County wants me to remove my ducks

[fatty and friends]

if they are registered i think you should be fine, if they still find a way to make having a coop an issue could you possibly keep them inside just at night time?

 

[SolarDuck]

if they are registered i think you should be fine, if they still find a way to make having a coop an issue could you possibly keep them inside just at night time?

Yeah that is what I was thinking, I could probably bring in the big 5' diameter kiddie pool and just set it up inside in my bunny's room to use as a coop for them. Thanks for the suggestion, I'll just be stressing until I get this all figured out and official.

 

[TheAlrightyGina]

Well, I got a very concerning letter in the mail this morning.

"It has been brought to our attention, and confirmed by a field inspection conducted by this department..............
in that this property which is zoned, Residential, is in apparent violation of;
The keeping and maintaining of ducks within this residentially zoned district.
To correct this violation, it will be necessary to;
OTHER: Remove ducks and coops from the property"



This has put me in a terrible mood, as I tried to find any local laws regarding keeping ducks before I moved here, but was not able to find any at the time.

Let me just say that no matter what, I will not be getting rid of my ducks. If I have to move, that would really suck, but I need my ducks more than anything.

After doing lots of research on local laws and rules regarding fowl and trying to figure out how to make this work. I ended up registering Penguin, Puffin, and Karen with the US Official Service and Support Animal Registration. I had to pay a fee, and talk to a mental health professional, but I was able to get them all certified, and they said that their lawyers will be behind me if I get any more trouble from the city. Their official emotional support cards and certificates will be here within 7-10 business days. The doctor confidently told me to not worry or stress about it anymore because they have my back. After looking into the laws it seems that there is regulations on coops for fowl, and they aren't allowed to be over 6 feet tall for whatever reason...... Mine is 8 or 9 feet tall because I wanted it big enough for me to walk into and clean, but I will probably have to make adjustments to make it cooperative with the code.

Has anyone else dealt with anything like this? I'm trying not to stress too much about it but I really am stressing, it would be very very unfortunate if I had to move due to this.

That seems super weirdly worded. Was there no mention of a time frame or fine? I've never been coded without that information on the letter. It should also have the contact information for the officer who coded you. It just sounds oddly informal. You wouldn't happen to have had any neighbors that complained about your ducks and/or your coop, have you?

 

[HawaiiCoyote]

You have my full support SolarDuck, I am so sorry this is happening to you!

 

[SolarDuck]

That seems super weirdly worded. Was there no mention of a time frame or fine? I've never been coded without that information on the letter. It should also have the contact information for the officer who coded you. It just sounds oddly informal. You wouldn't happen to have had any neighbors that complained about your ducks and/or your coop, have you?

It said the officer's name and yes it gave me a date of June 06, and potential fines and such. I have neighbors, but I have never had them complain about my ducks. And they are muscovy so they are quiet no chance any neighbors heard them.

 

[Peas4Ducks]

That’s frustrating & I’m sorry you have to deal with it. I assume your yard/the ducks’ area is fenced in?

Does your municipality have a chicken ordinance? Does the code ever mention ducks specifically?

 

[SolarDuck]

That’s frustrating & I’m sorry you have to deal with it. I assume your yard/the ducks’ area is fenced in?

Does your municipality have a chicken ordinance? Does the code ever mention ducks specifically?

Yes their area is completely fenced in and their flight feathers are clipped. It is hard to figure out what is allowed specifically where I live because I am in an unincorporated part of the town.

 

[Peas4Ducks]

Yes their area is completely fenced in and their flight feathers are clipped. It is hard to figure out what is allowed specifically where I live because I am in an unincorporated part of the town.

That’s weird, zoning ordinances don’t usually apply to unincorporated areas. Sorry to have so many questions—do you know whose jurisdiction your area is under? Like is it state level or is there a board or council?

 

[fatty and friends]

Yeah that is what I was thinking, I could probably bring in the big 5' diameter kiddie pool and just set it up inside in my bunny's room to use as a coop for them. Thanks for the suggestion, I'll just be stressing until I get this all figured out and official.

i might be wrong but if they sleep indoors then they aren’t considered outdoor “livestock” right? so they wouldn’t be able to take them away since they are “indoor” pets

 

[SolarDuck]

That’s weird, zoning ordinances don’t usually apply to unincorporated areas. Sorry to have so many questions—do you know whose jurisdiction your area is under? Like is it state level or is there a board or council?

I believe it is just owned by the county, not sure of any boards or councils.