Here we go, Code Enforcement's coming

[chick4chicks]

I am so sorry to hear about your troubles.

Just know that a lot of friends are rooting for you and your chicks. Sounds like some good advice on here. Best of luck and keep us posted we do care.

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[GallowayFarms]

Like someone else asked, Do you have a privacy fence? They aren't allowed to search your yard unless they "see" a violation and even then they have to get a court order to search.

So make a fenced in area to house them. This will also keep the sound down. Luckily hens don't make alot of noise.

I know in Oregon they have started allowing each house hold three hens for personal consumption. Maybe you could get that law and take it to your city council and see if they will make an exception for chickens. It worked in Oregon. They are really pushing for eco friendly foods and home gardens etc. so they got it passed.

Good Luck.

 

[joebryant]

Why would anyone complain about somebody else's having hens, and whose business is it anyway. Where does ANY government entity come off passing laws that forbid citizens from having them. A rooster or roosters, that's a different story; they can be worse than constantly barking dogs, but hens?...
I'd fight it in court [not that I think most courts are fit to exist (none of the theaters of political farce in Indiana)]...

 

[ZooMummzy]

Quote:
I agree completely! I hate people who do not have a life of their own and have to butt into everyone elses, including the government! I'm a good neighbor and mind my own business. The dogs in my neighborhood (mine included sometimes

) are so much louder than my hens and with the way the economy is going, we all have to look for ways to get by.

Here, you are supposed to get a permit to have livestock which involves getting 3/4 of your neighbor's to approve. I already talked to 3 of my 4 neighbors and they don't care as long as I don't have a rooster and give them eggs, lol. The 4th could be my problem since he hates me for turning him in 3 years ago to animal control. He was poisoning neighborhood cats with antifreeze. I watched him put the little bowl out every morning in the place the cats would lay while he was at work and his wife confirmed what he was doing. So, he could be my problem, but I'm doing everything in my power like putting up a privacy fence, screens, etc and keeping my fingers crossed. I will do the same for you

 

[sunnychooks]

Have you checked what your town's definition of "livestock" is? Take a look at the wording of the ordinance and see if you can get around it. In my town if no one complains AC looks the other way. There was a case here where a woman had goats in a residential area and when it went to court she was able to convince them that her goats were not livestock, but pets. She won the case. There's no assurance that's what would happen in your town (my town is very agri-friendly), but at least that's a possible argument for your case. Good luck and keep us posted.

Of course, the AC may have been there for some completely different reason, so there's no reason to panic yet!

 

[ams3651]

All I can offer is not to give them anything, meaning dont let them inside, dont admit to anything. If they dont see them outside I dont know what they could do other than come back with more paperwork. Many of the people on here have said they received letters first. There are channels that have to be gone thru and often you can appeal to keep them. I cant see how 3 chickens would be a huge problem. good luck

 

[DuckyBoys]

Quote:
That might be a good start - here livestock means pigs, sheep, goats, horses, and cows. I know this because our county fair premium book says so. Poultry and rabbits are classified under - poultry and rabbits.

You might try that approach.

 

[farmgirlie1031]

I know where my mom worked Animal Control (in a large City in Kansas state) that if you keep them as house chickens they just looked the other way even though you weren't suppossed to have them in the city at all. Or people said they were going to butcher them the next day when they were outside (as the city market sold live chickens for butcher) and they never got a ticket for keeping them when they said that. Not sure if they ever went back to see if you actually still had the chicken or not.

 

[kees]

I lived in an area where there were very strict controls on what animals could be kept. HOWEVER, if they were kept indoors at all times, it would not be an issue. Is that possible for you? That would alleviate all of your worries about being caught.

 

[Sonia]

How hard is it to get a variance?