Got illegal chickens?

[showme69]

We don't live in the city limits, but our subdivision rules prohibit poultry. Many of the residents have horses and cows. When we moved in 5 years ago, they told us no one worries "too" much about what you do on your property, as long as it doesn't get ridiculous like the people who tried putting in a motorcross track in their backyard. And a newer resident, who moved in about 2 years ago, in the second home on the road, has had ducks and geese on their lake all this time. As far as I know, no one has complained about that. So the precedence has been set. We live at the end of the road on a cul de sac and our 3.5 acres backs up to a farm field. We got our chicks earlier this month and I picked up the lumber for the coop yesterday. I don't think we'll have any problems. The chickens definitely won't be as loud as the monster truck we have in the neighborhood that occasionally is heard revving its engine when the owner, who I went to high school with, is working on it. If anyone says anything, I'll just bribe them with some eggs.

 

[showme69]

Is there a way to delete a post? My earlier one got posted twice by mistake but the only option I see is to edit this one.

 

[silkeysandra]

yes, I have Silkeys and they are wonderful quiet hens and cannot fly. They even have to have a laddar or box to get onto to get into their night quarters that are only about a foot off the ground! They are feather-footed which impedes their running and scratching which might save your veggie garden! ha! I highly recommend them---BUT your rooster might not like them as they won't be acceptable as 'wives' to him or the girls to him. Chickens are really clanish and seem drawn to their own look alike members. You may have to get a couple hens of his breed (they are generally quiet--except for guineas) to please Mr. Rooster. : )

 

[SourRoses]

Ohhhh NOOOOOOOOO! Not the "anarchy"! I can just imagine the terror that would ensue should chickens run riot in the street, looting the feed stores, and encouraging civil disobedience! This soo reminds me of an Aussie song my mum loves to play (yep! descended from those dastardly criminals!) from the 90's, called "Cows with Guns" - The end: "The town folk said 'enough is enough', 'these uppity cattle, its time to get tough'! Cows gathered around, cause the steaks were so high... The order was given, to turn cows to whoppers, enforced by the might, of ten thousand coppers. When on the horizon, surrounding the shoppers, came the deafening roar, of Chickens In Choppers! We will fight for, bovine freedom, and hold our larges high, we will run free with the buffalo, or diiiiiee, Cows with guns!"
I would like to know where in the constitution it states that chickens are illegal? In fact, if people had not been brave enough to flout a good many laws, you would not have the freedoms that you have, and likely as a result, much of the rest of the world wouldnt either. Do you think people could discuss fleeing the country in secret, legally, back in 'ol england? Do we still pay english taxes? Are women forbidden to vote, to own property, to marry as they will & make their own life decisions? Can we sit down with a beer or glass of wine as we will to? Can we have as many children as we will and are able to?
And yes... OK... Can we go to church when we will? Or not if we will? If a law was passed tomorrow stating that everyone had to go worship a mythical god by kneeling in the street at the foot of a statue, would not everyone in this country (and many others), citizen or not, christian, athiest, ect... react quite a bit differently than walking humbly into a courtroom with hat and appeal in hand? Your, "I'd not worship, just obey laws, and move as soon as I can" LOL! Thats not what our forefathers did anyway! You cant obey a law when you are comitting treason!

How could you possibly drag religion into chicken keeping? Or even to the adherence of laws? My God states very clearly in His Bible that I should follow Him before any man. To look not unto principalities but rather unto the things that be of God. When Gods people asked Him to select for them a leader to be king, He first corrected them that they needed no such king if they would look only unto Him, but they werent so happy with that and they got their king. To the detriment of all humankind, I would hazard. So, I'm following Him by appreciating the beauty and intelligence in everything He made. Im following Him by not EVER setting the standards of other (often moronic) people above the good sense He gave me. And I'm following my good sense by knowing my (Giant Crested House Pigeons Hehehe!) aren't going to hurt anyone at all. I wouldn't be following any of the above if I allowed others to dictate to me and sap the fun from life... then what was the point in this whole mess of a world in the first place?

 

[hallerlake]

Quote:
Love Cows with Guns.

 

[ranchhand]

Quote:
Hilarious!! They'll eat you!!

Hey, you poaching from my sig lines?

I'm flattered!

And yes, they WILL! They will eat your other chickens, too.

To the poster in San Marcos: I am really surprised and disappointed in the city. I first raised chickens in south Austin and never got hassled by the Chicken Police. But that was 19 years ago.

 

[spankyleatherlips]

I have 6 of these in my coops.

 

[vanalpaca]

Well, I checked with the city code ordinance posted ONLINE and they said you needed a license for certain livestock and that chickens could not be dyed and had to be bought or sold in quantities of 6 chicks minimum.

BUT, when I stopped by the zoning department, the sub used to be in that position and she was just subbing for vacation of the zoning guy. SHE said that the ordinance I read was the GENERAL ordinance and that it was in direct conflict with the ZONING ordinance that has added 'and chickens' to the definition of livestock and it says that they cannot be kept for SALE or USE.

She laughed and said that I was illegal and that I should apply to the city council to having the rules changed so I could LEGALLY have my chickens, since, of course after reading the online POSTED laws, I bought my SIX CHICK minimum. She also said that while the city council was investigating the ruling and it was under review for change, they MIGHT put a moratorium on pursuing those who had chickens until the rule was decided and voted on, so my chickens MIGHT be safe until then.

Ours is a small RURAL community, incorporated, population 6000. Most folks here are AFRAID to do anything on their own if they even THINK it might be against the rules. But I did notice that LOTS of homes have rabbit hutches out back and that rabbits WERE also forbidden in town. The zoning sub also said that the city 'looked the other way' on the law for a POT BELLIED PIG.

When it comes to city ordinances, the power of the people can be invoked to get the laws revised and all it takes is persistant attendance upon the city council meetings, in a large group of citizens, all wanting to change that ruling. There is a place online that has advice for working to get your city ordinances changed.

Here, it is enforced by the local police department. It is also AGAINST our 'laws' for CATS to be running loose OFF-LEAD, and dogs cannot run loose in your own yard unless they are on leash OR in an enclosed fence (that one is a STATE law). But no one here enforces the 'cat law' and they still run all over the place. I'm thinking most folks don't know about it!

I'm thinking my chicks will have to go out to the farm, Plan B. But I will TRY to go ahead and have them in town first because they have a higher survival rate than out at the farm as I only make one trip out there a day, not two (to let them out and lock them up would need two trips and gas is way too high right now.)

Remember, laws and rules and ordinances can be changed. There is an URBAN chicken movement going on along with the GOING GREEN movement. In our town, also, the outskirts are under zone 1-A for agricultural and they can have livestock and get different rules. So really I just need to move!

 

[AnaD]

What stupid laws! No leash free dogs in your own yard?!?!? CRAZZINESS!

Made me think of this...
http://www.strangefacts.com/laws.html

~In Texas, it's against the law for anyone to have a pair of pliers in his or her possession.
~California law prohibits a woman from driving a car while dressed in a housecoat.
~In Georgia, it is against the law to slap a man on the back or front.
~In Memphis, Tennessee, a woman is not to drive a car unless a man warns approaching motorists or pedestrians by walking in front of the car that is being driven.

 

[BellevueOmlet]

Quote:
If you ever go 61 mph on a 60 mph highway, you are a hypocrite