ALABAMA!!

[chickensval]

Awww. Sorry Tiffany! I have a lav trio for sale and a blue partridge silkie roo! He looks awesome! Let me know if you're interested.

How much ? I've actually been looking for a silkie and I just started a little waterfowl flock.

 

[RedneckGurl]

How loud are y'all's hens? I have a friend who's been telling me they are going to be louder than I think. We live on small in town lot & coop will be near property line. I know they can make a fair amount of noise when laying, but is it going to bother the neighbors?

Depends on the breed I suppose and whether or not you decide to have a rooster. I have a couple of RIRs that are "chatty" all the time and can get loud enough to hear across the yard but the majority only get loud when they lay an egg or if someone else is in their favorite nest box when they want to be in there and then you hear about it. My OEGBs (except for my little rooster Spike) are so quiet you almost never hear them even if you are standing just feet away. For me, and I think many people, the sounds of chickens just doing their thing is very soothing and the occasional loud "ba-gaaawk" is no big deal. Do your neighbors work during the day or is someone home all the time? My birds are the loudest during the morning hours just after they come out of the coop, in the late afternoon when I come home from work and go out to feed them treats, and then again just before they go to bed. During the main part of the day, they are relatively quiet (except for the egg songs) and spend a lot of time snoozing or dust bathing under the coop. It most likely all hinges on what kind of people your neighbors are...there are some people who will complain about anything and everything simply because it is their nature to be mean spirited and they are just miserable you-know-whats. Others wouldn't think anything of you having chickens or of hearing them over the fence, etc. I wish you the best of luck. In the end, regardless of which way the neighbors go, as long as you are abiding by the poultry laws which govern your town, you are within your rights to keep your flock and they will just have to live with it.

 

[RedneckGurl]

Just had to share this picture -- my pickup is now stylin' with some shiny new bumper stickers!

 

[jtay72]

Hello all! This might be the shortest member ship in the history of memberships, but I have to start somewhere, right?! I'm in south central Al, about thirty minutes south of B'ham, in Helena. Our zoning laws currently don't allow 'livestock' in my housing development. Anyone here in the area with birds?? What can I do to be able to start a coop of my own? Thanks to everyone!

 

[Tomtommom]

Hello all! This might be the shortest member ship in the history of memberships, but I have to start somewhere, right?! I'm in south central Al, about thirty minutes south of B'ham, in Helena. Our zoning laws currently don't allow 'livestock' in my housing development. Anyone here in the area with birds?? What can I do to be able to start a coop of my own? Thanks to everyone!

Hi, we're in Montevallo. Fowl is actually allowed here, and not considered livestock unless you get a lot of them. A small backyard flock is ok (I wouldn't get more than 12).

I would not recommend getting a flock unless you're in the clear. Someone -will- come around and complain to the city... there's always someone who wants to ruin things for you. So, always make sure you're in the clear.

 

[RedneckGurl]

Quote:
That was going to be my advice...check to see what the city, county and neighborhood rules and regulations are. In many places these days, a few chickens (maybe 5 or less) are considered PETS and not livestock. If the definition of livestock isn't explicitly spelled out, for instance, in HOA bylaws, then you might also be in the clear if the city laws say chickens are considered pets. Good luck!

 

[Wisher1000]

Welcome Jtay72! We are glad you joined!

Contact city hall and find out where you can read the ordinances. Don't rely on someones interpretation. If it is not clear, ask for clarification from your local zoning or code enforcement officer (preferably by email so you have a record of the response.) If the ordinance forbid them, call and ask what you have to do to seek a variance. It might be as simple as asking for it. You may also have to get signatures from your neighbors, you never know. Be ready to discuss your plans, structures, waste disposal plan, care, and intents. Ask for more than you actually think you want, you'll learn about chicken math later.

Don't be afraid to go for it. It won't hurt to try. Good luck and keep us posted!

 

[jtay72]

Ok, thanks! I'll start poking around and see what happens. Oh, and tomtommom - 12?? I'm thinking like, three!

 

[Wisher1000]

12 is better..... just sayin'.............

 

[Tomtommom]

I actually contacted Helena.. It's black and white. Chickens are livestock in Helena and only allowed in agricultural zones.

Sorry

Three chickens would be easy enough to keep under cover, but it would be so sad if someone finds out and spills the beans. I wouldn't risk it.