*The City of San Diego, California - Chicken and Gamebird / Fowl Law* - Page 16

That's right.  The code restrictions applied to all "fowl", so ducks still fall under the old rules.

After our success in getting chickens, pygmy goats and bees approved by the city council, the city planner's office has asked us if there are any other urban agriculture changes that would be beneficial - can any of you think of other changes you might like to the city code?  The city council right now is very eager and of the proper makeup to address more changes

Quote:

Originally Posted by Chris in South Park 

After our success in getting chickens, pygmy goats and bees approved by the city council, the city planner's office has asked us if there are any other urban agriculture changes that would be beneficial - can any of you think of other changes you might like to the city code?  The city council right now is very eager and of the proper makeup to address more changes

Yes! I believe that the current laws state that rabbits should still be 50ft from any residential building. It would be great if we could get the laws changed on that. Rabbits are a very popular pet, and create little mess, and (as far as I'm aware) pose few health risks. It would seem to me that allowing rabbits closer to homes would help alleviate the chronic problem of abandoned rabbits. It would also fall into the agriculture changes by providing an alternate food source and keeping weeds at bay in the correct setting.

LD

Hi LD, we did notice that rabbits were lumped in with chickens on the same restrictions.

At the same time we didn't really see a lot of complaints about rabbits filed with the city probably because rabbits in a hutch in your backyard are relatively invisibile to neighbors, Have you experienced neighbors reporting you for rabbits?  Nearly all complaints filed re chickens were simply petty spite, not because of noise, smell or other actual problems. It is really your neighbors that generate any complaints and cause all the problems, the city doesn't really care or go about searching for violations about these animals but when they receive a complaint they are obligated by law to address it..

Thanks for the follow up. I haven't had any complaints about my two, but I have a crazy neighbor, so I can see how it could happen. I just thought that, since the city is in a generous mood, it might be a good opportunity to create this change. I'm sure that rabbit rescue organizations would welcome the change as it may be preventing people from keeping rabbits in the first place, so may help alleviate the homeless rabbit population.

LD

Soooooo.....  What exactly happens if someone turns you in?  I assume it's to Animal Control, right, and that it is a fine or something?  I have two friendly neighbors on either side and behind is a steep slope down to that house.  But I haven't broached the subject yet - still deciding if I will at all.  Where my coop will be, isn't visible to any of these neighbors unless they climb up on a step to look over the 6' wooden fence.  Seems like a calculated risk to me, but my husband is a bit  more nervous about it since the coop will be a bit inside the ordinance parameters and our lot is smaller than specified.

Thoughts or experiences?

Shifra

If someone turns you in, you get a citation and have to get rid of the offending animals. To have 5 chickens though, there is no setback requirement.

In San Diego, the new law is directly related to setbacks - you cannot keep hens within the setback area - which for most lots of 5000 sq ft in the city the setback is 4-5 ft of the property line. Outside the setback you can have 5 hens - more the further you are from the setback.

Shifra since you are in CV, your obstacle is the 7000 sq ft min lot size - that needs to be changed - and I believe that's doable.  I for one would lend my time to the petition

Re rabbits Longday - I would recommend we get a punchlist of items like the rabbits and we can submit these to the city planner on a "cleanup list" of amendments just like the city revisited a punchlist of cleanup items re community gardens last week -

Chris - happy to work with you on the rabbit issue.

A question: how do you find out what your setback is?

LD