Can Anyone Help Me?

[redhen]

Andy...i wish i could have wrote a better letter for you! sorry! i stink at that sort of thing! best wishes! let us know how it turns out!

 

[SpringChickens]

Ok, here's the letter I sent them. Good luck!!

To Whom It May Concern,

I would like to first thank you for your willingness to address the subject of having chickens in your fine city. I know it is a difficult job being a council member, and I applaud your ability to think through situations and make decisions based on fact and merit, not popular opinion. That said, I would like to discuss the benefits of allowing chickens in town.

1) Chickens make good neighbors. They make small, unobtrusive noises in the daytime and are completely silent from dusk until dawn. The chickens we have for neighbors are much less disturbing than any dog we have ever lived by, and they never wake up at 2am to cluck at the cars driving by. They also do not get into fights at night like many cats in my neighborhood. If I had to choose between listening to cats, dogs or chickens, I would choose chickens every time. Although some people believe they smell, this is a misconception of people who have spent time by broiler houses. These are small buildings where they cram thousands of birds with very space to get away from their own waste, not a typical backyard setting.

2) Chickens are economically friendly animals. They are one of the few animals which can be easily and comfortably kept in a backyard which provide a service other than companionship to their owners. In this worsening economy, one of the greatest kindnesses you can do for the citizens in your town is to allow them the ability to save themselves a little bit of money.

3) You can help support animal rights. As people become more aware of the condition of the birds who lay the majority of eggs in the grocery store, they are often shocked. These birds are kept in a pen scarcely large enough to stand up in, let alone move around and stretch their wings. The typical backyard chicken is kept in an area 4-5X larger than a commercial layer, and enjoy a much better quality of life. The more chickens which are allowed in town, the less consumers will purchase the eggs from chickens raised in abysmal conditions.

4) Chickens help rid an area of pests. Not only do chickens consume undesirable bugs, they also have been shown to kill pests such as snakes, rats and mice. As every homeowner knows, any reduction in the number of pests in an area is appreciated.

In summary, these amazing animals possess the ability to bring a number of benefits to a community. They are small, quiet, easily contained and provide pest control as well as a nutritional breakfast. They are a healthy animal, requiring little in the way of care and maintenance of health, and they provide great benefits to the people who own them

Thank you again for your attention. I hope you are able to process the facts and make the decision which is right for you and your town.

Sincerely,

Shavahn and Dean Loux​

 

[speckledhen]

Andy, I got an answer back from one of your council members. Here is what he said...what does he mean? Does he think I'm keeping illegal chickens in town, LOL??

From Ed Hastie:

This lot looks a lot like (name of town) to me.

Not sure if he means anything by it. Either he means, hey, chickens could be okay here since your lot is similar OR hey, why are you keeping illegal chickens in town?

 

[vfem]

I sent one last plea to your council this morning anyways! I added a recent article of another city council reviewing the idea and LEANING to vote yes, and WHY! I think it was informative and let them know that is important to review this, its more popular nationwide then they probably think.


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"

To Whom It May Concern,

I did a little more research to give you an idea of how other small towns, and larger towns in the US are dealing with this issue. More and more towns are having hearings on this topic and its become huge and hard to ignore the subject.
Here's a recent article I think you should review from a town outside of Charlotte NC:

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/176/story/699755.html

Enjoy the story, and thank you for taking this topic seriously at your next meeting. And vote for chickens for the good health of your community.

Sincerely,

Shannon Fogl

"

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[vfem]

Quote:
Not sure if he means anything by it. Either he means, hey, chickens could be okay here since your lot is similar OR hey, why are you keeping illegal chickens in this town?

That does not look like any kind of professional response to anything what so ever?!!?

 

[speckledhen]

I couldnt quite figure out what the meaning behind it was, either. My first reaction was that he thought I was appealing to the council because I already had a coop full of chickens in town somewhere.

 

[speckledhen]

Just got this second email from Ed Hastie on your council:

What is the average size of lots in your neighborhood. We are a densely built inner-ring suburb will extremely small lots. Additionally, how did you know to contact us about this ordinance. I love the response it has generated.

Ed

My answer back to him:

Mr, Hastie,

Most lots in this area are 1/2 to 1 acre, though mine is larger than that. I know city folk who have purchased hens from me for their city lot. If you know Sandy Springs, GA, that is a very ritzy, densely populated area. The last person who bought hens from me already had four in their city lot in Decatur, Ga. There are many living with "city chickens", trying to be more self-sufficient in this bad economy and in a society of food recalls. Properly managed, a few hens can be a fabulous addition to the neighborhood and should generate no bad smells or sounds. (Personally, I'd rather hear a hen cackle once in awhile than dogs bark all night long)
I heard about it because I know someone involved in the campaign to allow chickens there. We have been so happy with our decision to keep a small flock-the birds are personable, the eggs are amazingly better than the older store bought ones, and the excercise as well as the relaxation they provide have been invaluable. Thank you so much for considering this issue.
Cynthia Bacon​

 

[digitS']

How come this guy isn't writing to me? I could talk about laying hens on a narrow lot - 50'.

Cynthia, folks seem to recognize that you are an authority on chickens and seek your advice.

About the location of my coop: I put it right beside my fence and on the other side of that is my neighbor's driveway. It didn't occur to me that this might not be the best place for the coop at the time ('96). The guy on the other side of the fence hadn't done anything with his backyard (overgrown with weeds) and worked on his old vehicles from one end of the driveway to the other.

Then one day, he was gone! The lady's new SO showed up. He planted evergreens, edged the front lawn, and brought in bark and crushed rock for the entire remainder of the yard. Lights come on at night outlining driveway and walkways and illuminating the house and evergreens. Soft music wafts out of the open garage door and he blows the leaves from one end of the lot all the way out into the road.

The guy even got rid of the big dog over there because he was killing the lawn grass. He replaced the dog with a trailer-load of sod.

When I reported what the neighbors thought of my chickens I quoted the lady of the house who said that she barely knows that they are over here. I'm not sure what this new guy would say but figure that if she and I work together on this, we can run him off before he causes any real trouble in the neighborhood

.

It may be best to describe Andy as a friend or someone involved in the campaign. I'm glad you didn't say BYC rabble-rouser. At one time, when a person of authority referred to me as a rabble-rouser - I went straight to the "rabble" and asked, "Hey, you know what this guy thinks of you?!?"

Steve

 

[speckledhen]

I have no idea why he is writing to me. Has anyone else who wrote an email heard from the council members?

 

[vfem]

No, I in fact have not heard from them. But I do not come across as a super sweet person either. I'm a fact thrower and that usually makes people stand offish. I am extremely thrilled to hear he is writing you, even if he is not responding to Andy yet. That means he is listening and he has read through this.