Bay Area BYCers!

[sewandgrow]

So sorry for any of you guys fighting ordinances. It just makes me so glad I don't have to deal with that. I can't even tell you how many roosters I have & they can sing quite the chorus when they get started. Don't even think of having a conversation out there once they get started.......LOL

 

[OrpingtonManor]

I feel for you guys who have had to deal with animal control.

I worry about the noise issue myself. My birds are mostly very quiet. Weirdly, I have a neighbor 3 houses up the street with chickens who always seem to be "celebrating." My neighbors have asked me if my birds are the ones squawking. I tell them no, come on down and hear them. So far, no animal control, but it only takes one neighbor who doesn't talk to me first.

 

[HighNDryFarm]

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/...splash-orpington-fertility-test-hatching-eggs

OK, I was waiting for someone else to comment so that I could understand why someone would pay $100 for eggs that are tests for fertility!

I gave SunnyDawn eggs to hatch to test my Polish and EE's fertility because I don't have my own incubator and I didn't want to offer eggs for sale until I knew for sure my roos were doing their job.. Could you explain why these eggs are so valuable that someone would pay that kind of money, knowing that there's a possibility of low fertility and then add in the consequences of shipping the eggs. Gosh, I have SO much to learn!

Surprisingly, the roosters (we only have Neville now) aren't the issue this time.

We were served with a notice of compliance because our hens are somehow "disturbing the peace".

We've reached out to the AC officer who left the notice for further clarification and are awaiting a response.

I just spent about 2 hours this afternoon walking around in the rain hand delivering dozens of eggs to our neighbors on our block and on the adjacent blocks, talking with them and asking them if they have any concerns about our birds... not a single person had something negative to say.

Most didn't even know we have chickens!

Dang, just when you're establishing your farm. No one you talked with seemed to be nervous, like they were the culprit? Hope you can resolve this. There's someone on, I think the Northern CA thread that lives in the Bay Area (I think) and she's going to the court to try to change the rules for keeping chickens in her area. I think she was hoping some people would attend to support her. Maybe you are close enough to her to help each other. I'll recommend she post on this thread for support.

 

[clio]

Jeremy,
My Berkeley family is going to contest TWO citations by AC, given back to back two weeks ago, on Wed and Thurs. They are citations b/c AC said they were on the property late last summer when their little roo crowed. The roo is no longer there. As you may have read on an earlier post, the next door neighbor went to AC in person and complained about the "chicken noise" - there's only four hens - and then she complained with a photo taken ??? of the BCM standing in our property, but within 25 feet of hers. The BCM was the victim of an opossum in January, but when AC came, one of the hens, a Delaware, had somehow managed to get out of the coop enclosure-hence the citation. No other neighbors have complained, and there is a neighbor with his garden facing ours who has hens also. Go figure ....

Let us know the outcome of your noise situation ...

 

[mycutekitties]

I can't imagine having to deal with not being able to keep roosters. We would be in big trouble! We are in the country and our only neighboor could care less (thankfully).

 

[boogiedog]

Jeremy, I just got off the phone with OAS regarding your visit yesterday - no worries, but your neighbors weren't quite as honest with you as one would hope... (give me a call Jeremy - )

It is important to remember that animal control in most cities MUST follow up on citizen complaints, regardless how frivolous. Some complaints may point to real issues - cockfighting, animal neglect/abuse, etc but they know as well as we do that many of these complaints are frivolous and sometimes even baseless (just neighbors diskliking neighbors).

Most cities will visit and issue a citation - a "warning" and nothing else comes of it. Sometimes you will get a "fix it" ticket - 24 - 48 hrs to remedy the situation.

Noise is the toughest thing to prove and has the loosest parameters of definition - muni codes have lengthy sections describing what constitutes unreasonable noise - Berkeley goes as far as listing number of decibels and duration. In general, nuisance noise is 10 minutes of unabating noise between 8 am - 10pm. Of course mornings and evenings are most likely when folks will complain about noise, and those are the hours our chickens are asleep. So barring any obvious violation of code (roosters are where they will get you - and usually you will get a "fix it" ticket - if you are fined, remedy the problem and CONTEST IT.)

Similarly location of coop (Oakland requires 20ft from other buildings; Berkeley is 20 or 25ft) and animals. One stray chicken out of a coop that garners a citation is well worth contesting - esp. if you have remedied the problem. (Clio, I was surprised you didn't get a fix-it ticket first - but I suspect you will win your contest.)

Probably the most important thing to remember is animal control officers really do love animals and are as annoyed by ridiculous complaints as we are. If you get a visit DO ask questions - what can you do to stop your cranky neighbor from wasting their time, what are their suggestions to mitigating complaints. Not uncommonly there is one neighbor who does all the complaining and they figure this out quickly and sometimes can make a note in the file as such.

Allison

 

[cherylcohen]

It is important to remember that animal control in most cities MUST follow up on citizen complaints, regardless how frivolous. Some complaints may point to real issues - cockfighting, animal neglect/abuse, etc but they know as well as we do that many of these complaints are frivolous and sometimes even baseless (just neighbors diskliking neighbors).
Most cities will visit and issue a citation - a "warning" and nothing else comes of it. Sometimes you will get a "fix it" ticket - 24 - 48 hrs to remedy the situation.
Noise is the toughest thing to prove and has the loosest parameters of definition - muni codes have lengthy sections describing what constitutes unreasonable noise - Berkeley goes as far as listing number of decibels and duration. In general, nuisance noise is 10 minutes of unabating noise between 8 am - 10pm. Of course mornings and evenings are most likely when folks will complain about noise, and those are the hours our chickens are asleep. So barring any obvious violation of code (roosters are where they will get you - and usually you will get a "fix it" ticket - if you are fined, remedy the problem and CONTEST IT.)
Similarly location of coop (Oakland requires 20ft from other buildings; Berkeley is 20 or 25ft) and animals. One stray chicken out of a coop that garners a citation is well worth contesting - esp. if you have remedied the problem. (Clio, I was surprised you didn't get a fix-it ticket first - but I suspect you will win your contest.)
Probably the most important thing to remember is animal control officers really do love animals and are as annoyed by ridiculous complaints as we are. If you get a visit DO ask questions - what can you do to stop your cranky neighbor from wasting their time, what are their suggestions to mitigating complaints. Not uncommonly there is one neighbor who does all the complaining and they figure this out quickly and sometimes can make a note in the file as such.
Allison

Allison you are so great

 

[clio]

Allison, Thanks for taking the time to explain about the AC's position ... nothing in the mail so far about the Berkeley citations, will keep you posted.

 

[sewandgrow]

In defense of the cost of the eggs, even if you just hatched 1 or 2 you have covered your costs many times over for the cost of the live birds. I am sure these birds were very expensive to bring over & I think that is no longer possible. I consider myself blessed to have a pair myself. Even with the trade we made for 1/2 of the asking price they are the most expensive birds I "personally" have ever bought. I am not complaining........ I love them & owe hatching eggs as part of the deal when they prove fertile. I just trimmed the bottoms of my Buff APA trio yesterday hoping to start getting fertile eggs.

I am blessed to have 22 eggs in the incubator right now from the same original US breeders that my beautiful pair came from. I can imagine the gene pool is rather small. I have high hopes for them I would so like a Splash in the mix.

If someone hopes to make any money or cover their operating costs I know they would have to have a good market & ask a high price. I spend way more money than I bring in & so just consider it my retirement pleasure. I certainly haven't figured out how to actually come out ahead financially.......LOL

OK, I was waiting for someone else to comment so that I could understand why someone would pay $100 for eggs that are tests for fertility!

I gave SunnyDawn eggs to hatch to test my Polish and EE's fertility because I don't have my own incubator and I didn't want to offer eggs for sale until I knew for sure my roos were doing their job.. Could you explain why these eggs are so valuable that someone would pay that kind of money, knowing that there's a possibility of low fertility and then add in the consequences of shipping the eggs. Gosh, I have SO much to learn!

Dang, just when you're establishing your farm. No one you talked with seemed to be nervous, like they were the culprit? Hope you can resolve this. There's someone on, I think the Northern CA thread that lives in the Bay Area (I think) and she's going to the court to try to change the rules for keeping chickens in her area. I think she was hoping some people would attend to support her. Maybe you are close enough to her to help each other. I'll recommend she post on this thread for support.

 

[mycutekitties]

Have I told you how much I love my new sportsman? I went from 10% hatches to 100%! I wish I would have bought one sooner. Can I share some pics? Lol This was a part of my Easter hatch (18 bantam polish and 3 silver pencil rocks) And these were from Cheryl's eggs. So puffy! And then I had these hatch today. Olive eggers and marans from Karen: I can't wait to grow these out and add them to my layer flock. Thanks Karen and Cheryl for sharing your eggs! Also Karen if your daughter still wants a blue polish I'm sure I will have one for her soon! I have about 50 polish chicks I am going out.