5 acres, can you believe?

[hcammack]

I am on the opposite situation from all of you guys which makes me very happy as long as I have no neighbors complaining and have one acre I can have as many chickens as I want. I have 11 hens I know my neighbors will complain if I got a rooster so for now I am rooster free.

Good Luck to you all,
Henry

 

[tygab]

A lot of the reason for this 5 acre business is that often tax codes are structures such that properties which are at least five acres and operating as farms get favorable treatment. Unfortunately, some of the time this means town officials interpret this as you must have five acres to have a farm (i.e. farm animals), which isn't true. It's more about what the zoning regulations say. For ex. I am zoned rural so my 4 acres can have livestock. But when I talked to the town people they were a little perplexed about the 5 acre thing (though, in my case quite interested in the alpacas).

I suggest reading the bylaws of your town or county carefully so you can have knowledge when discussing with town officials. Or, if you decide not to discuss with town officials you'll at least know what the risks/issues may be.

 

[KB3GZW]

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 .

I'm in the same situation. I moved to this place 13 years ago, at that point I shunted the farm lifestyle and laughed at all the hicks that lived around. Now 13 years older and 13 years wiser, I love the farm lifestyle and decided to get into chickens.

There is a video on youtube about a gentlemen in Chicago. I don't know where it is at the moment. He called the local authority on "non pet animals", apparently it was the wrong people and he was transferred to 3-4 other offices in the city government. They eventually told him that there was no regulation against chickens, and this is within the city of Chicago. I am perplexed as to why I cant have chickens and my closest neighbors are further than 200 feet away, and he can and his neighbors are 20 feet away.

 

[cantley2003]

Wow. I'm feeling kinda spoiled reading these posts. We live in what is left of rural central florida. I enjoy walking my daughter to the bus stop in the morning and hearing the 2 roosters on our street crow at eachother, watching the 3 ducks meander from yard to yard and the one hen sit in the middle of the road. We live at the end of this dead end road and just got our girls and 1 duck about a month ago. we've talked more with our old "farmer " neighbor in the last month than we have in the last 3 years. Every morning he greets me as I get the girls set up for the day and we share our chicken/ duck antics. The way I see it the birds of our little neighborhood give it some of it's character. What silly rules the municipalities come up with. We are zoned Agricultural out here but think of what fun neighborhoods all over america could have if they just saw how chickens can build a sense of community.

 

[playmeasong]

I have really enjoyed reading so many responses to my additional post. I am feeling the cabin fever most feel at the end of a long winter and the beginning of "garden season". The few close friends I have talked to regarding having the hens think i'm both a rebel and a nut. All but one friend, she's the one with a few acres of property and has had chickens,ducks and geese for years. And her son has GRACIOUSLY offered to make my coop and pen, so I am thrilled at the level of support from them at least.

When I went to the municipal office to ask about keeping animals, they said i can keep 5 dogs on any property, and after the 5th dog, I need a permit for each additional canine. And i must have a permit for a kennel. HELLO, you can keep 5 dogs on whatever property (unsized), but a 5 acre restriction on keeping hens? The man working the municipal desk refused to show me the documents to support the codes, but said they would uploaded to the internet in the next few weeks.

So I'm still going to try, and do it discretely and hopefully as under-the-radar as I can. If the police give me a hard time, I'll kindly point them to the house two doors whose children are selling drugs out of their cars in the driveway.

The chicks should arrive by May 2nd...

 

[CornerViewFarm]

My township says were not soposed to have any type of farm animals. We have just shy of an acre in the Country and neighbors on my right and behind me. We have had 11 chickens for a year now 2 are roos and 17 chicks in the brooder. They haven't said a word. We arent soposed to have "farm animals" when right across the road they have 55 head of cattle. It makes no since.

 

[andrew4068]

Playmeasong good luck with your chicks! After watching a show about how our food banks in the US are almost empty and the rising amount of working American families needing them plus the prediction of food cost skyrocketing this summmer Im sure alot of people are going to be raising their own food again. So the codes are going to have to change or be continually broken.

 

[KB3GZW]

Quote:
They could be allowed to have the cattle if they were grandfathered into it. If that property has been in the family since before the restriction was is place then they are able to keep them.

There is a horse farm near me that used to be out in the country probably 80 years ago when it was started. Now it is almost in the center of town due to the growth. If the children of the family would have wanted to keep the farm they would still be able to keep horses IN TOWN. If I wanted to buy it now that it is for sale, I wouldn't be able to keep horses.

I also did more research on my property, I am zoned Rural-Residential, but also Agricultural at the same time. I don't quite get it, but Im still getting chickens.

 

[KierBri]

so, just had to chime in here. last month i was at a town zoning meeting. lots of disscussion on agri changes they wanted to make. i questioned the "animal units". you can have animals on 2+ acres. you need an acre for every 4 goats, 1 horse, 1 cow, 1 pony, 4 sheep, 40 chickens, 40 rabbitts, 20 ducks, 10 geese, 2 pigs. so i asked "what if someone on 2 acres has a sow, breeds her for feeder pigs, and for 4 or so months of the year has say 10 pigs." i got an "i don't know about that". so then i asked "ok. say i have my 2 acres. i want 1 rabbit, 8 chickens, 1 goat, 2 sheep, 3 ducks and a feeder pig. i haven't hit the limit on any one animal so how's that work out?" i got a deer-in-headlights-look followed by lots of blinking. seriously. who writes these laws? if "they" don't understand them how are "we" supposed to obey them?

 

[playmeasong]

Heh KierBri and all! The rules that vary from town to town are just laughable. I can keep 5 dogs on my 1/3 acre plot, and GET A PERMIT FOR EACH ADDITIONAL DOG AFTER 5. But 3 hens? NO YOU NEED 5 ACRES. Come on, 5 <large> dogs are going to make more of a mess and racket than 3 hens. Laughable.

I'm thinking I will fight this to the end if code enforcement comes a nosying around again. I've never been scared of my neighbors, officials, or monsters. I'm not going to let this be the first time.

Jen