Guess I'm done breeding chickens... got a letter from the city

[speckledhen]

What really bugs me is that he talked to the neighbors and got their blessing, but they didn't have the decency to return the favor and talk to him rather than just call the law on him. This is why I would really love to be completely out of sight and earshot of all neighbors. Folks are so unpredictable.

 

[KenK]

Quote:
Maybe you could go talk to your neighbors and tell them your sorry for letting the flock get so large and would they be ok with you keeping a few hens.

Or, you could get into a feud with them. Or, move some place where you could keep whatever chickens you want.

 

[chickygirl2]

I am so very sorry to hear that

 

[catdaddyfro]

Quote:
Heres what I thought of when he said it might have been the neighbor to the East

Maybe one of those Haboobs will come thru and drop your hen-house

right on top of the wicked neighbor to the east, (place a take that smiley right here).

Jeff

 

[zippitydooda]

Quote:

 

[9Catsz]

So sorry to hear this.
Quote:
I'll be surprised if the inspector tells you who made the complaint.

Quote:
As you should. Why should you have to put up with noise from his house when he won't put up with noise from your house? Turn about is fair play.

Quote:
Absolutely hilarious!

Quote:
Me too. Many people are so far removed from the country that they don't realize where their food comes from. They want to eat chicken and eggs yet the chickens who provide this sustenance can't be anywhere near 'their backyard'.

I've always wondered how the city can dictate what animal(s) you keep in YOUR OWN HOME and NOT RUNNING FREE in the neighborhood. The only time I lived in town was about 30 years ago and there was a 5 animal limit per household which I didn't know about when I bought that place. I had a roommate. She had a guinea pig and a parakeet. I had 2 indoor cats and 8 African Cichlids and 2 catfish. Yep fish counted in that total! So 14 animals...and a neighbor complained. I got a letter from the city saying I had to get rid of the extra animals in a week. These things never went outside. I never found out which neighbor it was nor how they knew we had these caged animals. The cats, yeah, they would sit in the windows, but the rest???

Quote:
Perhaps you'd change your tune if you were in the OPs shoes. I thought the suggestions were jokes anyway. If I knew who the squeaky wheel was, I'd make a complaint about EVERYthing they're doing that isn't up to code or goes against the 'laws and regulations' that's for sure. Not revenge in the least...more about making him/her realize they can't break the law while they're standing back complaining about someone else who may or may not be. We haven't heard what the 'laws and regulations' are in the OPs town so really no one can comment on that.

I bet the OP's letter from the city had some sort of a huge fine per animal per each day they keep them past the date they said they have to be gone by. My letter said they were going to charge me $500 per day per animal over the limit past a certain date. I had a week to comply. Mine was a simple fix, I took the fish tank and it's 'illegal' inhabitants to my sister's house.

Quote:
LOLing my butt off at the mental picture of this one.

 

[Katy]

Quote:
Me too. Many people are so far removed from the country that they don't realize where their food comes from. They want to eat chicken and eggs yet the chickens who provide this sustenance can't be anywhere near 'their backyard'.

I guess if the noise was bothering them it becomes their business. It may be a case of they were perfectly fine with a few laying hens, but the problem arose when there became many more birds than originally planned for...including roosters.

Quote:
Perhaps you'd change your tune if you were in the OPs shoes. I thought the suggestions were jokes anyway. If I knew who the squeaky wheel was, I'd make a complaint about EVERYthing they're doing that isn't up to code or goes against the 'laws and regulations' that's for sure. Not revenge in the least...more about making him/her realize they can't break the law while they're standing back complaining about someone else who may or may not be. We haven't heard what the 'laws and regulations' are in the OPs town so really no one can comment on that.

I live on a large farm so luckily I won't ever have to worry about a complaining neighbor. But I would never try to have roosters in town....It's going to aggrevate a neighbor sooner or later.

 

[Nifty-Chicken]

Wow, how very sad!

I can understand neighbors & officials not being fond of roos in a city / suburban environment, but if barking dogs are allowed in backyards, so should a flock of hens!

Mahonri, will you really be able to definitively know if / who complained to the city?

I hope all goes well with the inspection!

 

[gryeyes]

As I sit here, reading this, with all my illegal chickens on my rural property smaller than an acre, I can really sympathize.

I was sick, too, when I got my letter and spoke with the inspector. Royally ticked off and physically ill.

But that it's YOU, THE Mahonri, is simply beyond "ticked off."

No word are adequate.

 

[ChickLover98]

Sorry to hear about that! I think that everyone should be able to keep as many chickens as they can accomidate comfortably.