Changing the rules with chickens

[Jonathanq1]

www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2009309020008
delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2009309020008 www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2009309020008

 

[Jonathanq1]

Hi. The ordinance is going to be tabled at tonight's council meeting, so no vote. As the story said, the councilman wants to work on it more. I hope to do a follow-up article soon.

 

[cinnamongirl]

Good luck! I'll keep my fingers crossed for you!

 

[Jonathanq1]

Thanks Cinnamongirl we will need all the luck and efforts possible in this small first state Delaware.

 

[Jonathanq1]

A week later and still no follow-up on the ordinance change

 

[Tom_20m]

Hi, I live in DE also. Middletown to be exact and they are more stringent on chickens than New Castle County. There is a loop hole in New Castle County where you can join the 4-H to have chickens. I can't even get a waiver at this time to have homing pigeons. They just discovered my chickens and ducks and so I have to hide them for now till things cool down. Please keep us updated of any progress.

 

[Jonathanq1]

Will do Tom it's too bad we have to keep these pets hidden. I actually have a 4-H certificate from way back in 1991 I don't think that would still qualify though. I can keep my hens out back in a patio sort of set-up but the roosters I keep indoor until I get home to let them out. I don't want anyone to complain until I know I can have them outback oficially. We will see what happens with the ordinance though. I still haven't heard anything back I've been checking the website delawareonline.com daily. Who and what happened when your birds were discovered?

 

[Tom_20m]

I was having a deck built when the inspector came out to do the footing inspection. That was when he discovered my four muscovy ducks and 2 chickens. Both of my neighbors don't care and enjoy having the animals. The weird thing is that I have and acre of land and lake front property so by New Castle Counties Standards I would have been fine. Middletown is an incorporated town with its own ordinances dating back to 1977.
ARTICLE III, Raising Poultry [Adopted 6-6-1977 as Ord. No. M-3]
§ 39-6. Certain animals prohibited.
It shall be unlawful for any person, group of people, firm or corporation to keep or harbor by any
means whatsoever chickens, ducks, turkeys, pigeons, goats or rabbits alive for any purpose
whatsoever within the corporate limits of the Town of Middletown, New Castle County, State of
Delaware.

Basically I can have geese, sheep, llamas, cows, pheasants, quails and what not. Just not any of the animals listed. I let my ducks go in the back of my house to swim around in Silver Lake. The end of my property is where the end of the corporate boundaries of Middletown are. The chickens I still have. They are in my garage right now cause the inspectors coming out to inspect the final deck.

Here's an updated article on what's going on in DE.

http://www.delawareonline.com/artic...ITIES13/Backyard-bounty-ruffles-some-feathers

 

[Jonathanq1]

It still isin't clear on what the outcome of the change is. I'll have to read the whole article later on. Thanks for the update