Councilman in SUPPORT has questions!

silkielover5 said:

Is there a way to message these people to let them know the true facts. I know in Stillwater they are pretty strict. I have taken in 3 roosters and have found them new homes so far from Stillwater families that were about to get reported

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Sonoran Silkies said:

First question I would ask in response to his questions is whether he would be asking these questions of cat/dog/fish/cage-bird owners. And I would not give specific answers for what any single individual's plans are.

You might answer that there are many purposes that people have for raising chickens, to include exhibition, 4H, pets, eggs, meat, insect control, yard candy, source for tie flying feathers, etc.

Chickens are available from many sources including breeders, hatcheries, feed stores, other backyard chicken enthusiasts, school hatching projects, etc.

How I would handle a neighbor's complaint would depend on the neighbor and the complaint. A legitimate complaint (birds hopping the fence into their yard, excessive noise, odor, flies, light from coop keeping them awake, etc.) would be handled as soon as the issue is known, or prevented fro the get-go. Something like "I don't like chickens" or "chickens do not belong in this neighborhood" are not really legitimate complaints. Some people do not like cats or do not like dogs, but as long as those animals do not create an actual nuisance, those are opinions, not legitimate complaints, and I would ignore or respond to them the same way as if someone said "I don't like your car" or "I don't your dog."

Most cities enforce code violations only when there is a complaint, and then only to the extent that there IS a code violation.

Some cities require permission from adjoining neighbors, but that is not really a good solution, and many cities do not require neighbor permission. Adjoining neighbors can change their minds, or sell their house and a new neighbor moves in. The cost to acquire chickens can vary from a couple of dollars for a chick at the feed store to several hundred dollars for a show bird. Cost and time expended for purchasing or building a coop and run or installing an escape-proof fence can also be considerable. It is not fair to let a neighbor decide what one can/cannot do on their property so long as no actual nuisance is experienced. Anyone MIGHT open their windows and play their stereo at 150 decibels, rendering the neighbors deaf, but to regulate the owning of stereos because of what MIGHT happen would be deemed silly by most. Ownership of chickens should be viewed the same way. Define and regulate actual nuisances, not their cause.

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AWSOME RESPONSE! THAT IS EXACTLY THE WAY THAT I THINK AND FEEL TOO!

jbher said:

Okay well since she opened a can of worms there are people commenting on her page about all the common stuff but here are two I'd like help replying to.... ahhhh I'm pulling my hair out:


Brian S******: why does Hudson need chickens within the city limits? How does this help the community as a whole? What is the driving force behind legalizing chickens within the city limits?
Eric S*****: Ordinances look fine on paper; it's the practical application and enforcement of them that really matters. My parents live in a city that allows chickens and had a next door neighbor who had a few for a while. What a mess! They never violated any ordinances, as far as we know, and my parents never complained just so they could stay on good terms with the neighbors. Thank goodness they moved and took the chickens with them. Go to an organic food store -- like Whole Foods in River Falls where we used to sell our eggs -- or a local organic farmer if you want free-range chicken meat or eggs. Look up Organic Valley Farms in River Falls. There's a good reason we've kept livestock on farms and out of the city all these years -- health and aesthetics.

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Sonoran Silkies said:

1) I would counter that with "why does Hudson need dogs within the city limits?" or cats? Embracing freedom of its citizens helps the community as a whole. It makes it a more welcoming and inclusive community. The driving force is a grass-roots effort by citizens of Hudson.
You can probably expound on those themes.

2) If your parents' neighbors' yard/property was a mess, then that would probably have been the case with/without chickens. It is appropriate for the city to regulate nuisances, and obvious ones are noise, odor, pests (rodents, flies, etc.) Properly kept chickens should not cause these nuisances. Some communities require that coops be cleaned on a daily or weekly basis, regulate the placement of coops ad pens, etc. Just as some communities regulate trash and tall weeds in yards, inoperable vehicles, etc. Many communities enforce code violations based upon complaints received, and in many communities, the complainants are kept confidential.

As for going to an organic store to purchase food, have you compared prices? Purchased organic food is very expensive, and that assumes that only those who want organic foods want chickens. That is far from the case. Many want chickens for pets, for healthy, but not necessarily organic eggs, for 4H or other reasons.

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