Help!

[chickenyogi]

Hi all, we are new to the forum and already need your support more than ever. We live in litchfield IL and received a letter from the city today the we must remove our girls from the town because the violate an ordinance. Do you know what steps to take to change the ordinance with city government about chickens. We love our girls and know there are other people within city limits who have backyard chickens as well.

 

[sourland]

Welcome to BYC - sorry about the circumstances. Go to the "Raising Backyard Chickens" forum and scroll down to 'local chicken laws and ordinances and how to change them. Good luck.

 

[jimbob86]

In reality, "foregiveness is easier than permission" is rarely the case ...... but you are past that point, so....... I suggest:

• Gather all the people that have chickens: "We must all hang together, or our chickens will surely hang separately." Have them gather all the allies they can. Bribe fencesitters with fresh eggs.
• Organize.
• Get on the town's board meeting agenda.
• All of you, and all your children, and their friends, show up, en masse. Town board meetings are generally poorly attended. The have to let you speak, even if they limit each person to 3 minutes or whatever ........ if you have 200 people, you can make it last all flippin' night. Have each person make a quick (but taking the maximum time allowed) argument on why backyard chickens should be allowed, whether it's "eating local", "sustainability", "opposition to battery cage farming and the pestilence it engenders", or a little kid's plea to save her pet....... whatever.
• BE HEARD.
• Always ask for the moon and the stars, and Be Persistant, but always be willing to offer a compromise (which you will have conveniently written out beforehand, giving what you wanted in the first place, which is hens in your backyard.)
• If that fails, Vote The ******** Out.