California - Northern

[Country Chick at Heart]

There is a city council meeting tomorrow night that I plan on going to.  Hopefully if they have any concerns they can let me know.  From what I've heard from the city planning board, they think this isn't worth the time right now.  We'll see what happens.

Sometimes it helps to have copies of photos of your coop that you can provide to the City Clerk during public comment. Make sure they are copies because they will be passed out to the Council members and then kept as part of the permanent record for the meeting. Also if you can have your neighbors jot down a note indicating that they don't object to your chickens, it would help. The Planning folks may not be making the ordinance change a high priority, but they can give you a code variance or extension that the Code Enforcement officer mentioned. And the Council can encourage their Panning Commission appointees to do just that!. Good Luck!

 

[lizanne]

Are you meeting him or your having them shipped?

Hopefully (if everything works out) I'll be able to meet up with him closer to home. Redding is a LONG drive for me.

Sometimes it helps to have copies of photos of your coop that you can provide to the City Clerk during public comment. Make sure they are copies because they will be passed out to the Council members and then kept as part of the permanent record for the meeting. Also if you can have your neighbors jot down a note indicating that they don't object to your chickens, it would help. The Planning folks may not be making the ordinance change a high priority, but they can give you a code variance or extension that the Code Enforcement officer mentioned. And the Council can encourage their Panning Commission appointees to do just that!. Good Luck!

That's great advice. I have pictures of the property and chicken area with the letter I emailed, and I made copies to hand out at the meeting, but I will do some of the actual coop as well. I guess the planning board approached the city council to change the code, but it wasn't a high priority for them right now. I hope this can help push them towards looking into it.

 

[juststruttin]

Well that is great to know too. I was feeling a little behind in setting up the bator so I don't have the time constraint I thought I did.

Tell me what you think of this...We have a pen dubbed Gilligan's Island. In it I have the hatchery NH roo (he used to share the bachelor pad with the NH roo I put in with my 2013 girls) and two EE girls I got from a friend of mine locally. He is the skipper and because one is black and the other red and blue they are Ginger and Mary Ann. Before I introduced him to his girls he would try to give me treats and dance for me.

He came at me once so I picked him up and carried him around then he did it again and I whacked him one and held him down so he has given me my space. I usually have my hair down. Yesterday I had it in a pony tail and he rushed me but when I yelled at him he stopped short and looked confused. Do you think he didn't recognize me as me? He is a great looking boy for hatchery and terrific with the girls but I am not above making him into a nice stew and putting a CA Grey cockerel in there this spring. He has never made contact but I don't want to wait until he does.

Your thoughts...I want to give him the benefit of the doubt. He was one of the boys for the first 2.5 years of his life so maybe he is just figuring things out now.

On a related note...one of my Icelandics, my avatar Hattie, has taken to roosting in the run instead of going into the coop at night. She is low on the PO. The General buc buc bucs at the girls to get them to go to bed but she won't. The last two nights I have found him on the roost with her instead of in the coop. How sweet is that? She won't listen so he gives up his spot indoors to protect her. I still pick them up and put them in but it is sweet. I hope to get a pic tonight to show you.

I am a firm believer that rouge roosters should go straight to freezer camp. A case of mis-identity is still a case of him acting aggressive toward a human which should not be tolerated.

If he comes at you again, put your foot under his belly and toss him across the field as far as you can. I am not suggesting you kick up.... just lift him up with your foot and toss. If he comes back at you, pick him up and put him in freezer camp.

Regarding your Icelandic...... Only people who own roosters truly understand how special they are... People who don't own roosters usually only hear about situations, like the one above, and don't get to hear all the heart warming stories. I love my boys and can't imagine a flock with out roosters. I would love to see a photo of the two of them.

Regarding Bird that wants to roost outside
Go to the hardware store and buy a plastic owl and put it outside where she likes to roost right before bedtime. I guarantee.... she will run straight for the coop and go to bed like she is told.

After 1 or two days, you can return the owl since your problem should be solved, or keep it around for other uses. For example: when I am cleaning the runs I put the owl in the gateway and the chickens stay in the opposite corner so I can roll out the wheel barrel without anyone escaping. Works like a charm. It used to help keep the blue jays away but they eventually figure out it was not real. Chickens are not as smart as blue jay so it continues to work like a charm.

 

[tommysgirl]

That is great!

Tomorrow is day 20 for my hatch. 9 W/BW Ameraucanas, 6 golden cuckoo Marans and 2 bantam BLRWs. Hope they all hatch. I have two excited people waiting for their chicks

Go Chickee's chicks!I could have a pure Del in my 5 but it could also be a sex link everything else is a known mutt.

 

[ronott1]

candled the eggs under the broody all 5 are looking pretty darn full on Day 15!

Great!

Hopefully (if everything works out) I'll be able to meet up with him closer to home. Redding is a LONG drive for me.
That's great advice. I have pictures of the property and chicken area with the letter I emailed, and I made copies to hand out at the meeting, but I will do some of the actual coop as well. I guess the planning board approached the city council to change the code, but it wasn't a high priority for them right now. I hope this can help push them towards looking into it.

Say Hi to Jeff for me!

 

[tommysgirl]

I am a firm believer that rouge roosters should go straight to freezer camp. A case of mis-identity is still a case of him acting aggressive toward a human which should not be tolerated.

If he comes at you again, put your foot under his belly and toss him across the field as far as you can. I am not suggesting you kick up.... just lift him up with your foot and toss. If he comes back at you, pick him up and put him in freezer camp.

Regarding your Icelandic...... Only people who own roosters truly understand how special they are... People who don't own roosters usually only hear about situations, like the one above, and don't get to hear all the heart warming stories. I love my boys and can't imagine a flock with out roosters. I would love to see a photo of the two of them.

Regarding Bird that wants to roost outside
Go to the hardware store and buy a plastic owl and put it outside where she likes to roost right before bedtime. I guarantee.... she will run straight for the coop and go to bed like she is told.

After 1 or two days, you can return the owl since your problem should be solved, or keep it around for other uses. For example: when I am cleaning the runs I put the owl in the gateway and the chickens stay in the opposite corner so I can roll out the wheel barrel without anyone escaping. Works like a charm. It used to help keep the blue jays away but they eventually figure out it was not real. Chickens are not as smart as blue jay so it continues to work like a charm.

Thanks for your input...They went inside tonight light a good little couple so I couldn't get the pic. I love the owl advice. Wonder if it would work to keep the peacocks out... hmmm

It is settled then, I will replace the Skipper. As broody season approaches I have no doubt there will be several candidates.

I posted pics of my SPW boys on the SPW thread and was told that one of them looked show quality. Now I have a quandary. i was going to eat both of them, I could replace the Skipper with him but I only ordered the SPW eggs to add eye candy to my laying flock. I don't want to breed them and I don't want another brown egg roo. Plus I have no interest in showing.

I can offer him for sale and meet a buyer for pick up but I don't think anyone close to me is working with SPW. What would you guys do?

 

[juststruttin]

Ok wild day, wild story!

My friend Karley went with me to meet the family with the Maran chicks. We met in a restaurant/strip mall parking lot by school today at around 3.

Before they got there, we noticed there was a guy in a ford focus acting suspiciously driving around the parking lot messing with these light poles. We realizes he was stripping the copper wire and called the police and gave them the license plate and description.

The family bringing my chicks showed up and I told them what was going on. The guy I got the chicks from happenens to be a cop in the Bay Area. When the police showed up they talked and we were leaving and my chicken guy said "don't go back there, drive the other way, I'll tell you later" so we did.

Turns out the guy had either a stolen car or stolen plates. The cop was waiting for backup and it might have been ugly.

All in all, Karley and I sent a bad guy to jail and I got 6 healthy Maran chicks! They're getting along with my little lavender.

Good sleuthing. Congrats on chicks

 

[Country Chick at Heart]

Hopefully (if everything works out) I'll be able to meet up with him closer to home. Redding is a LONG drive for me.
That's great advice. I have pictures of the property and chicken area with the letter I emailed, and I made copies to hand out at the meeting, but I will do some of the actual coop as well. I guess the planning board approached the city council to change the code, but it wasn't a high priority for them right now. I hope this can help push them towards looking into it.

Okay, well that's even a little better actually. So the Planning Commission sees the need, but Council hasn't directed them to change the Ordinance. The Planning Commission has probably been faced with several situations such as yours and has been asked to change the Ordinance by those residents. There is a movement that has been gaining momentum the last maybe 10 years, to be more self sufficient. And chickens fall into that category for a number of reasons from eggs to just because they are so much fun! But you being willing to physically go before Council may be all they need to see that it is an immediate need. If your City`s website is fairly functional you can probably search chickens and see any past reference to them.... please let us know how it goes!

 

[juststruttin]

Thanks for your input...They went inside tonight light a good little couple so I couldn't get the pic. I love the owl advice. Wonder if it would work to keep the peacocks out... hmmm

It is settled then, I will replace the Skipper. As broody season approaches I have no doubt there will be several candidates.

I posted pics of my SPW boys on the SPW thread and was told that one of them looked show quality. Now I have a quandary. i was going to eat both of them, I could replace the Skipper with him but I only ordered the SPW eggs to add eye candy to my laying flock. I don't want to breed them and I don't want another brown egg roo. Plus I have no interest in showing.

I can offer him for sale and meet a buyer for pick up but I don't think anyone close to me is working with SPW. What would you guys do?

If you don't need him, don't keep him. Sell him if you can, otherwise eat him. With the cost of food these days I only keep those that I need for my projects and the ones that stole my heart.

 

[Audio51]

candled the eggs under the broody all 5 are looking pretty darn full on Day 15!

Woo Hoo!