Here we go, Code Enforcement's coming

[Cetawin]

That case is a landmark case based on the
The Humane Methods of Slaughter Act (HMSA) which explicitly requires that "cattle, calves, horses, mules, sheep, swine, and other livestock" be slaughtered in accordance with humane methods.

Despite the fact that "other livestock" clearly includes animals such as farmed birds, who comprise more than nine out of ten land farm animals killed annually in this country, the USDA interprets this law in a way that excludes chickens, turkeys, and other birds from legal protection. So the Humane Society and various animal rights organizations filed the suit to attack the USDA basically and get the same killing treatment for cows applied to chickens, turkeys and etc.

United States District Court Judge Marilyn Hall Patel refused to dismiss the case on September 6, 2006. And it went back to be heard. It has yet to be resolved or determined that chickens are or are not livestock on a Federal level and that still resides with state and local laws to specify.

Some states such as California specifically address "Poultry" in their agricultural laws.

The problem that changing the HMSA creates is that once chickens are defined as "livestock" which is what that lawsuit is seeking, urban and many backyard chickens keepers will be in violation of agricultural laws for keeping "livestock".

If no changes is made and chickens are NOT defined as livestock, they can be killed by the billions each year in any manner of cruelty the owners wish, urban and backyard flock owners will still have to deal with code enforcement if violating local laws.

It will be interesting to see what happens when this suit is finalized. I just hope she can deal with these local code enforcers and get a variance or something to protect her hens.

 

[KierBri]

Quote:
the USDA says that an animal has to be stunned before it is killed in order for it to be humane. so, beheading a chicken would be inhumane.

basicaly solving one problem only opens up a whole bunch of other problems. people want a solution to one thing, and refuse to have the foresight to see how their solution is going to impact other areas. i believe if chickens are classified as livestock you can't free-range them because you must contain your livestock.anybody thought of that? nope, cause livestock would solve their problem (inhumane killing) so why think further?
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=44853 my post bottom of p. 4 gives another example of foresight

as far as anyone already keeping chickens they would be grandfathered in.

 

[wilds of pa]

Well now, stunned before killed...We hunt turkey, deer ect ,people go fishing catch fish to eat ..we dont stun..We put them down the way we want to..

Dont see how anybody can reg how a living creature/animal is killed..As long as its quik, that should be all that matters. Our for fathers did not stun they killed in what ever matter they had to...

Humane Society/USDA, if they would come here on chop day..Id tell them you know what...get the blank off my property..

Just my 2 cents..

Sorry for the vent...

Charlie

 

[poltroon]

The whole 'livestock' designation causes so much trouble - trying to rule chickens and horses and pigs and other species with rules that are appropriate for cattle. Sigh.

 

[hoosier]

Quote:
Mt father went through that too. He told the young guy that came to the door..."If you want it moved young man, my mower is in the shed. You break it, you fix it" then he slammed the door.

My father had a heart attack as they were getting hit by Jeanne and had a double bypass the next day. So when young man came three weeks later...let's just say he was not in the mood for his nonsense.

My mom's neighbor went to the police officer that lived on their street and wanted her arrested for not cutting her grass that was six inches high. The officer mowed the lawn for her as she had just had a stroke!

 

[BirdBrain]

People just amaze me!!

 

[lovemychicks9]

I really do not like nosey neighbors!! !un I swear there are some people that are so busy minding other folks business that they don't mind their own. Would'nt you just love to go up and tap them on the head and tell them to " GET A LIFE AND STAY OUT OF MINE" ? Trudy

 

[Cetawin]

Yup....shame people worry about grass height or hens in a neighbor's yard instead of worrying about their own problems and things of importance like gas prices.

I hate that code enforcement will come to you about 3 hens but ignore the guy down the road with 20 junk cars piled all over his property. Crazy.

 

[ridgefire]

Quote:
Hey don't knock my fence

 

[HMK123]

My sister in law was going to call the cops to arrest us for animal creulty after we slaughtered a few chickens last year. I was in shock... I just laughed when that weekend we went to dinner and she got chicken... And how did she think it got there? Grew on a chicken tree...