Consolidated Kansas

[HEChicken]

Having been thru all the Wichita city code & permit discussions fairly recently (September 2012) I can tell you that what the municipal code states is that you can have 3 chickens without needing an AMP (Animal Maintenance Permit). By code, you are allowed up to 12 birds with an AMP with the exceptions being: no roosters, no guineas & no peacocks. Essentially, anything known for making excessive noise. One other thing of interest is that the code lumps different types of birds into a single category called "fowl". This would include chickens, geese, ducks & pigeons. I know that some of the confusion as to how many birds you can have without a permit actually came from the AMP application form itself. The "old" form actually said you only needed a permit if you had 6-12. The form was revised last year (2012) to be consistent with the municipal code. Cost for an AMP is $25 annually. The city is currently re-vamping their entire website & they've temporarily taken down the link to download the AMP application forms, but if you need one PM me & I'll email you a copy. Once it's back online it should be here: http://www.wichita.gov/Government/Departments/WPD/Pages/Administrative.aspx. At least this is where it was at before. And yes, it is part of the WPD as they are responsible for animal control.

Here is a link to the Wichita municipal code. It does make for some interesting reading. Title 6 is the section that covers everything you'll need to know.
http://library.municode.com/index.aspx?clientId=14166

Some advice I would give you would be to let your immediate neighbors know about your chickens & make sure they are OK with it. A fresh supply of eggs was all it took for my neighbors to buy into my project. I've been lucky that I don't have this problem to worry about. I would however, start paying attention to things like stray dogs, possums, skunks, etc that you may see on occassion in your neighborhood. I had an entire flock wiped out last year due to pit bulls who had gotten lose, jumped my fence & had a hay day with my birds. At the time, I didn't have an AMP which is the only reason I didn't press charges against the dog owners. Needless to say I have one now. I think of it as more of an insurance policy than a permit. It does give you more legal rights than you might think.

Best of luck with your birds. If you're like most of us, you won't stay at just 3 birds for very long.

Wow - great advice! I'm glad to have that cleared up about the 3/5 since I never really knew for sure and even the AC officer wasn't certain. Weird. You should put this info as a sticky in your signature for other newbies from the Wichita area.

A quick update on the banty hen/yarn. Before I fed her, her crop was down to a very small amount and that could have been feed. She is looking and acting fine. I don't know how long it will take for anything to work through her. We will see.

HEChicken, you may already know, a way to bring worms to a spot is to put something flat, a rock, board, cardboard weighted down, etc, where you want the worms and keep it wet. Close to where you use water on a regular basis so you can spray some water on it is handy. Then when you pick up the object you will find them collected under it. Grab quick, they dive for cover fast. Your silky will really love you for that.

I'm so glad she's doing better - I've been wondering about her and hoping you would check in soon with an update.

I actually didn't realize worms would behave that way but I've heard of doing something similar for crickets. Last year a feed bag blew into a corner and I didn't go get it for a few days and when I did it was cricket heaven. Fortunately a few of the birds were close enough to snag a few before they found new hiding places.

Duh! I switched her to Denagard and I totally forgot I had it. I was so panicked, I went right for the Baytril since I know it's one of the best drugs. But the Baytril did clear up her eyes. She still has a sneeze. She is obviously still sick... but she's looking a LOT better. She's in the "hospital" in my garage. Very interesting about your cock fight! Even more so that Ned was going to help sort it out?? Isnt' that crazy? I'm glad that your Wellie got it worked out before Ned came over-- a knock on the head from a turkey might have really hurt them. ha!

Oh I'm so glad she's doing better! Yeah, that Denagard is good stuff for these types of symptoms.

I don't think Ned would have pecked either - he is really a gentle giant and I've never seen him peck at any other bird. He probably would have just got in the way of them too, to break it up.

Oh, yes, that the AMP is really simple to get. You do have to go down to their office the first time - it is located at 9th & I-135. You fill out a 1-page form, pay the fee, and you're done. They mail the permit to you, and suggest that you place it where it can be seen from outside. I did put mine in a window where it could be seen, but AC still came and rang the bell. After the first time, they send a renewal notice in the mail and you can just renew by mail. Oh - one tip - if you don't renew right away, they increase the fee. After I moved out here, I didn't need it any more so when I got the renewal notice in the mail, I threw it out. A month later I got a second one and the fee had gone up from $25, to, I think, $30 after they added in the late fee. At that point I realized I needed to call them since not renewing apparently isn't enough to tell them you don't need it any more. So I called the number on the form, told them I no longer live in Wichita so don't need to renew and they just took my name off their list and that was the end of it.

 

[maidenwolfx80]

Here is the white cochin I got out of the banty mix he is cute and rounding out nicely

I believe she is a black tailed buff japanese,, can anyone confirm this?

Her color I amnot sure. She has little spots od white on her back and a light colored chest

Maybe this one helps this is the same bird as above

Here is the white cochin and the "japanese"

 

[mrsdanamiller]

*Can't figure out how to delete posts!!*

 

[michelleml]

Maidenwolf love the Cochin super cute

 

[mrsdanamiller]

I am in Haysville where there is no limit! I am starting with 6....but my coop can accomodate 12. I am pretty sure I'll be maxing it out soon. hehe
Whoops, meant to quote ya HE Chicken
Chris0110 I agree with Hawkeye about the Wichita limits. I lived there for several years with chickens before moving out to the country last summer. When I first got them, I looked up the laws and it said you could have 5 hens, so that is the number I got. I did later see somewhere else where it mentioned a limit of 3. Ultimately I got the permit ($25/year) to allow me to have 12 chickens, but my neighbor reported me after that, and Animal Control came out to visit. It wasn't any big deal because I was able to show the permit and he wrote off the complaint because I was legal. After that we had a really nice chat because he was very interested in the chickens and I told him about the discrepancy in the ordinances and asked him if it is for sure 3 or 5. He told me he thought 5 is the legal number and said there had been a change and they must not have updated the ordinances uniformly. However even he did not seem to be 100% sure? So if I were you, I would check into it more - perhaps even call down there - because the more you have, the better. First, 3 may not always supply enough eggs - since they don't lay every single day and take times off to molt, the more you have, the greater the odds you'll get enough eggs to supply your needs. Second, in winter, the more birds you have in the coop, the warmer they will all be. Third, losses are inevitable but if you start with 3 and lose a couple, you're down to one lonely hen, and its not always that easy to find a companion, depending on time of year. If you start with more and lose a couple, you have a little flexibility on finding replacement birds to take their place, since the remaining hens still have one another for company. I could go on but I'll exercise self-restraint here [smile], although I will add that Chicken Math is a very real affliction. Almost all of us started out thinking we would just have a few for eggs and wound up with multiple coops and pens and many more birds than we originally planned. My "five" hens multipled to 12 very quickly and from there the next step was to move out to the country where I have no restrictions.

 

[checoukan]

Quote: Ok, my multi post is not working well.

Got Hawkeyes to work, but nobody else did.
Anyway~~~
Hawkeye, what was it that I had in my show bag that you did not at the fall classic? Hmmmm can't remember, was it the little spray bottles for the coops? Thanks goodness for show bags!!

Dang, who was it that asked about the agri myicin? Anyway, I bought mine a the local Co-op farm store. I think it is the same as LA-200 tho.
I would be in trouble in Wichita. When they came out and tested my birds for re-newel on my NPIP, they tested 70. That did not count the babies

Oh, is there going to be a show in Hutch this spring.

Maidenwolf, April 20th is the spring show in Sedlia. Mo. They are going to have a table top display of serma. That goes for anybody that is interested. They do have sale coops there also. If anybody is looking for anything special. Usually the birds that are sold are not up to ABA-APA show standards, but usually will wipe out all competion at a local fair.

 

[checoukan]

Maidenwolf~~~ That is not a Jap. I was leaning towards a Wheaten OE, but the black in her flight feathers says no. Could you take a picture of the wing spread out like in flight?

 

[Chickies-duckies-etc]

Here is the white cochin I got out of the banty mix he is cute and rounding out nicely

I believe she is a black tailed buff japanese,, can anyone confirm this?

Her color I amnot sure. She has little spots od white on her back and a light colored chest

Maybe this one helps this is the same bird as above

Here is the white cochin and the "japanese"

The buff that you think is "japanese" - legs are too long for a regular jap unless it is a long leg variety. Stands wrong also. Another guess would be a Nankin. I don't know what they look like as chicks, but the color is right. And they are tiny. Is that a bantam cochin with her? If so, probabily a nankin. They come in rose comb and straight comb. If it is a nankin I would LOVE to have it.

 

[mrsdanamiller]

Ok I have a question!

I am getting my chickens this week

eek!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
However I'm wondering if the guy is giving them to me for a reasonable price. Just thought I'd ask since I've never raised chickens before. He wants $15 per Barnevelder 7-8 month old and $10 per White Rock 6 month old.

Any other tips on buying hens from people would be appreciated!

 

[WichitaKidd]

Oh, yes, that the AMP is really simple to get. You do have to go down to their office the first time - it is located at 9th & I-135. You fill out a 1-page form, pay the fee, and you're done. They mail the permit to you, and suggest that you place it where it can be seen from outside. I did put mine in a window where it could be seen, but AC still came and rang the bell. After the first time, they send a renewal notice in the mail and you can just renew by mail. Oh - one tip - if you don't renew right away, they increase the fee. After I moved out here, I didn't need it any more so when I got the renewal notice in the mail, I threw it out. A month later I got a second one and the fee had gone up from $25, to, I think, $30 after they added in the late fee. At that point I realized I needed to call them since not renewing apparently isn't enough to tell them you don't need it any more. So I called the number on the form, told them I no longer live in Wichita so don't need to renew and they just took my name off their list and that was the end of it.

Wanted to add some corrections & clarifications to HEChicken's post.

1. You can pick up an AMP application form at animal control. However, their offices are now located at the new facility on north Hillside & K96 next to the new Humane Society complex.
2. One of the big changes they made when they revised the form last year is that now you have to attach a layout of area where you will be keeping your birds (aka page 2 of the form). Doesn't have to be extremely detailed. They just need to know the size of the area, where the property lines are at, where your coop/run is located in relation to residential properties & how big it is, fence locations, etc, etc. The form has a list of what all needs to be identified.
3. You do have to file your permit & pay your fee in person the first time. You now have to do this at City Hall (Central & Main) not at Animal Control. There is a payment window on the first floor; same place where you can pay your water bill, parking tickets, etc. Note: the permit window isn't staffed over the lunch hour. Discovered that when I filed my AMP. Spent 25 minutes waiting for the lady to get back from lunch. You will have to go thru security screening as well (as does everyone who enters City Hall) so leave all your guns & knives in your car.
4. Renewals do come in the mail roughly 30 days before they are due. Definitely if you have moved or no longer have birds notify the city permit office. If you forget to renew there is a $5 late fee. As HEChicken said, don't assume that by not responding to the permit renewal that the city will automatically cancel your permit. A simple phone call can take care of it & avoid the hassle.

If anyone in Wichita is interested in filing for an AMP I have a copy of the form that I can send you. Just send me a PM with your email address & I'll get it to you. I'd even be willing to help you fill it out based on what I learned from doing it myself last time. The municipal codes & AMP forms are really focused on dogs not chickens & there are a lot of things on the application form that won't be applicable (ex: rabies vaccination tag #). It can be somewhat confusing if you've never done it before.