Been crying all afternoon, thoughts on solution?

[InMySanctuary]

Oooo, that ex 'friend' is a nasty piece of work isn't she? Perhaps if you'd only had 2 or 3 chicks it may not have cause an issue as people are way more tolerant of just a couple of birds than a lot. Chooks an be smelly if not managed properly so maybe that was foremost in their mind.

The idea mentioned above about naming a couple of chooks and saying they are pets is a good one. This may soften the HOA attitude if they know you only want to keep a couple as they are your special pets. Sheesh. I'd consider moving house to somewhere less restrictive. I too hate organisations run by nazi type people who are on a power trip.

Good luck with it. So glad we don't have those restrictions here because we'd be scratching for space if the coop had to be 76 feet from all boundaries.

 

[jeepguy982001]

I usually don't comment on these kind of threads. I'm sorry your going to lose your chickens but then it seems like you knew your hoa rules. You should have tried to petition and change them before you got chickens if it wasn't allowed where you live. I know chickens aren't big or messy and not loud unless you have a rooster. But hypothetically its like me putting a tiger in my yard and then complaining that the town says it has to go because i didn't get a permit. It'd be my fault for not making sure it was allowed or me not taking the steps to make it allowed to keep. I apologize for being blunt but these stories aggravate me because if its not allowed try to change it or else deal with the consequences.

 

[Trefoil]

If I am reading correctly. You can have chickens but must house them x # of feet from your property lines. and your property isn't large enough for the clearance. If this is true then what you need to do is sign an egg partnership with one of your neighbors, effectively adding his property to yours to get the clearance. Depending on the wording, just housing them in the garage with a run outside the garage would also work. Failing that, sue the HOA for selective enforcement.

 

[gapeach717]

ok, let me address you all. i am sorry i fell asleep on a lot of sleep meds last night with a whopper headache.

1.) GROUND PARROTS!!!! OMG! I about spit my coffee out!!!

2.) I wish I could move away but right now that isnt sadly an option. all that has moved in our neighborhood in over a year has been forclosures, we actually HAD sold a few years ago (2.5) and 9 days before handing the keys over the loan fell through bc based on property sales in 6 months our house lost 35K in value for that kind of loan....sooo....we stayed here instead bc otherwise we would be moving into a tiny apartment since we would have almost no equity money to walk away with.

3.) I didnt buy this house, lol, i HATE these kind of neighborhoods! I met my now husband 3 months into his ownership of this "bachelor pad" type house bc he thought he would never meet anyone.....wrong!

4.) while I think a tiger is a bit stretched as far as a comparison goes, I am sorry I have irritated you with my sadness. I am well aware I am now sleeping in the bed I made. However, it still sucks. My yard size is what is wrong, and the HOA is setting fire under everyone to follow all guidelines I actually did NOT know until yesterday that the city of canton regualtions were different than the county (both of which do allow it, and like i said, i have a guy who leaves his LOUD doberman to bark til 3am daily when he goes to work on one side, and a forclosed empty home on the other, so neighbor issues wasnt really worrisome, again, this goes back to snotty nasty HOA board members who have this dilusional idea of what this neighborhood really is. but....i do agree with you....this was my mistake to make, and i am being punished. it is just sad that these ARE my pets that i LOVE and CARE for, yet all around me I have huge dogs (as do I) that are left to bark and whine and dig and ruin yards bc they are left alone in misery with not a pet on the head all day and night and that is acceptable. but thank you. not sure you gave me any advise, but thank you for your imput. I hope you did see that on my first page I noted that i was aware this was on me that i messed up.....i am still broken hearted.

5.) yes, i would LOVE to potty train them.....but sadly...I don't know how, lol! I have never heard of diapering a chicken! omg is that for real??? I fully plan on keeping some, making a coop in the garage, and letting them play in my yard under supervision during the day for a few hours and doing all I can to try and figure out a better solution.


today starts the sad task of sorting and rehoming. I have already cried twice this morning.

my apologies to anyone else I may have irritated with my lack of doing things "by the book" before getting my birds, but please know I am working hard to get them into fabulous homes where even the Roos will be farm/garden chickens and not dinner.

thank you all for your help!!!

 

[theoldchick]

Ha! HOA's! Ha! I like to mess with their minds. My sister and her hubby live in a very exclusive neighborhood. They are not allowed to have flags in the front yard, no mailboxes, no dog over 25 lbs, no cars parked in the driveway overnight, grass to be mowed every other day....blah...blah....blah. Most of the people who live there came from 'new money'-worked for it. My brother-in-law started his own business which did well and bought the house as an investment. They don't plan to retire here-house is too big.

Then a neighbor decided to build a fence around his brand new HOA approved pool so the golfers wouldn't gawk at his daughter skinny dipping in the pool at 12 noon. The brother-in-law didn't like this fence. Said he would lose his view of the golf course (Personally, I think he enjoyed the 12 noon view). He reviewed all the rules and regulations and discovered no fence over 3 feet high was allowed (Is that even a fence?), and went to war. Boy, let me tell you, he, the HOA, and the neighbor really went at it. Lawyers and so forth. They brought everything to the table but the 357 Magnum.

The HOA who for some reason wanted to side with the neighbor-relative or something-and really tried strong armed tactics to get my sister and her hubby to give in to this 6 foot tall privacy fence. They measured his grass every other day, said my sister's maltese was over 25 lbs (weighed 15 lbs), said his driveway was stained. The bro-in-law stuck to his guns. The covenant clearly stated no fence was to be over 3 feet tall.

So, I decided to come visit, and the only vehicle I had at that time was my Jeep. Now, Ruby is a garage kept beauty who rarely sees any form of dirt. Oh how I loved how her large knobby tires hummed on the asphalt during that trip. Of course we ran into a few rainstorms on the way, got 'lost' and discovered some really knarly off-road short cuts. Anybody who has been to North Florida knows what I'm talking about.

And best of all we attended an off-road event outside of Tampa, Fla just before arriving at my sister's place in Clearwater, Fla. So, Ruby, the hubby, and I, prowled among the perfectly manicured lawns to find the right house. We couldn't see too well through the mud encrusted windows-I had a area cleaned on the windshield so I could see where I was going-barely.

We found the house and parked in the glistening white driveway. I hopped to the ground and saw people looking at us through the windows of their houses. I looked at Ruby. She was a glorious sight for all rednecks. A true gem who had been through the rough. Dripping with mud, several palmetto leaves stuck out from her undercarriage like dollar bills from the bikini bottom of a pole dancer. One windshield wiper was a bit askew from the mud. Her headlights were caked with mud, and a leaf clung to each light like some sort of...well...I better not say. Anyway, as I admired her rustic charm, she deposited a clump of mud on the driveway the size of an elephant turd. I was so proud of my gal. She truly made a statement.

And to add to the effect-just for fun- I shouted in my best southern redneck voice, "Hey! You'all! Where do you want me to put the pitbulls!"


The best part of the trip? HOA could not do a thing. I was a visitor and rules stated only visitors could park in the driveway. There was absolutely nothing stating what shape the vehicle had to be in. Only that it had to be in driving condition and to be gone 4 hours a day. I had no problem with that. I just made sure Ruby was in glorious condition from off-roading every time we returned in the afternoon. She had clumps of mud on her that weighed more than the dog.

I promised HOA Ruby and I would return on a regular basis if the privacy fence stayed up. And since rules are rules to an HOA, it would take some time to amend any rule.

The fence came down. I don't know what happen to the 12 noon skinny dipper.

Next time I visit I'm gonna bring a chicken and call it a ground parrot. I'll make sure it's a rooster.

Find the loophole and take advantage. Dig in deep and don't let go.

 

[hokankai]

I am so happy to be OUT of our HOA neighborhood and living in the country!

We got our chicks before we moved, meaning for 12 weeks we were raising our chicks in the garage and keeping them on the property. They stayed in the garage until they were 8 weeks and then we moved them to our tool shed on the side of the house. They did so well and we never got a complaint, even when I would have them on the front lawn as chicks.

Good luck!

 

[chicknadventure]

Next time I visit I'm gonna bring a chicken and call it a ground parrot. I'll make sure it's a rooster.

 

[galanie]

That's a great story but it only illustrates that rules are rules when written and so long as you don't break any, you're in the clear.

I disagree. I'd not have helped them, I think the guy should have been able to have a 6 foot fence. But then I happily live in a place where I dont' have to deal with that cr*p. I'm in the city, but no HOA and no deed restrictions from such. We live and let live here, noise is the only thing that will get you in trouble around here. And I'm the main one that will raise hell if you make a lot of noise. So when my rooster turned out to have a voice that could be heard on the moon, even though legal, he left. He was LOUD. The one I'd had before wasn't nearly that loud. Can't very well complain at others yet have that here.

I'm sure the OP has looked at the rules and knows them well. There are those here though that read the coop has to be 100 feet from the nearest residence (not including your own) and think that means property line. Nope, it means the actual house. Be sure it's 76 feet from the property line and not from "the nearest residence."

And were I in that situation, I'd for sure keep some and either keep them in the garage or get diapers for them and keep them in the house. Danged if I'd let an HOA make me get rid of all of them.

It's very possible that since you started with so many chicks, Ms. You Know What thought you were going to have a real chicken farm going there. Prove her wrong and prove to her that they're pets.

 

[gapeach717]

thank you ALL!

Well, i spoke with the city...again...and they laughed when i mentioned keeping them in the house or garage as "pets"...and they said"...ummm...well....what you do in your house is your business, as long as it is legal...and while i cant see why you'd want chickens in the house, there is nothing we are gonna do to stop you"

and my HOA code states:

"no animals, livestock, or poultry of any kind can be raised, bred, or kept or permitted on the ***EXTERIOR*** of any Lot, with the exception of dogs, cats, or other usual and common household pets."


1.) ummmm looks like chickens are pretty common to me, lol, but I know I have not a leg to stand on there....but.....

2.) EXTERIOR....meaning if they live in the garage and I am careful when i bring them outside to free range for a few hours a day with me....i may just be able to keep some???

 

[gapeach717]

and i totally agree with the fact that she seen i had 19 chicks and thought i was going to have 19 full grown chickens going apeshiz on my property...but for crap's sake, she could have ASKED me first