Is this ordinance unfair? I need advice!

[rosemarythyme]

Your zoning code seems awesome! Do people seem to go crazy with the slack?

Surprisingly relatively few people here keep livestock or poultry here (compared to the amount of space available) as there's a lot of retirees living here who've aged out of wanting to manage them, and young families who just don't have the time.

As far as chickens, I know there's a few people around with flocks, but I haven't seen/heard any evidence of anyone keeping large flocks. Biggest I've seen is a mixed flock of chickens, ducks and turkeys that number about 30 birds maybe. I think the zoning is a reflection of the roots of the area, as this used to be farms and agricultural land... my lot was part of a goat farm at one point, so I've been told.

 

[4 Georgia Hens]

Surprisingly relatively few people here keep livestock or poultry here (compared to the amount of space available) as there's a lot of retirees living here who've aged out of wanting to manage them, and young families who just don't have the time.

As far as chickens, I know there's a few people around with flocks, but I haven't seen/heard any evidence of anyone keeping large flocks. Biggest I've seen is a mixed flock of chickens, ducks and turkeys that number about 30 birds maybe. I think the zoning is a reflection of the roots of the area, as this used to be farms and agricultural land... my lot was part of a goat farm at one point, so I've been told.

Wow that’s awesome!

 

[Maugwa]

I wouldn't advocate breaking the law, or ordinances, or anything like that, but I do often. Not with my poultry or anything, I have 20 acres in the country with no ordinances. Let me explain, I'm a mason and around half of the work I do is in a small town nearby. They have a rule that you can't do construction work before 8:00 am, and I get it, and respect it most of the time. However, it's in the 90s and 100s here in late June through August most of the time. Not only is laying block in 100 degree temperatures hard on block layers, but it's even harder to keep your mud nice. We try to go at 5:30 or 6:00 so we can get out of there by 1:00 or 2:00 - Noon if it's too hot. By far most people get it. I make sure all the sawing that we need early is done in the afternoon the day before, put stuff where I don't need my forklift till 8:00, and mix the first few batches with a shovel - we are quiet in the early morning. Town cops even drive by and wave (it's a small town, I know most of them). But every great once in a while, somebody will complain, one of those cops will come to me and apologize for having to tell me what we both know. No tickets or nothing, we just have to finish that one with 8:00 am starts. A week later, the same cop will wave and smile at me at 6:00 am on another street working.

9 acres is a lot of ground for 9 chickens. Were it me, I may look into how bad of crime is it. Do they just tell you "no"?, or is it $100, or $1000? More than likely, the worst that would happen is they tell you some need to go. Do they have an official chicken counter inspecting properties? Then I'd push my luck a little, while working on getting the rules changed. Nothing crazy, but maybe try 15, or a small quail run tucked in somewhere. If you get along with your neighbors, are respectful, clean, and don't get carried away with a big chicken ranch, I'd almost bet nobody complained. I've come to the conclusion, in my experiences at least, that most ordinances aren't really enforced much unless there is a complainer nearby, or somebody goes too far overboard breaking them and becomes a problem neighbor.

 

[wyoDreamer]

I agree with what @Maugwa wrote - but remember, all it takes is for one new person to buy a house, move in, and start complaining. You can be there for 30 years, doing your thing and have nobody complain, then BAM. New guy calls the cops because your chicken sang the egg song at 5 am and woke him up. The ordinance backs him up, not you.

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

This is what happens when too many "city slickers" move to the country. I once looked at a house with 10 acres up in the mountains that had a deed restriction prohibiting chickens. IMO people who do things like that ruin rural communities.

 

[wyoDreamer]

@4 Georgia Hens Back to your question: is it worth the work to get the ordinance changed?
Contact your neighbors, talk to your co workers, see if there are others that think the ordinance needs to be updated.

Is this county ordinance, or sub-division rules?

 

[4 Georgia Hens]

@4 Georgia Hens Back to your question: is it worth the work to get the ordinance changed?
Contact your neighbors, talk to your co workers, see if there are others that think the ordinance needs to be updated.

Is this county ordinance, or sub-division rules?

I will do that! Thank you. It is a county ordinance.

 

[wyoDreamer]

county ordinance - that can make it easier or harder. More people affected by the ordinance, but probably lower percentage that actually care what you do.
I have found sub-divisions with covenents to be hard to change because there are more close neighbors watching what you are doing to make sure you don't break the rules.
With county ordinance, maybe if you point out the 1 pot-bellied-pig rule, you can convince that a couple of little goaties (Pygmie, Nigerian) are not going to be any more trouble for the neighbors than a PBP that will weigh 120 pounds full grown.
Make sure to back your arguments with facts.

 

[4 Georgia Hens]

county ordinance - that can make it easier or harder. More people affected by the ordinance, but probably lower percentage that actually care what you do.
I have found sub-divisions with covenents to be hard to change because there are more close neighbors watching what you are doing to make sure you don't break the rules.
With county ordinance, maybe if you point out the 1 pot-bellied-pig rule, you can convince that a couple of little goaties (Pygmie, Nigerian) are not going to be any more trouble for the neighbors than a PBP that will weigh 120 pounds full grown.
Make sure to back your arguments with facts.

Thank you for the advice!

 

[aart]

county ordinance - that can make it easier or harder. More people affected by the ordinance, but probably lower percentage that actually care what you do.

Might depend on the county, there could be dense population areas where it might make sense for things to be more restricted, that would be ridiculous for the rural areas of county.