DeKalb County, GA - latest news?

[gritsnsweettea]

I've been reading conflicting reports about the DeKalb chicken/animal ordinance lately. Currently the ordinances disallow chickens on lots smaller than 2 acres, but I've heard that the commission is considering updating to allow chickens on smaller lots. I also read that someone received an email from a commissioner saying to use the proposed ordinance as a guide.

So - where is the proposed DeKalb county ordinance, and what is the status?

 

[BlazeJester]

I would like to know this. My mom has chickens and just got new neighbors, and we are hoping they do not call and complain. Most of the neighbors like them a lot, but of course it's the house right next door that isn't interested in the least (though it's perfectly fine for their large dog to bark all night and poop in our lawn).

 

[MagicMarcy66]

Do they know she has the chickens? And how about a peace offering? Say a dozen eggs or so? This was how I won my neighbors over. They never complain when they see me coming with an egg carton of a dozen fresh free range eggs. Believe me I have a neighbor that just bugs the heck out of us. We have Labs and they poop in our front yard and he can't stand it if there is a poop in OUR yard. Or the fact that his untrimmed palm tree sheds it frawns in the windy season and damages our garden and then has the audacity to peek over our fence and complain about the mess his frawn made in our back yard.

Arrrrgggg!!! I know how you feel, but we sometimes have to kill them with kindness. They love our eggs.

MM66

 

[voglecm1]

We just moved to Dekalb County. Our disapproving neighbor said he "got the whole organic egg thing, but did we have to have our coop where he could see it?" Sidenote-this is a fabulous coop, not a lean-to shanty. It always weighs 15 tons so we couldn't move it. It took 3 giant movers all day to move it from East Atlanta to our new house. Two weeks after our neighbor's chat, we got the ordinance violation sheet on our front door. UGH! Aside from wanting to slash his tires, I gotta figure out what to do with these hens I hand-raised from day-old chicks. This is crushing.
Has anyone tried to change the ordinance yet? I got super-excited when I read about a chicken owner in Dekalb County ILLINOIS that was working on it. If anyone has started the ball rolling I'd love to chat and see how I can help. If not, I'll start that ball.
Let me know if anyone knows anything....
Carrie

 

[gapeach717]

Oh Carrie I am so so sorry about your dbag neighbor. I am sure I have my fights ahead of me too one day. Can you say the coop is indeed a utility shed used for housing garden tools? Surely without a warrant they wouldn't have a way to come and look inside??

 

[suntex01]

Don't know if this will help you or not. But the Director of zoning and planning did say he would let four chickens slide by in the last code enforcement meeting since the code was going to be changed anyways. You may want to write him an email or request a meeting with him or one of his senior code enforcement officers. I know atleast one of the senior officers were at that same meeting last year.

 

[Gamber]

Hello all! Sorry to hear about everyone's neighbor woes. We also live in Dekalb County and are raising our first chickens this year. We intended to have 4 but ended up with 8. 2 of which are turning out to be roosters at that. We have a neighbor that has called Code Enforcement for an old tree to be removed at the end of property so I imagine he will be quick to call once our ladies start making a fuss.

We are just under 2 acres. We get along with everyone else on our street and I considered asking our friendlier, direct neighbor if they might form some sort of Co-Op with us and say that the chickens are a joint venture of sorts and will make use of the sum of our properties. I'm also looking into building an acoustic wall outback in front of the hen house to absorb as much of the racket as possible before it reaches the front of the property. I may even get brave enough to try and keep the roos. We listen to obnoxious dogs all year long and even have screaming Chimpanzees from a Georgia State University research facility that backs up to our property... I don't see the harm in a few productive pets.

Any updates on the ordinance or how you dealt with your neighbors? With everything that happened to the gentleman in Roswell a while back, I would think this would be treated with more sensitivity by the local gov't. I would certainly like to be involved with any efforts to reform this ordinance.

 

[SandyLee]

What can you tell me about the change in the law for Dekalb? Are we allowed to have a few chickens now?
Thanks Sandy