5 acres, can you believe?

[KB3GZW]

We have the same problem as the original poster. I have 3 acres is the suburbs and we aren't supposed to have chickens unless we have 5 acres. I plan on sneaking a dozen of them in my backyard. I only have neighbors on one side. I plan on putting them on the opposite side of my neighbors. Im going with the ask for forgiveness, not permission theory. I will also only be getting hens.

 

[andrew4068]

I would just get them and worry about it after if someone complains.I have two and a half acres not sure if there is any codes against chickens here and not really worried if there is. If I have to hear barking dogs night and day they can deal with a few chickens making noise!

 

[thornberryvillage]

I'm on both sides of this issue.

On the one hand, I'm FIRMLY on the side of property owners rights. I don't believe in government telling anyone what they can and cannot do with their own property except to protect public safety.

I believe this to the point that I'm against ALL zoning laws. Would I like it if my neighbor opened a junkyard next door? No...but neither do I feel I have the right to tell him he can't, as he pays the mportgage and taxes, especially using the force of government to take away his RIGHT to his own property rights.

With that said, there has been some discussion on this thread regarding "deed restrictions" or covenants.

Sorry, but I'm on the other side here. If you buy a piece of property with covenants already there, I don't see you as having a right to complain about what you already knew, or should have known, were the rules when you bought the property. When you choose to buy, you acknowledge the rules are there and agree to abide by them...you don't ignore the rules just because you don't like them...you buy somewhere else or shut up.

Bob

 

[hiddenmagnolia]

Well I guess I will jump in. We use to live in town in a new subdivision. Behind us was a pasture of 15 or 20 acres. We knew the people that owned pasture. A lady and her husband moved in after us almost 1/4 mile down the road. We already had over 20 chickens when they moved in. She started to complain about the noise and the smell( we tilled the coop and put down lime twice a year so they did not smell). When the owner of the property found out that they where complaining he gave us permission to do this. Build a hog pen behind the complaining neighbors. We informed them of our plans for the big pet pig we where planning to get if the fussing did not stop. We heard no more complaints about our chicken. We rewarded our friend with eggs .

 

[andrew4068]

Quote:
Hello I just wanted to say while I do agree with you for the most part about the zoning laws and deed restrictions, I think most people don't ask if there is any restrictions on raising chickens when they buy a house. I for one just got the bright idea of raising chickens a few months ago and have owned my home for the last six years . Never thought to ask about all of the local codes. It just seems to me local goverment can get over bearing at times. Just my thoughts .

 

[McGoo]

If you only plan on having 3 hens, then I'm sure no one would even know about it. Put them in a little coop close by your house and I'm sure it'll be fine.

I have never mentioned my chickens to my 'neighbors' because I feel if you tell them then they'll be continually on the lookout for noise. And as you've said, the dogs bark and the cats prowl and somehow that's okay - but a couple little gals who graciously feed you breakfast are not.

Go for it.

 

[BearSwampChick]

Hello I just wanted to say while I do agree with you for the most part about the zoning laws and deed restrictions, I think most people don't ask if there is any restrictions on raising chickens when they buy a house. I for one just got the bright idea of raising chickens a few months ago and have owned my home for the last six years . Never thought to ask about all of the local codes. It just seems to me local goverment can get over bearing at times. Just my thoughts .

That's how it is in my case, too. When we moved here 8 years ago, I no more dreamed of raising chickens than I did of winning MegaMillions! And selling out and moving to another location just isn't feasible right now with the housing market in such a slump. Furthermore, it would be hard to duplicate some of the nice things about our place; e.g. the 20x30 foot barn and being surrounded by woods. Plus, I'm tired of moving. I've done it 13 times in my married life and I don't want to do it anymore.​

 

[JenniferC]

I find many ordinances and codes disturbing- ie classist and/or racist. I agree with PP that the anti-chicken thing in most areas was meant to "keep out the riff-raff." The reason the OP can have horses but not chickens is probably that when the codes were written keeping horses was seen as a genteel pastime, chickens not so much.

However as sustainability and "green" ness is becoming chic, I bet a lot of codes will be changing.

I also agree with PP that many codes are dumb, but if you sign up for ordinances it's up to you to follow them (unfortunately.) Many neighborhood ordinances are totally arcane and crazy- and its unfortunate that so many developments have them. I looked at a piece of property "out in the country" in a new development, and there was a rule we'd have to build a house at least 2000 sq ft! The newer parts of the development had 3000 sq ft minimums!!!!!!

In this time of environmental crisis it seems like insisting that people build a 3000 sq ft house should be illegal. And of course people should be able to keep chickens whenever they have enough space. ;-)

OK- done ranting now. It seems that everything nowadays get me ranting about global warming. hehe.

 

[twigg]

Quote:
You might want to look into the *Deed* situation. As I understand it, with many it is next to impossible to acertain who actually has the right to enforce the Deed .... so those are effectively dead anyway.

 

[andrew4068]

Well I quietly raised two pigs here last spring and throughout the summer and no one knew about it so Im going for it again this year. so it will be two pigs and a bunch of chickens lol, I think as long as you keep their pens and coops clean there is no problem, but all it takes is one problem neighbor. Keeping my fingers crossed.