Is this ordinance unfair? I need advice!

[4 Georgia Hens]

Hello everyone! Recently I have been a lot of research about my county’s ordinances. We have been legally (with a few exceptions) keeping chickens for almost 4 years. After all of this time, we have started to really want to begin growing our “farm”. After doing some digging, I found out what is actually allowed. Essentially, every single-family residential home is allowed 1 Vietnamese Pot-Bellied pig. For us to have any swine (other than the VPB), fowl (other than backyard chickens), goats, or any other livestock, we need at least 2 acres and than it is 1 animal per acre. This seems a little bit unreasonable to me. We want to have a few quail and a few ducks but it is not allowed. Do y’all think that it would be worth it or even wise to try and change the ordinance? These laws have confused everyone that we have shared them with. It doesn’t make sense why a large pig is allowed but not even quail! Or even a dwarf goat! What do y’all think we should do? Does it seem to be a reasonable ordinance?
Oh, and one more thing:
For us to legally have more than 8 chickens, we have to have 8 acres and than it is 1 chickens per acre. Isn’t that crazy?

Ps. We are outside the city limits and we have 1 acre.

 

[PirateGirl]

This is on par with a lot of ordinances I have seen. It has to do with a few things. One is protecting vegetation, the other is protecting our ground water (in terms of contamination from waste as well as how much is being used). You may be able to have a change where instead of just chickens the wording is "small fowl" which is defined to include a few things other than chickens, but unfortunately, I wouldn't expect the number of animals per acre to change. Think if every person with one acre suddenly had 10 pigs each. It would ultimately have a huge impact on the local ecosystem.

The goat/pig thing seems to be a big deal. Areas either are zoned for swine or not, period, having nothing to do with what other animals are permitted.

Then they tend to either be zoned for goats or zoned for sheep, but not both, partly due to the plants they eat, but it also has to do with transmission of disease between goats and sheep. For example, in the wild, there is a disease the mountain goats carry that they can handle, but kills/destroys the bighorn sheep population. If the two species inhabit the same ecosystem, it really messes with the numbers and the balance of things and they really need to live in separate geographic locations. By keeping them separate, both sheep and goat populations are able to thrive.

 

[4 Georgia Hens]

This is on par with a lot of ordinances I have seen. It has to do with a few things. One is protecting vegetation, the other is protecting our ground water (in terms of contamination from waste as well as how much is being used). You may be able to have a change where instead of just chickens the wording is "small fowl" which is defined to include a few things other than chickens, but unfortunately, I wouldn't expect the number of animals per acre to change. Think if every person with one acre suddenly had 10 pigs each. It would ultimately have a huge impact on the local ecosystem.

The goat/pig thing seems to be a big deal. Areas either are zoned for swine or not, period, having nothing to do with what other animals are permitted.

Then they tend to either be zoned for goats or zoned for sheep, but not both, partly due to the plants they eat, but it also has to do with transmission of disease between goats and sheep. For example, in the wild, there is a disease the mountain goats carry that they can handle, but kills/destroys the bighorn sheep population. If the two species inhabit the same ecosystem, it really messes with the numbers and the balance of things and they really need to live in separate geographic locations. By keeping them separate, both sheep and goat populations are able to thrive.

Thank you for your input! I do like the idea of having small fowl allowed, not just chickens.

 

[roosterhavoc]

Hello everyone! Recently I have been a lot of research about my county’s ordinances. We have been legally (with a few exceptions) keeping chickens for almost 4 years. After all of this time, we have started to really want to begin growing our “farm”. After doing some digging, I found out what is actually allowed. Essentially, every single-family residential home is allowed 1 Vietnamese Pot-Bellied pig. For us to have any swine (other than the VPB), fowl (other than backyard chickens), goats, or any other livestock, we need at least 2 acres and than it is 1 animal per acre. This seems a little bit unreasonable to me. We want to have a few quail and a few ducks but it is not allowed. Do y’all think that it would be worth it or even wise to try and change the ordinance? These laws have confused everyone that we have shared them with. It doesn’t make sense why a large pig is allowed but not even quail! Or even a dwarf goat! What do y’all think we should do? Does it seem to be a reasonable ordinance?
Oh, and one more thing:
For us to legally have more than 8 chickens, we have to have 8 acres and than it is 1 chickens per acre. Isn’t that crazy?

Ps. We are outside the city limits and we have 1 acre.

Skip the ducks and get the quail. Sometimes it’s easier to ask for forgiveness than permission.

 

[wyoDreamer]

It sounds like someone already got the ordinances changed so they could have their pet pig - ergo, that would be why a VPB is allowed, but no other pigs. Pot-bellied pigs were the "fad" pet there for a while.
So there may be wiggle room for you to get changes to the ordinances, but I can guarantee it would be a heck of a battle.
Do you have a well and septic system on Your property?

One acre is not a lot of room once you figure in house footprint, driveways, set-back requirements, housing for the animal, and room for the animal to move around (pen). Then comes the question of what are you going to do with the animal waste that is produced? How are you going to control the animal sounds, smells and waste so it doesn't impact the neighbors?

In my opinion, 1 acre lots are suburbia, not country life. My parents have a 1 1/2 acre lot, as do all their neighbors. I can't imagine having livestock on their lot, let alone a lot that is only one acre. In fact, I would probably fight an ordinance change in that circumstance (I know that statement will not make me many friends on this forum. Sorry) Maybe quail, rabbits or pigeons, would be reasonable use. But I have too much experience with lousy neighbors to open the can of worms of goats, sheep, mini-cows, llamas, etc.

 

[PirateGirl]

@wyoDreamer has a good point, one completely empty open acre of land is not the same as one that accommodates a house and driveway and utilities and setbacks etc.

 

[4 Georgia Hens]

It sounds like someone already got the ordinances changed so they could have their pet pig - ergo, that would be why a VPB is allowed, but no other pigs. Pot-bellied pigs were the "fad" pet there for a while.
So there may be wiggle room for you to get changes to the ordinances, but I can guarantee it would be a heck of a battle.
Do you have a well and septic system on Your property?

One acre is not a lot of room once you figure in house footprint, driveways, set-back requirements, housing for the animal, and room for the animal to move around (pen). Then comes the question of what are you going to do with the animal waste that is produced? How are you going to control the animal sounds, smells and waste so it doesn't impact the neighbors?

In my opinion, 1 acre lots are suburbia, not country life. My parents have a 1 1/2 acre lot, as do all their neighbors. I can't imagine having livestock on their lot, let alone a lot that is only one acre. In fact, I would probably fight an ordinance change in that circumstance (I know that statement will not make me many friends on this forum. Sorry) Maybe quail, rabbits or pigeons, would be reasonable use. But I have too much experience with lousy neighbors to open the can of worms of goats, sheep, mini-cows, llamas, etc.

I appreciate your input! Thank you for your time. This post really gave me a lot to think about and reconsider! I have for so long wanted to live in the country. But because of my neighborhood loving family, chances are that my dreams will not be coming true anytime soon. I have been working hard to create the best “farm” that I can in the city, but with all of the restrictions and rules it is very challenging. And you are right, 1 acre lots are definitely not anywhere close to county life.

 

[harveyhorses]

I have to ask how many do you want? An acre really is not that much, and while 12-15 chickens would be alright, chicken math sneaks in, and suddenly you have 30 or 40.
Counties really do need to consider the impact on ground water, which eventually drains into rivers, etc.
I'm on a double lot, a little over 1/2 an acre and I am allowed 6 hens. for my neighborhood and location, I think that is reasonable. I've seen too many places with no ordinances (or at least not enforced) with horses, cows, goats etc. on land that no longer has a scrap of any vegetation growing.
Would you want all of your neighbors to have unlimited small fowl too?
It sort of sounds like you want a 'real farm' on an acre. Sorry.

 

[4 Georgia Hens]

I have to ask how many do you want? An acre really is not that much, and while 12-15 chickens would be alright, chicken math sneaks in, and suddenly you have 30 or 40.
Counties really do need to consider the impact on ground water, which eventually drains into rivers, etc.
I'm on a double lot, a little over 1/2 an acre and I am allowed 6 hens. for my neighborhood and location, I think that is reasonable. I've seen too many places with no ordinances (or at least not enforced) with horses, cows, goats etc. on land that no longer has a scrap of any vegetation growing.
Would you want all of your neighbors to have unlimited small fowl too?
It sort of sounds like you want a 'real farm' on an acre. Sorry.

I really want to be able to have a few quail or a few ducks. I am happy with my amount of chickens. What is crazy to me is that I have to have 9 acres to have 9 chickens.

 

[harveyhorses]

Oh I totally get it, really I do, but defining 'a few' is where things get murky. That's where 6 turns into 12, etc.
You could look at other neighboring areas and see what the rules are for them and use that as amo, or info.