Can't keep our coop, and could use some tractor ideas. :(

[chickeydee]

Maybe you should get rid of your neighbors . I can not stand people telling me what I can have on my own property .I paid for it .I feel your pain. Take a look at the hoop coop I made one my self. It is 4x8 and I pull it around the front yard .with my silkies in it . Was not hard to make and not exespense.Good luck .

 

[Lucy4]

Quote:
Thanks. But yes, the code specifically states that you have to have at least one acre of property to own chickens. (And you may keep 20 per acre.) I didn't look at it when I got chickens, which was stupid on my part. My friend in town with her own chickens just said "20 per acre". I have a 1/5 of acre, so I got 4 pullets. Dumb, I know. I think I was just being hopeful, and that if I bribed the neighbors with enough eggs, everyone would be happy. It was Pollyanna on my part.

I'm hopeful after reading all the replies here that we'll be able to create something this weekend that the town will allow. And someone on BYC already offered to buy our coop, which helps. I just wish this wasn't such a mess and hassle. My husband says that instead of eggs, the chickens better start laying cheddar omelets in gratitude.

 

[ryanroth]

A few years ago, my wife and I actually fought the county over something that was not written into ordinance regarding pet rabbits. We had pet rabbits that our children showed. A neighbor told the county that we were running a breeding and production operation so the county said we were breaking the law (county zoning ordinance; no written statement regarding rabbits) and we had to get rid of them. We spent $4000 fighting it with attorneys and what I learned out of this is:
1. There is no written civil law regarding animals. These are ordinances written by your city, county, state.... Ordinances are not civil laws. Ordinances are written by a group of appointed or elected officials who determine what is considered legal and illegal regarding the use of property. They have to make the meetings public, but do not have to listen to the public. They can write the ordinances the way they want and can be interpreted the way they want. There was no written ordinance regarding rabbits specifically.
2. We brought in experts from around the country from the American Rabbit Breeders and the USDA regarding what it was considered to be a producer and if rabbits were considered livestock. (by the way, no where else in the county are rabbits considered livestock except for our old county). We still lost.
3. Moral to the story: Don't spend a lot of time fighting over ordinances. They are just pieces of paper that a group of people in a room determined to be what they envisioned for their county, city, or state.
4. Since our public case, I have read about 4-6 backyard chicken owners who had to remove chickens because the same group of old men sitting at a table deemed them to be livestock producers. (producing eggs is still livestock to them).

Good luck with getting to keep them and building the tractor. Don't spend too much money as they still may come back to bite you in the end.

 

[chickensioux]

I feel your pain. Fortunately, I am within my right to have chickens and other poultry in my neighborhood but my neighbors are soooo against it and constantly complain about the noise, smell and any other thing they can come up with. We are on an acre and they can't even see mine but they complain anyway. Some people have nothing better to do but fuss.
I hope this works out for you. My husband makes chicken tractors and the A-frame ones are nice. He uses wood framing with metal over it which makes them very light and portable, and relatively inexpensive. Good luck and I hope you get to keep your girls.