City Issued a Citation and claims we aren’t allowed to have chickens due to neighbor’s complaint. What are my options?

[Loving my girls]

Feed is in a big plastic tub, rat proof. I’ve seen rats eating the food out in the run, even in broad daylight.

Poison isn’t really an option because the chickens free range often. So we have been using traps ever since we discovered rats but they must keep reproducing or something to be causing this big of an issue.

Rat traps will never get rid of all the rats, poison is the only thing to do that.
Are you allowed an air rifle ? If you can shoot straight perhaps that is an option, but it will take a long time

 

[StinkyAcres]

First of all, traditional rat poison can kill your chickens, dogs, other pets, and protected wildlife if they eat a rat that has eaten the poison. It should be banned.

Second, I have used RatX and it hasn't worked for me. You have to remove all sources of water for it to work properly which is impossible on my farm.

Snap traps have worked the best for me. I set them at night in covered places where other animals aren't likely to reach them then remove them during the day. Keeping all feed in rodent-proof containers, especially at night, is ideal.

 

[Loving my girls]

First of all, traditional rat poison can kill your chickens, dogs, other pets, and protected wildlife if they eat a rat that has eaten the poison. It should be banned.

Second, I have used RatX and it hasn't worked for me. You have to remove all sources of water for it to work properly which is impossible on my farm.

Snap traps have worked the best for me. I set them at night in covered places where other animals aren't likely to reach them then remove them during the day. Keeping all feed in rodent-proof containers, especially at night, is ideal.

I agree, I hate poison. It devastates the wildlife.

 

[h2oratt]

My dog killed a few this summer, and when I opened the shed I discovered a new bag of Blood and Bone had been opened by the rats! The shed is in the chicken yard but dogs and chickens don't have free access so I threw basic supermarket ratsack baits in the shed, in the compost bin and under the inaccessible main chicken house. I have yet to see another one. Seems the dog killed the breeding rat and the baits sorted out the young.

We’ve given them eggs in the past. Avery couple weeks and they loved it.
The weird part is these neighbors used to have chickens but a different neighbor complained and they had to get rid of them, per order of the city.
They’ve always defended us and thought it was stupid that they had to get rid of theirs. We’ve given them eggs dozens of times. They loved our chicks they would hold them. And the chickens would even fly over the fence and run around in their yard and they weren’t really bothered. They had dogs that almost got them multiple times and since then we secured the run and coop more so that they wouldn’t be able to get over.

Point is, they never had a problem with them. And last year all of a sudden the rooster crows are a problem to them and now supposedly rats.

We can’t move right now. As much as I’d want to.

So per city ordinance you can’t have chickens?

 

[Nym]

Anybody here who thinks rats will die if they eat corn needs to go talk to any grain farmer and he'll tell you otherwise. The reason corn products work with rat poison is because you're giving the rat their food source mixed with poison.

yes, I have watched small rats run off with the remains of a cob. The eaten cob would also be good for general gnawing to keep the rat's teeth down.

 

[All4Eggz]

So per city ordinance you can’t have chickens?

That’s what we were told.

 

[Coops Dad]

Some people choose living inside city limits because they don't want to deal with the sounds and smells of farm life. "Rats" may be the justification the neighbor used but, if you solve that, it'll next be the smell and/or noise.

As long as your city ordinances are contrary to your chicken-keeping desires, they have the ability to make your life miserable. Also the city may end up assessing penalties every time they're called out.

 

[Nym]

Q&A: Is a City Ordinance a Law?

 

[wkyongae]

Q&A: Is a City Ordinance a Law?

Not really but it acts just like a law and can come with civil penilties provided you live within it jurisdiction. Just like HOAs their rules don't count either if you don't live there and sign the contract. That's called freedom.

 

[Kiki]

That’s what we were told.

Sorry Ben.
Start learning what needs to be done to change the ordinance.