Following our own rules

[orcasislandchickens]

How is the battle in your area.

Our area in the PNW has experienced a great deal of recent growth. My town is a churning morass of investment vs. no growth, local vs. state, outsiders vs. longtimers, etc. , etc, etc. Every kind of developement, investment, environmental, and animal rights group is well represented. My neighbors are VERY concerned about anything that they think might lower the value of their property. They are also mostly well educated, affluent, and highly idealistic. New, more restrictive, regulations (against tree cutting, for animal rights...against dangerous dogs, for view preservation....) are passed with a head- spinning frequency. I suspect this situation is fairly common here on a backyard chickens board.

As a result I have had to admit that I am trying to set a good example of why chickens in the yard are a good - not a bad thing. My chickens are fewer, cleaner, and housed in much more asthetically pleasing surroundings than they would be if I lived in the country. I shudder a little when people talk about keeping their roos, letting their chickens free range in their neighbors yards in areas where this WILL CAUSE CONFLICT. It is very difficult to convince one of my neighbors that my hens will pose no problems since they have already "been there, done that" with another more disrespectful neighbor at their last place. Sigh. No regulations - yet. But I have been visited by the county twice already.

So far, thank heavens, the comments have all been favorable. They have been of the sustainable, local, agriculture is a good thing variety. Still people are quietly watching. My closest neighbor likes the fresh eggs and may get a small coop for her garden also. YAY!

 

[LynneP]

In Halifax, Nova Scotia, where was a huge battle over 3 hens (RIR's) that a local woman had in her yard. She was gracious and the birds were not noisy but a neighbor complained they were attracting rats. Halifax has had a plague of rats since the 1750's. She was able to rehome them at a heritage farm, but most citizens were dismayed at how rigid the city had been.

 

[Western Chick]

More people need to approch the issue with this attitude! Way to go!

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[orcasislandchickens]

I too am dismayed, but unfortunately not surprised. Many people here will talk about "how rural" - or even how remote

we are here and then immediately lobby for a "rule" against something one of their neighbors is doing.

The rat complaint was used against me too, as was the avian flu risk complaint. All my feed (after all I only use a small amount) is cleaned up and fully contained in metal cans, my coop and runs are secured with hardware cloth as are my compost bins, and since rats came off the old sailing ships over a hundred years ago and remain in colonies here living happily even in the wild, and since backyard birdfeeders (which are immensely popular here) are an even bigger draw and risk for the problems listed above, I seem to be in the clear.

Still with our local rats carrying rabies and bubonic plague, no less, I do not want them around at all and I set traps and have a good mouser (cat). The avian flu danger I am more ambivalent about since I am not convinced it is a real and imminent danger. Still, I would not want to contribute to an outbreak of something that could kill off neighbors and freinds. I currently let my hens loose in the garden to free range . I have been following with some interest the new biosecurity measures for backyard chickens in some of the English postings. They mostly seem to involve segregating your chickens from any interaction with local native birds. Secure covered runs and such things. I do have a small covered run attched to my coop and could isolate my birds if I had to. I should probably learn more on this topic.

What do all of you do? If there was an outbreak could you would you isolate your hens? Give them up? I figure I might make an additional little covered chicken tractor so I wouldn't loose the benefits of having them range around but don't know how safe that would be considerd.

 

[LynneP]

We're adhering to the new Canadian guidelines, starting on new ground and praying that our flock is a permanent part of our lives. We live in a heavy agricultural zone which is in flux now, as most are. (can be seen in link below)

 

[TomRoach]

This is a very interesting thread. When I have the opportunity, I'd like to have my own flock of hens. I never understood when it's legal to keep a dog in a backyard, barking, yet illegal to keep a hen which is much quieter and seemingly harmless.