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

[amorrill]

We can't butcher either, but again with 6 hens max and no roosters, why bother? My Animal Control officer, when I asked her as I turned in my final round of paperwork, told me that the City council didn't want random passersby to happen upon a butcher scene and be scarred for life. Then she rolled her eyes and laughed, because she knows just like we all do how ridiculous this is!

She did say, however, I was free to take my chickens out of city limits and either butcher them or have them butchered. Just not in front of the tenderfoots

If I had to cull a hen, I certainly wouldn't do it curbside! I don't know why they assume we would try to make it as public and horrific as possible, lol.

 

[richsbabycakes]

That's one of our rules too, no slaughtering at home. I think it's a weird rule too.

 

[rgearhead]

Nice thread, I was born and raised on the South side of Chicago, I now live in the S/W Burbs out side Chicago where chickens arrent allowed so i have ondly 2 astrolorps in a 10' by 5' run, I have to little girls who love playing with and feeding the Hens, and the neighbors who know of my chickes think it is way cool, lol...

 

[Savuti]

Hello all!
I don't have any chickens yet, still in the planning phase. I live in a small-ish town south of San Francisco, it's part million dollar homes, part farmland, part everything else

a very interesting mix. I live in a built-up area(neighbours pretty close on all sides), but one street over is a small farm that sells produce and has chickens, horses and a llama. I called the planning department because I wanted to do everything by the book. The town allows 2 chickens without a permit, coop needs to be 25ft from any residence and I think 10ft from property lines. I want to have around 5-6 chickens because I live on a larger lot than most of the houses(so I have the room) and I want to be able to share eggs with family and friends. I was shocked when the planning department lady(who was very nice) told me that to apply to have more than two chickens I needed to pay a $2600 deposit

!!!!! Then she told me I might be able to get it down to $1300 since it wasn't going to cost the city $2600 to do all the work for my permit to be processed. I would get back whatever wasn't used to pay city workers to inform neighbours, draft paperwork, etc. Then she goes on to tell me in a roundabout way that if people don't complain there usually isn't a problem, and people only really complain about roosters(which are not allowed at all), so not having a permit would go unnoticed so long as my chickens weren't a problem. I just couldn't get over the price for a little piece of paper to have what amount to(for me) a few more pets. I don't understand why it's so taboo to have chickens. Too many misconceptions out there.

 

[amorrill]

Hehehe, I had a good one last night! I ordered in food, and the girls were ranging in my fenced yard. They were no where to be seen when the kid came to the door, probably hanging out under the shrubs. I guess they smelled the food, or something, because he turned around to leave and he was surrounded. The look on his face was priceless! He kept turning around on his way to the gate, and they followed him. There are only 7 households with chicken licenses in town, so I am guessing he hasn't seen that a lot.

 

[Imp]

That's funny.

All my neighbors like my hens. They're on the tour with out of town visitors, grandkids etc.
I'm not, they are. Lol!
They've even told me to get roosters, but I'm in a pretty tight neighborhood, so I don't want to push my luck.

Imp- well maybe

 

[shadow rabbit10]

My one neighbor across the street keeps asking if I'm getting a rooster. Her kids want to see one! I have a cockerel, but sadly, he may have to go.

 

[shadow rabbit10]

Hehehe, I had a good one last night! I ordered in food, and the girls were ranging in my fenced yard. They were no where to be seen when the kid came to the door, probably hanging out under the shrubs. I guess they smelled the food, or something, because he turned around to leave and he was surrounded. The look on his face was priceless! He kept turning around on his way to the gate, and they followed him. There are only 7 households with chicken licenses in town, so I am guessing he hasn't seen that a lot.

 

[maizy'smom]

Hello from just outside Philadelphia, PA. I am literally one mile off the city limits. We moved here twelve years ago from deep South Philly, where we lived in a twelve foot wide, thirty foot deep, double trinity (A trinity is a three story high, one room per floor house. A double is two rooms per floor with one spiral stair case going up the middle) row house. Our back yard was twelve feet wide by eight feet deep. Our move to the "burbs" was huge step up...three story, six bedroom twin with 1/10th of an acre, including the house. So, my chickens have use of about 1/20th of an acre. Still feels like a grand estate in the wilderness to me! I get woodchucks, chipmunks, possums, skunks and fox. And yet, I can walk a mile to the train to go down town, or step out my front door and get a bus. Pretty cool, I think.
I also belong to a group called COOP; Chicken Owners Outside (and in) Philadelphia. It is a great resource for fellow local chicken keepers. In particular, it is good for learning the zoning codes for the various local townships and communities, which ones are more or less chicken friendly. I learn so much here on the BYC forum about basic, universal, chicken keeping from all-around brilliant, experienced chicken experts. And I am truly grateful, amazed, and awed by their wisdom. But there is something to be said for being able to ask where to find a local vet who treats chickens, or where to get local feed and supplies, or where to move to keep your birds and what the zoning requirements are. Kind of like being "suburban," not really city or rural, but the best of both?
Sorry to rant philosophic, but I am home sick today and am feeling a little introspective. Thanks for a great thread!

mm

 

[Marty1876]

maizy'smom - That soulnds awesome! Thanks for giving us an inside peek at real life in Philidephia. (or a mile from it....)

Chickens, and some people, do seem to have an abiding appreciation for the space they have. I wish that more people could be like chickens (and dogs) and know that as long as you have something to eat, somewhere to sleep, and somebody who cares about you, your ok.

(And if you want, tell me more about Philly, I'm deeply curious, but live in Kansas. We could do with a little more downtown life! Even Kansas City, a "big" town, ain't got nothing on Philly I'm sure. I bet you even have some Thai restaurants! My fav but I have to drive 2 hours to get to the nearest one from here.)