They are taking my chickens away.

[chick-adee]

Thanks! I have a home set up for them that will work. I'll miss my girls but I'll get to see them once a week. That always helps. And the place is really nice and big. The farmer is great, and I really trust her to take good care of them. The mayor even had to give up his ducks, so I don't know if I stand a chance. Owl, Peep, Daisy, and Gertrude will be happy. I'll miss them.

 

[Blooie]

I'm really sorry things worked out this way. You are fortunate to have had a place where they can go, and you can still see them regularly.

 

[chick-adee]

Ya.

 

[chick-adee]

I talked to the zoning officer, and he gave me another three weeks!!!! I'm going to try to change the ordinance, any advice?

 

[Lanlul]

Hi! I would like to read the ordinance. Is your ordinance online?

 

[chick-adee]

Its a little weird because I just found out that a new set of ordinances is in the proposal stage. It says poultry, swine, cows ect. are allowed, but the current one goes like this (I can't find it online): Up to three domestic animals commonly found in households may live in one home. Or something like that. So I could have some grounds on that one, but the new ordinances will be quite a bit harder to fight against. Maybe I better see the council before the new ordinances come out???

 

[Lanlul]

Right you are. Keep us posted.
I would ask the board," what can I do to keep my chickens?"

 

[Suziqzer]

I hope you find a way to keep a few of them. I understand where you are coming from. I'm glad you will get to see them weekly at least if nothing else works out. Chances are if the mayor was unable to keep his, you won't either unless something changes. It may also help if you can get the neighbors to vouch for the peacefulness and cleanliness of your flock.

 

[chick-adee]

Right you are. Keep us posted.
I would ask the board," what can I do to keep my chickens?"

Ya, but unfortunatly that means I have to work fast. I'm trying to think of a cool acronym for a poultry group. I've got nothin'. I think I have the city garden on my side. They want to have chickens in the garden

I hope you find a way to keep a few of them. I understand where you are coming from. I'm glad you will get to see them weekly at least if nothing else works out. Chances are if the mayor was unable to keep his, you won't either unless something changes. It may also help if you can get the neighbors to vouch for the peacefulness and cleanliness of your flock.

Okay, I'll do that. My chickens weren't the quietest ever :/ but my neighbors liked them, I hope. I've heard of a poultry group near me and I hope they'll be able to help. The mayor had ducks and thats different than chickens in cleanliness and volume. But still, he is the mayor. The officer said that there were a lot of people who had chickens around here, so I hope I have they're support.

 

[Blooie]

Okay, got your research hat on? Pencils sharpened? Bifocals at the ready? Pot of coffee on? And, of course, your temper tucked firmly in your pocket? Good, then here we go.

As I see it the first place to start is research. That's going to mean burning some midnight oil because you're on a tight time frame here. You first need to find out which nearby communities in your area allow chickens. See how their regulations are written. Do they limit the number of chickens? Rooster restrictions? Permit required? What are the setback requirements for where to locate a coop. What are the enforcement options of the town or city if an owner is found to be in violation? Are there any definitions that differ from town to town - in other words, some communities list poultry, then list chickens separately. I've never understood that delineation, but officials being officials sometimes the more words they put into an ordinance the more meat they think it contains, even if they are comparing apples to oranges.

Okay, now that you have that it, put it into a concise document. It doesn't have to be fancy - at these meetings nothing will shortchange your efforts like presenting 50 pages of stuff that they don't have time during a meeting to read. You could simply put, "Mainsville. Limit 4 chickens. No roosters. Set backs ___ feet from neighboring properties, ____ feet from fencing, ____ feet from public roadways. Enforcement - warning 1st offence, fine 2nd offence. Removal of poultry and fine 3rd offence. Then list the next community, and so on. Have I lost you yet?

If not, read on. Now find people in those areas and in your area who have chickens. Here's where you have to spend a little money. Put brief ads in the local papers, asking for fellow poultry owners to attend the meeting with you and answer concerns that they have overcome in their setups. All you have to say is something like, "Looking for help from local chicken (specify chicken!) owners to form a group in order to facilitate keeping of backyard chickens in ___________________(name of your community)." Then when they contact you, try to pin them down. Will they provide documentation from local ordinances and explain their positive experiences? Do they have an existing group you can join?

Now you need approval from your neighbors. That approval has to be more than, "George has chickens and it reminds me of growing up on the farm, plus I like the eggs. Thank you." That ain't gonna cut it. You need them to affirm that your facility is kept clean, that you take good care of the birds, that you are diligent in not allowing your chickens to be a nuisance, and that they would have no objection to you continuing your hobby.

Okay, you have your neighboring communities' ordinances. You have put it into a concise outline. You have your newly formed Poultry Guild members (or have joined an existing one). You have written approval from all of your neighbors. Now you need an ounce of courage, a pint of confidence, a quart of humor, and a gallon of courtesy. You are ready. Now go get 'em!