Consolidated Kansas

[prairieblue]

I have 8 girls: 3 EEs, 1 Australorp, 1 sp. Sussex, 1 Lav Orp, 1 Blue Orp, and 1 Barnevelder. And, yes I am beyond frustrated! My hens that I have come to know and love have to go, and the HUGE chunk of dollars I spent building them a home will have to come down as well! GRRR!

 

[Prairie Fleur]

I have 8 girls: 3 EEs, 1 Australorp, 1 sp. Sussex, 1 Lav Orp, 1 Blue Orp, and 1 Barnevelder.  And, yes I am beyond frustrated! My hens that I have come to know and love have to go, and the HUGE chunk of dollars I spent building them a home will have to come down as well! GRRR!

I feel frustrated just thinking about your situation. maybe you can sell your coop on CL or something? Seems like someone is always looking for stuff like that.

 

[Trish44]

Hello All!
Haven't posted in a while, but check in regularly. Well, It's time for the tale of woes... busted by the city! I was trying to be incognito with the coop and had the ok from my neighbors to have hens, but thanks to a complaint about a totally unrelated issue the local code enforcement man came calling and saw the roof of my run and coop from the street. Next, note on the door saying NO chickens without S.U.P. When I called him back, he said I was welcome to apply for the permit, but GOOD LUCK... city council very rarely grants them. So, to my post - is anyone interested in acquiring new hens? 1 year old, all laying great, and a mix of breeds. It breaks me up to have to rehome them, but I can't move and they can't live in the house (and yes, I thought about that for at least a minute). If there is anyone interested or know of a better place to look for a new home for them, please let me know. Thanks!

Sending you a PM.

 

[cherwill]

What a morning. I needed something that was supposed to be in the "junk drawer" in the kitchen. In frustration, I just dumped it out on the table. Once I had it out in a pile, I decided to sort the mess. That was 2 hours ago. The drawer (which already had separators and organizers) is again neat and tidy, I have a bag of trash, three groups of stuff put away elsewhere, and I've tested nearly 30 batteries that were thrown in there. Oh, and I never did find those scissors.

I laughed about this, because the same thing happens to me on a regular basis.

Ahhhh, the much needed rain, finally!!!! I think we had about 1" on Wednesday night then just enough to wet the pavement last night. I am counting my blessings.

Lost a hen. Not sure what got to it and was wondering why my 2 GPs didn't do their job??? Anyway, the hen was in obvious misery by the time I found her so I went ahead and ended it for her so she didn't continue to suffer.

Since I was already at it, I processed the roosters as well. Now the freezers is full.

Didn't get the trampoline project done. Instead, I had to work on getting a new pump for the pool because the originally pump just died. It wasn't working good enough to start with so we got a sand filter to replace it. Of course the hoses won't just fit right into the existing hardware (my luck!) so had to run to the hardware store 3 times to try and get something to fit. Finally just used the drumel and grinder down the plastic just enough to push the hoses in. No leak! Hallelujah!! Now I'm waiting for the pool to fill back up and turn the filter on. All this work took me 3 days. Good grief.... my plumbing skills just suck!

Speaking of plumbing... the rental house's hot water heater started leaking. Needless to say we have to get it replaced pronto since we have tenants living in the house. $800+ later and 2 trips to the house, the city inspector finally gave us the green light that everything is A-OK.

I hope everyone get some rain. I think I will just take it easy today. Maybe a drink as well.. LOL

I'm sorry you lost a hen, Tweety. I'm glad she didn't go to waste, but it's a shame to have to process a bird you didn't plan on processing.

Your plumbing skills are better than mine! Sounds like you're having a lot of problems, though. I hope things go better.

Hello All!
Haven't posted in a while, but check in regularly. Well, It's time for the tale of woes... busted by the city! I was trying to be incognito with the coop and had the ok from my neighbors to have hens, but thanks to a complaint about a totally unrelated issue the local code enforcement man came calling and saw the roof of my run and coop from the street. Next, note on the door saying NO chickens without S.U.P. When I called him back, he said I was welcome to apply for the permit, but GOOD LUCK... city council very rarely grants them. So, to my post - is anyone interested in acquiring new hens? 1 year old, all laying great, and a mix of breeds. It breaks me up to have to rehome them, but I can't move and they can't live in the house (and yes, I thought about that for at least a minute). If there is anyone interested or know of a better place to look for a new home for them, please let me know. Thanks!

I'm so sorry. I get so annoyed by cities that are anti-chicken.

I just don't understand it. They allow cats and dogs, and chickens are no noisier, or smellier, and they don't bite the neighborhood kids. Are you going to apply for the SUP anyway, just in case?

 

[chicken danz]

Hello All!
Haven't posted in a while, but check in regularly. Well, It's time for the tale of woes... busted by the city! I was trying to be incognito with the coop and had the ok from my neighbors to have hens, but thanks to a complaint about a totally unrelated issue the local code enforcement man came calling and saw the roof of my run and coop from the street. Next, note on the door saying NO chickens without S.U.P. When I called him back, he said I was welcome to apply for the permit, but GOOD LUCK... city council very rarely grants them. So, to my post - is anyone interested in acquiring new hens? 1 year old, all laying great, and a mix of breeds. It breaks me up to have to rehome them, but I can't move and they can't live in the house (and yes, I thought about that for at least a minute). If there is anyone interested or know of a better place to look for a new home for them, please let me know. Thanks!

If I were you I wouldn't give up. I would present my case and explain that all my neighbors approve of the hens. Also maybe have a signed petition by the neighbors with you so they know you aren't blowing smoke. Of course I have no idea what it would cost you to get a permit but it irks me to see local government trying to control so much of private lives. As long as it isn't a lot of noise, filthy, smelly and doesn't deface the surrounding property I think it should be your decision what you have on your own property.
Years ago I was a police officer in Okla City. One of my pet peeves was the code enforcement. Some things I could understand like really tall grass and tons of junk sitting around. But they wrote tickets for campers and boats that were parked in front of the house line. How picky is that? If you had a non-running vehicle it had to be removed. So if your car broke down and you couldn't get it into the shop for a week you chanced getting a ticket. The problem was that there were so many incorporated little towns inside the metro area that you still had places that weren't enforced so it seemed like selective enforcement. You might be punished but your neighbor who just happened to be in the boundaries of another little township could totally junk their place out.
I was constantly getting visited by the code enforcement officer when I lived in Council Grove. They seemed to like to bug me. The most ridiculous story about them is that I had a flower garden on the corner. I was pulling weeds one day and had one of my sons helping me. I was pulling them and throwing them into the driveway and he was picking them up in a wheel barrow and taking them to them to the trash out back. The code enforcement officer stopped to write me a ticket because I was throwing the weeds in the city easement. That same city easement I had to mow and maintain or I would get a ticket for that by the way. I ripped him a new one and here came my son back with the wheel barrow to pick up another load for me. He just got back in his truck and left and didn't say another word.
Another time I ran an electric line to a front garden pond. I did it correctly. I ran from the house, put the wire in conduit and put in a GFCI outlet near the pond. I had dug a trench about 2 foot deep which really didn't matter because I was building a huge wrap around porch around the front of the house that was going to cover it. I was sited for installing an outlet that I hadn't purchased a permit for. I had to dig up the whole thing, hire someone to dig a 3 foot deep trench, re do all the same thing I had just done but of course make adjustments for more depth on the conduit and wire. I was fined $50 for no permit, $10 for the one outlet, and then had to pay another $20 for the new permit, plus $50 an hour for the back hoe to dig the trench. Needless to say it was a very expensive out let. I had another pond out back and had installed an outlet there as well. I researched the city code and found you could run an extension cord for 6 months at a time. So I simply unhooked the outlet and ran an extension cord. I pointed it out to the code inspector and he said well you had better get a permit before your 6 months runs out. I just smiled and 6 months later when he came to check on me I just switched out extension cords in front of him, replacing the old one with a second one. He said, "You can't do that." I told him in deed I could, that it said I could use said cord for a limit of 6 months. The ordinance didn't say I couldn't replace said cord with another cord. It really ticked him off but he kind of left me alone after that. I eventually just quietly hooked up my wiring to the outside outlet again and he didn't bother me again.
I am very happy to live in the country now where I don't have any body but the tax people to bug me. They tax me on every one of my chicken coops because they are jerks. But I did talk to the assessor and he said he wouldn't tax on a shelter made of cattle panels and a tarp. So they can't tax me on the hoop coops. Also my coops that are made out of an old camper etc are not structures by their description. If I have my poultry building put in I am sure I will have to pay taxes on it but all these other things I am taxed on will have to come off the books.
Anyway you can tell I am all for fighting for your individual rights.

 

[Trish44]

I agree danz all the way, the government goes way too far with stupid things when they have much more important things they need to be worrying about. When I lived outside of Derby for 23 years I had to fight over my property tax over the years. The county assessor would come out & any little slab of concrete they found they would tax you on. We tore down our old barn eventually & there was a concrete slab sitting there with cracks all in it & they tried to say it was a patio. Yeah right way out away from the house & all full of cracks. So I took pics of it & took it down to the courthouse & showed it to them & asked them if that looked like a patio to them. I explained I had removed the barn that used to partially sit on that & they took it off my taxes. I'm sure nobody has driven down in where I live now to find my breeder coop because when they do they will tax me on it. I don't think you should have to pay taxes on chicken coops & livestock buildings, that's just another blow to farmers & there are plenty of things they get hit with. They have to pay taxes on the buildings they keep their farm machinery in. Would the government rather they just leave it sitting outside in the weather, really.

prairieblue I agree with danz you should apply for that permit anyway & do what she said, take signatures from your neighbors. I personally agree that chickens are a lot quieter than barking dogs. People in cities put up with those all the time & nobody says much.

We got more rain last night during the night. It woke me up more because the dogs were carrying on about it. My little Yorkie barks at thunder so she was going on about that. I didn't have the greatest night between the storm, the dogs, & my leg bothering me. The therapist really put me over the top the other day & set me back, so we're going to have to have a talk about that when I go back. I was making progress & now I just feel like I'm back at square one because she got carried away. I just can't push myself too hard with the Fibromyalgia I have or that's exactly what happens & it's discouraging.

 

[prairieblue]

Thanks for the encouragement and support (that's what I love about this forum) everyone! Danz, my story sounds similar to your weeding story. I was trying to clean up limbs from the back yard that perpetually fall out of my walnut tree (hate that tree) and putting them in the front yard to be bundled and put to the curb for yard waste pick up. Apparently some passer-by must have thought I was just building a brush pile in the front yard and called in to complain, I get in trouble for trying to clean up my yard... in what world is that even fair? The permit is only $50, but I get the feeling that it's pointless to apply for it. Not enough people on my side of the issue that it would get any city councilman unelected for opposing. But, you are right, if I don't at least try I'm letting other people dictate what I can and can't do. All for the sake of -oh my gosh, what will this do to real estate values if there be hens in the neighborhood! Wish I was in the position to just pick up and move to the country, but I'm not

.

 

[Prairie Fleur]

Best of luck with the permit! X fingers. Wish you could move to the country but sometimes what we want isn't what we get.. we'd like to move somewhere where we don't have farm ground and chemical application on all sides of us. We've lost a bunch of trees once already and they just got drifted on again.. maybe someday we'll find that perfect homestead but it doesn't seem like it'll be in the near future.
At least I can have chickens tho!

 

[Trish44]

Best of luck with the permit! X fingers. Wish you could move to the country but sometimes what we want isn't what we get..

we'd like to move somewhere where we don't have farm ground and chemical application on all sides of us. We've lost a bunch of trees once already and they just got drifted on again..

maybe someday we'll find that perfect homestead but it doesn't seem like it'll be in the near future.
At least I can have chickens tho!

I lived in a similar situation to yours when I lived outside of Derby for 23 years. I only had 3 1/2 acres there & we were surrounded by farmland that was regularly sprayed with something all the time it seemed. I tried to be inside when they sprayed but I never knew when they were coming. They either used sprayers in tanks on the ground that were pulled by tractors or had planes flying overhead to spray. I'm sure that is the source of some of my health problems now. At least where we now live we're in the Flint Hills & it's mostly not farm ground, it's more grazing ground close to us other than the dairy farmer's land down the road. He does grow his own grains for his cows but mostly what I see him spraying is liquid manure. He has a system that I got to see when I went for an open house one time where they flood the barn where the cows stand & just wash all the poop out into a lagoon system where they use that water to eventually fertilize the fields after I'm sure it stands awhile. It's a pretty interesting system really. His cows are very spoiled ones & get a prescribed diet that they mix up themselves.

We had to go to Wichita today for our usual shopping trip & we barely got back in time to get the feeding done by dark. My DH did help me with feeding the dogs, cats, & rabbits so I could get done in time. I hate trying to feed in the dark when I can barely see what I'm doing.

 

[Prairie Fleur]

[COLOR=0000FF]I lived in a similar situation to yours when I lived outside of Derby for 23 years. I only had 3 1/2 acres there & we were surrounded by farmland that was regularly sprayed with something all the time it seemed. I tried to be inside when they sprayed but I never knew when they were coming. They either used sprayers in tanks on the ground that were pulled by tractors or had planes flying overhead to spray. I'm sure that is the source of some of my health problems now. At least where we now live we're in the Flint Hills & it's mostly not farm ground, it's more grazing ground close to us other than the dairy farmer's land down the road. He does grow his own grains for his cows but mostly what I see him spraying is liquid manure. He has a system that I got to see when I went for an open house one time where they flood the barn where the cows stand & just wash all the poop out into a lagoon system where they use that water to eventually fertilize the fields after I'm sure it stands awhile. It's a pretty interesting system really. His cows are very spoiled ones & get a prescribed diet that they mix up themselves.[/COLOR]

[COLOR=0000FF]We had to go to Wichita today for our usual shopping trip & we barely got back in time to get the feeding done by dark. My DH did help me with feeding the dogs, cats, & rabbits so I could get done in time. I hate trying to feed in the dark when I can barely see what I'm doing.[/COLOR]

When you mentioned having fibro I wondered if it was chemical related. I have extensive health issues too and it's almost all chemical related. I get extremely sick whenever they spray.That's part of the reason I got chickens and goats; I wanted to know where my food came from and what went into it and I wanted it chemical free as much as possible. It's still not a great situation but it's what we have for now. Maybe someday we'll find a place in the middle of pasture! Gotta hope anyway!