Chickens are my theraphy

[GeraldineDbird]

Hello fellow chicken owners. I live in The Woodlands, Texas. I recently acquired a permit and was able to get approved for 3 hens. Initially the township sent out letters to our neighbors 100 feet from us. All of them was against it but we were still approved under the condition that if anyone of them complained and the township looked into it and decides if its a reasonable complaint, that we will have to get rid of the chickens.
My husband and I started raising 3 chicks and they have started laying eggs when the township called us and told us that our neighbor in the back of us complained about the chicken noises which doesn’t happen a lot, only when they want to lay eggs. That we have to move the chicken away from that side of the yard. We talked to one of out neighbor to the side of us about it and they let us moved our chickens there. But now my chickens are confined to a small space and not very happy about it and so am I. So I had to make the toughest decision and decided that I can’t be selfish. If my chickens can’t roam around my backyard, then it’s not a life for them to be in. I had to give up my chickens. Now I’m left with sadness and sorrow. I miss them so much. They have been my therapy. Since I have several health issues and I can no longer do my regular house chores. My dear husband got me chickens. He helped me get a permit. He even showed up to the town meeting sick with a flu. He bought me a chicken coop( expensive one called Omelet). He even added sound barrier around it. We put their food out in the morning and take it back inside our house in a bin for the night so we wouldn’t attract rats or other animals. The chickens have an automatic door that closes at night. We made sure that our chickens will not be a nuisance to all our neighbors. We cleaned it every other day, when they roam around our back yard, we pick up their poop after them - a lot of work since chickens poop every minute. But we were happy to do it.

My husband haven’t taken down the coop. So its hard to keep seeing it there. But it only happened 3 days ago. My question is - has anyone fought to keep their chickens for the sake of therapy? How can I win this case? How can I fight to keep 3 hens in my yard? My chickens did help me not feel hopeless and useless. They really made me feel happy and I was able to not get depressed.

Can someone help me out? I’m willing to start over again and I still do have the permit.

 

[TeresaW]

Can you have a therapist write a letter for you stating that they are your therapy pets?

 

[GeraldineDbird]

Can you have a therapist write a letter for you stating that they are your therapy pets?

Yes. I can do that. I actually am going to start seeing one tomorrow. We’ll see how it goes.

 

[littlecoopnextdoor]

The egg songs only usually last about 10 mins a day or so, right? Do you have folks that have dogs that bark, kids that cry etc? Can you make an argument for normal sound in a neighbourhood, during waking hours? Seems reasonable to me.

 

[GeraldineDbird]

The egg songs only usually last about 10 mins a day or so, right? Do you have folks that have dogs that bark, kids that cry etc? Can you make an argument for normal sound in a neighbourhood, during waking hours? Seems reasonable to me.

The eggs songs didn’t last that long and they don’t do it every time. When I can catch it, I would go out there and tell them to stop and they do. There is a dog that barks but not all the time and a basketball court noise that happens a lot more than what my chickens sound makes. My chickens also lay their eggs around mid morning, sometimes in the afternoon. But then again since they just started laying eggs 2 months ago, maybe that can change. I also noticed that they dont start making their egg song until they have eaten. I normally don’t give them their food until 8 am or after.

 

[littlecoopnextdoor]

The eggs songs didn’t last that long and they don’t do it every time. When I can catch it, I would go out there and tell them to stop and they do. There is a dog that barks but not all the time and a basketball court noise that happens a lot more than what my chickens sound makes. My chickens also lay their eggs around mid morning, sometimes in the afternoon. But then again since they just started laying eggs 2 months ago, maybe that can change. I also noticed that they dont start making their egg song until they have eaten. I normally don’t give them their food until 8 am or after.

that all sounds like a reasonable amount of noise. Do folks use leaf blowers, lawn mowers? Those will likely be nosier than a few mins of chicken yelling. I imagine they just aren't used to the sounds. Maybe it's an education thing, like telling them the sound means eggs and sharing some eggs?

 

[GeraldineDbird]

that all sounds like a reasonable amount of noise. Do folks use leaf blowers, lawn mowers? Those will likely be nosier than a few mins of chicken yelling. I imagine they just aren't used to the sounds. Maybe it's an education thing, like telling them the sound means eggs and sharing some eggs?

 

[GeraldineDbird]

There are always someone using leaf blowers and lawn mowers most of the time. We’ve been in our house for almost 3 years now and that neighbor, almost every time we go in our back yard, my husband and I whisper when we talk because we don’t really like having our neighbors hear our conversations. But that particular neighbor would always go back inside their house as soon as they heard us being back there and the would slam their door. This is before we had the chickens. The township showed us their letter of them disapproving of the chickens and they were pretty nasty about it.

 

[Azhtann]

Not quite the same situation, but when my folks wanted to move us to some property to have horses, we sort of had to go through the same thing. Several neighbors were adamantly against us getting zoned for horses, and their reasons were pretty much in the category of "uneducated fear". Like their toddler getting in the horse fence and getting trampled. Smell and flies. My parents worked to make the farm a place where the kids were welcome to come hang out with the animals with adult supervision, and educated people about horses. And how, no, horses do not generally hunt down toddlers for sport. (I've known a few...)

Would going the educational route be beneficial to you? Bring some eggs, perhaps? Or perhaps go with bantam chickens who would be happier in a smaller area? The seramas are quite tiny and might thrive in the run you have.

 

[SmiYa0126]

Three hens and they're complaining, I'm truly sorry . I hope you can get them listed as therapy animals. I wish people had a heart towards their neighbors. What's wrong with them ....