was funny and I invited her in to view it and their hen house. How my Roosters were housed and the overall general cleanliness, health and appearance as well as, the proper disposal of waste. She seemed genuinely impressed at how clean everything was and how healthy my hens and Rooster's were. It is common in this area for people to raise, sell and fight Rooster's. Just the thought of it terrifies me. As mine are like my little "no arms" children. It is illegal and I hope they catch them all! However, someone had called in on me stating that I was raising and fighting Roosters! I was astonished. After the investigation the Detective told me they could not find any indication of abuse, uncleanliness or even a sale of one of my birds.(I have never sold one..their my babies.) She could find no signs of injury to any of my Rooster's. Interestingly, enough two days prior to her arrival...someone broke into our house. They did not steal much but a cellphone and some misc items but they did let two of my Roo's out of their cages and left the backyard gate open. I had not gone far. I returned to find all my hens roaming around the front yard and calling out to me that something was wrong. I noticed the door had been jimmied and broken and called the police. When I reached the back yard I found my two young Roo's bleeding with a few cuts but nothing too serious. One of them was having trouble breathing...they had been poisoned! My hens appeared unharmed. Fortunately, these two Roo's were brother's born of the same brood and played and sparred with each other their whole lives. Though, they were getting rougher with each other with maturity, hence the separate pens. They were standing less than three feet from each other and neither appeared aggressive both appeared ill. Lil Red made it two days and died form poisoning and the Detectives had animal control pick him up for the autopsy that I demanded and offered to pay for.
The animal control officer informed me that the only way I could keep them is if they were pets that lived inside my house! Also, I have to be 200 feet from any other residence. I am 201 feet from the resident who complained because of my Roosters crowing early in the morning. I now must house them inside my house. or so they tell me. The other house is 199 feet. These neighbors do not complain and have had a horse, heifer and presently I am raising five baby chicks for them until they make some preparations for them. The following are the only guidelines I was presented with by the animal control officer who threatened me with stiff fines if I do not get rid of them. That was several months ago. I have a neighbor in the city limits with goats, geese, lama's and horses two blocks away. Many of my neighbors live closer to town than I do and are not 200 ft from a residence. We have had these "Pets" for many years with no complaints. Now because my husband had an argument with a neighbor over a non chicken related issue this neighbor is making waves. What can I do? I will not part with my babies and I cannot afford the fines, Though the city clerk informed me if I do get them that I can just make payments...then she asked me How long do chickens live? I do not know and it doesnt matter because I will have more if they did and I would endlessly pay fines I guess. My guest room in my house is where they sleep in their cages at night. I would like to know how could I go about establishing a petition and how can I try to get the city ordinance changed. I have many friends and neighbors on this side of town who feel the same way. The Detective even went to the neighbor and told him to stay away from me my property and my chickens and that if any more items were shot into my yard like BB's and pellets or rock as they had been doing that charges would be filed. She also told me she would give a statement for the condition of my birds and housing. Any idea's? I am desparate. They won't let me keep them in the hen house. So I have to keep them inside until after egg laying time and do not let the Roo's out into there outside pens until late afternoon. This seems to have temporarily resolved the situaion as they are not disturbing my neighbors with their crowing however, its very disturbing inside our home. I am getting used to it. My family thinks I am crazy now...and I am starting to wonder...but my babies are worth the fight. To me they are my children and I am not going down without a fight. Even if it means jail time.

Here is all I could find in the City Ordinance
Sec. 18-3. Game birds and fowl.[/b]
(a) It shall be unlawful for any keeper of game birds or fowl to allow the game birds or fowl to run at large.
(b) Game birds or fowl shall not be kept, maintained or possessed in any building, pen, yard or enclosure, the exterior limits of which are within 200 feet of any occupied dwelling, other than the dwelling of the owner/keeper of such bird or fowl.
(c) It shall be unlawful for any person to maintain, possess or operate any place, building, enclosure, pen or yard exceeding in size, singly or in the aggregate, 2,500 square feet for the keeping, commercial breeding, raising or sale of any game birds or fowl within the city limits.
(d) Every building, pen, enclosure or yard in which game birds or fowl are kept shall be maintained in a clean and sanitary condition at all times. Litter and droppings shall be disposed of in such a manner as not to permit fly-breeding or an unsanitary condition.
(Code 1970, § 6-37)

Sec. 18-4. Animal nuisance.
It shall be unlawful for any person to cause or maintain an animal nuisance in the city. For purposes of this chapter, the term "animal nuisance" is defined as:
(1) The keeping of any animal, which, by causing a frequent or long, continued barking, cry or noise, shall disturb any person of ordinary sensibilities in the vicinity.
(2) The keeping of any animal in such a manner as to:
a. Endanger the public health;
b. Annoy neighbors by the accumulation of animal wastes which cause foul and offensive odors, or are considered to be a hazard to any other animal or human being; or
c. Allow the continued presence of the owner's animal on the premises of another.
(3) All animal pens, stables or enclosures in which any animal may be kept or confined which, from use, have become offensive to a person of ordinary sensibilities


Sincerely,
Motherhen
[email protected]
 
Did you just see that SL County has approved backyard chickens and Taylorsville falls into that. I live in Taylorsville and have had chickens for several years now..council knows about me and so does the mayor and even animal control. I've had animal control over when a neighbors dog got into our coop and they had no problem with my chickens and were actually fascinated by them. The code enforcer also knows about my chickens because we made the city realize the code was so contradicting and confusing that they couldn't enforce someone to get rid of their chickens unless there were complaints.
http://www.ksl.com/index.php?nid=148&sid=10221982
 
I reside in Taylorsville, UT and attended the City Council meeting in April. The final word by the council members was that the proposed ordinance was too restrictive (e.g., having to place the coop in the center of your backyard due to setback requirements, etc.) and the discussion was to be addressed again in late May with recommended revisions made to the ordinance proposal.

I have been searching meeting minutes on the City website and nothing is written about a follow up review of the chicken ordinance. Does anyone know what the status is of the ordinance? I was truly hoping to be able to have a few chickens by this summer so we can start enjoying fresh, hormone-free eggs. It would be a wonderful addition to my new organic square foot garden, which is the envy of my neighbors and, as with my garden, I am willing to share my eggs as well as my abundant produce with my neighbors so believe me, they have a vested interest in the outcome of the ordinance.

My major concern is that I live on a .23 acre corner lot and while my entire front yard is fenced in, my side yard is the only area large enough to appropriately house a beautiful chicken coupe and as the ordinance was originally written, this would preclude me from having chickens. My hope is that the setbacks required from surrounding properties are reasonable so that I may have the same equality as other residents.

Karin Wadsworth
 
I just read the post about Salt Lake County passing the "backyard chicken ordinance." Unfortunately, the County ordinance does not override Taylorsville City since we are an independent city in terms of animal control, emergency services, etc. I WISH this were the case as I would be jumping for joy, however, we do not fall under the Salt Lake County ordinance.

The good news is that maybe the author of the Taylorsville proposed ordinance could utilize the verbiage used in the Salt Lake County ordinance so it would align nicely to the County chicken ordinance and would probably make it much easier to "pass" with the Taylorsville City Council members.

Count me in if anyone needs help putting this together, I have no idea what's going on with the revisions to the originally proposed ordinance, but we need to get a move on folks, the days of summer will be waning soon!
 
Hi,
I am new to the forum but have kept 2-7 bantam hens for about 5 years up until February when we received a code violation notice from the city. Long story short, we've been trying to get the ordinance changed and the City Council has had a new ordinance written up which would allow 6 hens by permit. This ordinance went before the Planning commission this week and they did not recommend that the Council pass it. This recommendation is not binding so we still have some hope when the City Council brings it up for discussion. Here's where I need help: Their main concern was that allowing chickens would overwhelm our understaffed animal control/code enforcement division and would be costly in terms of the increased number of chickens detained and needing to be kept in the county animal shelter. They seem to think that the number of chickens being kept in the city would increase exponentially (animal control estimates 8X) and that, therefore, the number of calls about chickens that they would have to go to would also increase by that amount.

I am looking for data from cities that have changed their ordinances to allow chickens. Have the number of "fowl incidents" increased? How much has it cost the city in terms of animal control? If you have any of these numbers or can help guide me to where I can find them, please let me know.

We miss our girls and hope to be able to get them back soon.
Thanks,
Ami
 
Quote:
First, you should start your own thread with a relevant title--you will get much more feedback. Second, fines for violation of code should pay for the cost of enforcement. But if they are making the birds legal, why would they need more enforcement? You don't investigate complaints about something that is legal, only things that violate the law, or at least appear that they may.
 
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