City Bylaws say yes...

[KrystaMartin]

hi there
I am new and hoping for support here.
I have 3, 10 week old pullets in my backyard. The city I live in allows backyard chicken raising. But my subdivision has different bylaws. We are not allowed "fowl". I plead ignorance because I just assumed I would go by city rules.
Now, I have had 2 anonymous unsigned complaints sent to my council (which I am a part of) I know exactly who they are from but the letters are null and void unless they are signed.
I am preparing, in the meantime for a fight to change our bylaw and get other residents on board. Thankfully, the worst that can happen is I pay a fine here and there and get to keep them. But I would like to amend the bylaws in order for us all to be allowed and have no further problems. I would like to point out that we live directly across from a working dairy and chicken farm.

They of course are using all the ignorant excuses such as smell, rats and noise... All of which I take care of. And they are no noisier than the wild birds outside. Feed is locked up. Better than a bird feeder!! Coop and run are fastidious.

Does anyone have experience with this? How do I get people to realize the pros of chickening? I need a 3/4 vote to win.
Thanks so much!
Krysta

ChickenMama to:
1Silver laced Wyandotte
1 welsummer
1 Speckled Sussex

 

[Poultrybreeder]

Some of the pros are natural fertilizer and weed disposer (they will eat any weeds they are given). They also give natural food without all of the harsh chemicals egg factories have. And they are a great way to prevent rotten fruit and vegetables from going to waste, I hope this helps! I don't have any experience with trying to change bylaws for chickening, as I live in an area that allows all animals, sorry about that.

 

[Kiki]

Are you trying to change the HOA bylaws?

 

[El-kevo]

Ask for a temporary probationary period to prove your critics wrong. you could ask for 3 months or even a year and revisit the complaints then. This way you have time to prove yourself at the same time if it truly is a problem, they only have to tolerate it for 90 days at the most.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

Locking up feed only prolongs the inevitable rat invasion. Your neighbors have a valid concern. Without a real prevention system in place you have a rodent population explosion. If you want to change the bylaws of HOA, have a proposed code that dictates acceptable means of rodent control. ie rodent control that actually works.

You read it all the time on these pages, "Help, Rats!" and the like thread titles of people stating how they are overrun with rats. It's the seedy underbelly of keeping livestock that is far too often overlooked until you've a very large population of rodents that will start to migrate into nearby buildings and homes. That's a very real problem not only to nearby home owners but adds more fodder to livestock husbandry bans.