How I secretly raise chickens with HOA restrictions

[U_Stormcrow]

Do the crime, if you are willing to do the time I guess. That's civil disobedience for a cause.

As to what to make it look like??? That's a lot of birds and goats too, if I remember this thread from 6 am when I didn't have time to type, if you think a child's playhouse type design will do.

How about either a long shed/adirondack-type structure or a tall fence to block the view and maybe muffle some of the sounds. I've temporarily (admittedly better climate) attached roosting bars to the outside of my barn, under an overhang, to allow my chickens more space to stay when my flock count has climbed faster than my shelter-building efforts to contain them.

For entertainment purposes, I'd be as inclined to put out some wooden picnic tables - its multiple horizontal sufaces at differing heights, and not clearly associated with chicken or goat keeeping, yet both will play on them. Just make sure you can hose them down before you use those tables for yourself.

/edit not the same thread. Even so, a tall vertical structure with an overhang and a picnic table or three are multitaskers.

 

[IdyllwildAcres]

HOAs can ban or allow anything they want. that’s the upside of being the ones who make the rules.

whether you agree with the rules or not is a different story, and that’s where your freedom of choice on where to live comes into play.

I would never choose to live in an HOA

 

[DickMidnight]

I would never choose to live in an HOA

understandable. they aren't for everyone.

my issue is with the people who do choose to live in an HOA community, and then decide they don't like the rules there and choose not to follow them.

 

[Sono]

HOAs can ban or allow anything they want. that’s the upside of being the ones who make the rules.

whether you agree with the rules or not is a different story, and that’s where your freedom of choice on where to live comes into play.

Thats why I live in the sticks.... no rules.

 

[AGeese]

Thats why I live in the sticks.... no rules.

Checkin in from the hallow.

 

[Sono]

Checkin in from the hallow.

I will never live with a HOA, POA, LOA ever again ! Did that once in the county and had a fight with them about parking my show truck in MY driveway because it was too tall to get in the garage. ( rules was no parking trucks in driveway or on street, all vehicles must be in garage at night ) LOL they told me I needed to park it out of the subdivision 3 blocks away, I asked if they were going to cover it if stolen or damaged... well, we ended up in court and I won because the judge loved it and said it wasnt an eyesore so the rules were changed to no junky vehicles or trucks with junk in the bed of them to be parked on the driveways or streets at night. My neighbors loved me but I still hated the HOA there with their nit picking. Now I can do what I want as I please...

 

[AGeese]

I will never live with a HOA, POA, LOA ever again ! Did that once in the county and had a fight with them about parking my show truck in MY driveway because it was too tall to get in the garage. ( rules was no parking trucks in driveway or on street, all vehicles must be in garage at night ) LOL they told me I needed to park it out of the subdivision 3 blocks away, I asked if they were going to cover it if stolen or damaged... well, we ended up in court and I won because the judge loved it and said it wasnt an eyesore so the rules were changed to no junky vehicles or trucks with junk in the bed of them to be parked on the driveways or streets at night. My neighbors loved me but I still hated the HOA there with their nit picking. Now I can do what I want as I please...

Yeah no thank you. No one is really around here to care about what your vehicle looks like, but no one's gonna judge either. But with the way people fly down my road no one parks on it.

 

[UglyDucklings]

I went into TSC a few days ago for a compost bin for a garden I'm starting this year. I walked out with two ducklings (I couldn't pass these guys up) and my compost bin. I live in an area with HOA. They're currently inside/about to go into the garage. I'll keep you all posted.

 

[alpacasandchicks78]

It’s pretty simple. I’m allowed ONE chicken per HOA rules. I think that’s cruel as chickens are very social critters who need other chickens for interaction. Simply put, it is easier for me to ask forgiveness than permission.

With the cost of eggs going up and the mega farms egg production going down (avian flu is back) people should absolutely be encouraged to keep a few chickens around in my humblest of opines. Alright, here’s what I do:

First I went with 4 Rhode Island Reds (Heritage breed. They’re fairly quiet and good producers. I’ll add a couple more to the flock every year for meat and eggs.

I situated the coop on the side of my house that’s doesn’t have neighbors. There is nothing but a sidewalk on the other side of the fence that is not well travelled and the coop is currently closer to the house than the sidewalk.

I got a small coop from tractor supply I love and ordered the large fenced in chicken run off amazon. A few dowel rods, feeders and toys. Put it all together and my chickens are quite content.

That’s pretty much it. Oh and I don’t talk about it with anyone but my wife and kids. I don’t tell neighbors and I don’t post on Facebook about it. Instead I hop on BYC to let it all out so I don’t internally combust with excitement.

There ya go. Chicken farming in suburbia on the downlow. If I get popped and have to get rid of my fluffy butt club….I will probably move!

Have fun kids

I've been telling my Twitter followers if they come across bantam pullets it's absolutely doable. 5-6 of them and you're in business. I have 5 of my less cold hardy bantams inside my porch better insulated from the heat and if one of them wasn't a roo no one would be the wiser.

I think I need to start a blog for this. I'm the chicken chick people are asking questions to. I'm just hoping avian flu this year isn't going to hit my state as hard. We weren't allowed to buy, sell, or trade in my county for three weeks and being chick season at the time, there was quite a backup of youngsters that hatched in the meantime available that I imagine some would've had to have been culled .

 

[UglyDucklings]

understandable. they aren't for everyone.

my issue is with the people who do choose to live in an HOA community, and then decide they don't like the rules there and choose not to follow them.

Me