Official BYC Poll: Is chicken keeping legal in your town?

[Regina Larsen]

I recently found out that feeding mealworms to chickens here is illegal

Are soldier fly or beetle larva legal?

 

[PippinTheChicken]

Are soldier fly or beetle larva legal?

yes

 

[swamphiker]

I live inside city limits, which means I'm limited to 10 hens and no roosters, which is just fine by me, since 6-7 chickens gives us more eggs than we can eat. The only rule I break is that there is no butchering of chickens allowed, but we do end up needing to butcher the occasional rooster. The bother to any neighbors is minimal and they get eggs anyway.

 

[Regina Larsen]

Im in middle suburbia but in what they locally call 'the horse area'. Zoned for agriculture. Postwar (1940s/early 50s) homes - still with the wartime idea of 'small home, big victory garden'. Almost everyone here has something; a few if my neighbors not only have horses but breed and show. The regulation is 4 horses per acre but variance can be given.
Our goats come under the 'permitted' regs but there are no specifics i can find.

All domestic poultry allowed; 15 birds per 500 feet of ranging space. Only standard noise ordinances apply with roosters, complaints between 10pm-and 7am can be investigated upon a complaint.

We were on a postage stamp before this. Now its a working (mostly lol) homestead surrounded by like minded ppl which is a HUGE blessing.

I have read so many sad nightmares here about nasty neighbors. It sucks!!!! Then of course many of the same ppl bitch about wanting food all organic and local

 

[Regina Larsen]

yes

Interesting - thank u for the info. Im in US but curious about the regs over there. I see with avian flu things are more restricted right now

 

[3KillerBs]

I'm outside town limits in an agricultural county now. No restrictions.

In my previous home inside the limits of a different town, there had been a no-chicken rule based on a no farming ordinance -- until it was argued that the same interpretation of that law would forbid home gardens as well as backyard layers.

Given that the mayor at that time was the daughter of a noted local bantam game-chicken breeder and thus well-acquainted with the reality of chickens, they decided to go with a sensible policy of treating chickens the same way that dogs were treated and only investigating complaints of poor sanitation and excessive noise.

I learned this in a conversation with the mayor's father, who said that they *did* have to explain to an immigrant woman that she should butcher her chicken dinner in the privacy of her backyard rather than on the front doorstep.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

30A, zoned Ag, in a low population, rural county. I'm not certain there is anything I can't have which doesn't appear on the US Endangered Species Act. I am certain my neighbors wouldn't care, even if I did.

 

[3KillerBs]

I am certain my neighbors wouldn't care, even if I did.

As in my answer to the poll about neighbors and roosters -- my neighbors' rooster crows more than mine does.

A friend of ours lives in a subdivision specifically intended as horse and homestead properties where they joke about the Neighborhood Association citing people for not having enough chickens.

 

[Canina]

Ive just relocated due to the same issue (association doesn't allow chickens, and animal control could seize them on sight). I had my bantams as house chickens.. of course the got out of the cage and i had to chase them through the yard as I was moving out It isn't worth the stress of worrying, and the overly restrictive areas tend to attract overly constrained minds.. my advice.. find your new little corner of paradise for your garden and your chickens and love every minute of it ❤

I cannot afford to.I was homeless before I moved here I've not been settled for more than 6-8months in any one place living out of a suitcase for the best part of 10 years. I am disabled, my last move was an absolute nightmare and nearly killed me with stress. I haven't been able to get medical treatment, see dentists or get repeat prescriptions regularly because of constantly being disrupted and displaced. This was meant to be my forever home; I was told in writing before I move in that it was a house and private garden with explicit permission for pets then when I moved in the house had been spit into to flats and they left me to solely maintain the garden that they've now decided was always communal. I've just sunk 11 months of back breaking labour and at least £1500 on restoring that garden that I can never get back. I can't let them win.

 

[BleuSaphir]

In Santa Clarita yes but with provision of ordinance. However in HOA communities forget it.
Same with city of Palmdale. I find HOA communities in Palmdale you could get away keeping chickens. Most HOA fees are not crazy expensive like in Santa Clarita or LA rich suburb communities.