~***CITY/SUBURBAN FOLK THREAD***~ Not all of us are clueless!

[KnoxvilleChick]

Our ordinance also bans non-chicken fowl, and other livestock. No goats, pigs, horses, cows, turkeys, or ducks. Although, being that I'm on a little over a quarter acre, I don't know that I would go that route anyway.

And honestly, other than having to pay for a building permit and an annual hen permit, the rules and regulations don't really bother me. Mine are nowhere NEAR as ridiculous as Zak's! Here in Ktown they are all intended to protect neighbors from unpleasantries, and animals from unsanitary and inhumane conditions. No roosters because of the noise, coop placement and poop management because of potential smelliness (although even if you stick your head in my coop it isn't bad), and other rules to prevent people from trying to open up an egg-selling or slaughterhouse business at the expense of property value and general peacefulness. My neighbor's back porch is about 4 feet from my fence, and I would hate to make them not want to spend time on their own porch. I guess they make all these rules with the irresponsible pet owner/bad neighbor in mind, and it's really just common sense and common courtesy for the rest of us. At least where I am

 

[ZaksGarden]

I agree there should be some rules governing it, to protect the peace for everyone. But for instance, I have a neighbor that has 4 great danes, they bark constantly, and if the wind is blowing my south good lord you better hold your nose! To me that is far more offensive than my hens, yet I had to pay $150 for a permit, and go through all of those loopholes and he didn't for his mammoth canines. Where is the sanity I say!

 

[KnoxvilleChick]

I am right there with you! Why get upset and worked up over chickens? I don't have tons of experience yet, but mine are very quiet, contained, friendly, and very amusing (not to mention educational) to watch. Any lazy, crazy person can get a pack of dogs with no effort, but chickens take an act of Congress. Or, in my case, City Council and a Chicken Board.

I really think it's a sociological thing. When we moved from an agrarian/rural society to a industrial/urban society, it suddenly became taboo to raise livestock. That's what poor people do, the unmentionables. Fine, upstanding citizens should buy their eggs and meat from a nice, clean, sanitary grocery store. And that is why my 3 year old son was the ONLY kid in his preschool class who knew that milk comes from a cow and that carrots and potatoes grow underground. He's also the only one who understands that earthworms, honeybees, ladybugs, and spiders are friends, but we feed the slugs, stinkbugs, and Japanese and squash beetles to the chickens.

I'm fortunate enough to be immediately surrounded by very nice people who offer to be on my kids' emergency pickup lists and to take in my mail and feed my animals when I go on vacation. Dogs around here stay in fences and keep their voices down (barring the occasional squirrel or rabbit chase that- during daylight hours- every dog should enjoy from time to time). Cats, however, are another story...

 

[ZaksGarden]

Very true. I do think that sustainability is a growing trend, hopefully it will catch on and people in the more developed areas will realize that raising chickens is not a poor man's last resort, but a green, eco-friendly, and educational way of life. Chickens are GREAT recyclers, which helps us reduces our carbon footprint, and my goodness are those eggs better than store bought eggs.

 

[SophieL]

Micro mini farm... That's such a cute word for it! I might start calling my home that if you don't mind!

Be my guest!

 

[Marty1876]

Very true. I do think that sustainability is a growing trend, hopefully it will catch on and people in the more developed areas will realize that raising chickens is not a poor man's last resort, but a green, eco-friendly, and educational way of life. Chickens are GREAT recyclers, which helps us reduces our carbon footprint, and my goodness are those eggs better than store bought eggs.

They are definately not a poor mans last resort! Its cheaper to buy eggs than to raise the birds, but its so much better to have the best and freshest, and if you can save on food while using organic pest controls like poultry in your garden to both eat bugs and fertilzie and loosen the soil, its a win win situation for us, earth, and other people.

We're just the start of the green generation.

 

[the outdoorsman44]

I have 4 quail. to make it worse my neighbors have cats everywhere

 

[Ally Rose]

This thread is for anyone who lives in the city/suburbs! Chances are, most of us probably don't have farms, being that we're not from the country, but who cares? Not all of us are clueless in the world of poultry/ livestock, and it's time to prove it. Feel free to share your stories, explain how you raise animals without unlimited space, or, just make friendly conversation. My apologies if a thread like this already exisist. Welcome city dwellers!

Hey! turns out there is someone super close to me on here! i am from NJ, and my town (which i don't want to give out, sorry) is very close to where you are! I did not know you could have farm animals in the area, and i would like to hear all about how you did it! I am trying to hatch duck eggs and please tell me how you keep your neighbors from complaining!

 

[shadow rabbit10]

Hey! turns out there is someone super close to me on here! i am from NJ, and my town (which i don't want to give out, sorry) is very close to where you are! I did not know you could have farm animals in the area, and i would like to hear all about how you did it! I am trying to hatch duck eggs and please tell me how you keep your neighbors from complaining!

Hello! It depends on your town. My town used to have no limits when it came to chickens, but that all changed when certain chicken owners couldn't keep their birds in their own yards. We don't have laws on any other type of poultry though. However, poultry is the only farm animals allowed, (except horses, which were forgotten in the list of banned animals

, but no one has room for one)Here are some of my town's basic chicken rules:
-12 birds maximum
- Only one rooster
- Coop must be 5 foot off anyone else's property line and must be behind your house
- For each bird, you must pay a yearly permit of $5.
However, there are no duck rules.... You should go to your zoning director and ask about the restrictions as far as ducks.
Now, we don't have a backyard, but we do have a garden and 2 side yards. One side yard belongs to the rabbits though. Now, technically its illeagle to put my coop in my side yard, but unless someone complains, who cares? I'll just move the coop in my garden. My neighbors have not complained yet. The family across the street from me is actually excited. The only neighbor that might complain is the old lady next door. Well, actually her son would, when he comes to visit.This guy is really annoying. He doesn't even live in my neighborhood and he has complained twice about my mom feeding the wild birds and squirrels. I can't wait until he finds out about the chickens. At least he only comes around to visit his mother... The neighbors behind me are so annoying, between their barking dogs, their garage rock band that plays all day, and their loud radio, they wouldn't even notice we have chickens. So, in summary, my neighbors either don't know, or don't care about my chickens. Even if they did have a problem, there is nothing they can do as long as I am following the restrictions. I don't think ducks would be a problem for you. Maybe you should talk to your neighbors and zoning director and work something out. The best way to solve a problem, is to keep it from happening.
~Shadow

 

[Ally Rose]

Hello! It depends on your town. My town used to have no limits when it came to chickens, but that all changed when certain chicken owners couldn't keep their birds in their own yards. We don't have laws on any other type of poultry though. However, poultry is the only farm animals allowed, (except horses, which were forgotten in the list of banned animals

, but no one has room for one)Here are some of my town's basic chicken rules:
-12 birds maximum
- Only one rooster
- Coop must be 5 foot off anyone else's property line and must be behind your house
- For each bird, you must pay a yearly permit of $5.
However, there are no duck rules.... You should go to your zoning director and ask about the restrictions as far as ducks.
Now, we don't have a backyard, but we do have a garden and 2 side yards. One side yard belongs to the rabbits though. Now, technically its illeagle to put my coop in my side yard, but unless someone complains, who cares? I'll just move the coop in my garden. My neighbors have not complained yet. The family across the street from me is actually excited. The only neighbor that might complain is the old lady next door. Well, actually her son would, when he comes to visit.This guy is really annoying. He doesn't even live in my neighborhood and he has complained twice about my mom feeding the wild birds and squirrels. I can't wait until he finds out about the chickens. At least he only comes around to visit his mother... The neighbors behind me are so annoying, between their barking dogs, their garage rock band that plays all day, and their loud radio, they wouldn't even notice we have chickens. So, in summary, my neighbors either don't know, or don't care about my chickens. Even if they did have a problem, there is nothing they can do as long as I am following the restrictions. I don't think ducks would be a problem for you. Maybe you should talk to your neighbors and zoning director and work something out. The best way to solve a problem, is to keep it from happening.
~Shadow

So do you have a big property? I have NEVER heard of chickens in Point Pleasant! I guess poultry in a beach town is possible!! Im very excited that there is someone on here near me!