Heritage Large Fowl - Phase II

[ChickenCanoe]

We actually got our ordinances changed. There were 6 people with chickens on my road when a newspaper article about my chickens came out in the areas largest newspaper. The mayor was livid to learn there were people in the town with chickens. He didn't even know his next door neighbor had them.
They gave me 2 months to get rid of them. We packed city hall at city council meetings twice a month and not one person spoke up against them.
The end result was that we could basically keep doing what we were doing and could keep the number of birds we had plus 5%.
Others who want chickens needed to wait a year and could only have 5 but one could be a rooster.
I ended up getting a permit for 85 chickens and 5 roosters. That's one of the reasons I'm focused on only one breed. Not a bad thing in retrospect.

 

[3riverschick]

Semi-related question:

How did you folks find a place where you were able to breed chickens? What are the channels to go through? I've tried searching the varied 'farm/land for sale' websites, but they're all MASSIVE amounts of land, often hunting type land, and nowhere close to affordable. Then there's the zoning and the inside/outside city limits thing... I couldn't imagine having 100+ acres, around 3-5 would be perfectly ok.

Ok, Breeding chickens is a USDA agricultural activity.
Here in PA we have counties and then townships within
counties.
What you need to do is work from the top down. Take
a look at the land you are checking out. Does it cross
county lines? If so, you need to check both of them.
Look at the regs and see what USDA AG activities they
allow. In our Township we are rated for all USDA AG
activities.
Ok, so start with the State regs Read up on poultry.
It should all be online. Then check out the county your
land is in.
Then check out townships. Usually, you have more
AG flexibility out in the township/unincorporated county
then in a borough/towns.
You are looking to find out which USDA AG activities
are allowed where your land is located. A very courteous
visit to the local Township/County office goes a long way.
If you are not from the country, don't go flouting your
big city plans. Go in there courteous, respectful, eager f
or local news and info. Praise the local area and describe
your willingness to fit in to the local lifestyle. Many rural
folk don't think too highly of a bunch of flatlanders and
"city folk" bringing their city ways into the rural community
and then insisting that country folk honor their city values.
It doesn't work that way and adhering to flat lander ideas
in a rural community is a good way to get your house egged,
your clotheslines cut , and quad tracks on your lawn from
the local kids,

. Another thing you can do if moving into a rural community is check the tax maps at the County courthouse. If you see
a dearth of variety in your future neighbors last names, don't expect to be greeted with wide open arms. It might happen, or you could end up being "the unrelated outsiders". One way to combat that would be an open house right after you move in. Visible support for the local Volunteer Fire department and use of/praise for the local businesses.
Best,
Karen ( western PA ridgerunner , i.e. in western PA lingo, an educated person who happens to live in the hills, not a hillbilly)

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=flatlander

 

[gjensen]

Semi-related question:

How did you folks find a place where you were able to breed chickens? What are the channels to go through? I've tried searching the varied 'farm/land for sale' websites, but they're all MASSIVE amounts of land, often hunting type land, and nowhere close to affordable. Then there's the zoning and the inside/outside city limits thing... I couldn't imagine having 100+ acres, around 3-5 would be perfectly ok.

I hope to breed heritage fowl, some day.. long ways away from that, seeing as I can't even have a rooster (that seems to be a vital part in the whole 'making babies' equation

)

For now, I read. A lot.

Feel free to PM, instead of me hijacking this thread

The last thing that I will do is live in a place that micro manages what I do. On my property I will do as I please. The first step is getting out of a city. Then look at the counties, etc. If I had to, I would move to another State entirely.

That is just how I am. It is just a matter of knowing where the safe zones are, and predicting how long they will be safe.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

The last thing that I will do is live in a place that micro manages what I do. On my property I will do as I please. The first step is getting out of a city. Then look at the counties, etc. If I had to, I would move to another State entirely.

That is just how I am. It is just a matter of knowing where the safe zones are, and predicting how long they will be safe.

That's a good plan.
My life long job was here and I worked too many hours a week to live far enough away. Then when we all lost our jobs, the housing market didn't warrant a sale so I'm sitting tight.
Hopefully in about 2 years I'll be moving to a place with few regs and somewhat lower costs. But it isn't in the US.

 

[hellbender]

Ok, Breeding chickens is a USDA agricultural activity.
Here in PA we have counties and then townships within
counties.
What you need to do is work from the top down. Take
a look at the land you are checking out. Does it cross
county lines? If so, you need to check both of them.
Look at the regs and see what USDA AG activities they
allow. In our Township we are rated for all USDA AG
activities.
Ok, so start with the State regs Read up on poultry.
It should all be online. Then check out the county your
land is in.
Then check out townships. Usually, you have more
AG flexibility out in the township/unincorporated county
then in a borough/towns.
You are looking to find out which USDA AG activities
are allowed where your land is located. A very courteous
visit to the local Township/County office goes a long way.
If you are not from the country, don't go flouting your
big city plans. Go in there courteous, respectful, eager f
or local news and info. Praise the local area and describe
your willingness to fit in to the local lifestyle. Many rural
folk don't think too highly of a bunch of flatlanders and
"city folk" bringing their city ways into the rural community
and then insisting that country folk honor their city values.
It doesn't work that way and adhering to flat lander ideas
in a rural community is a good way to get your house egged,
your clotheslines cut , and quad tracks on your lawn from
the local kids,

. Another thing you can do if moving into a rural community is check the tax maps at the County courthouse. If you see
a dearth of variety in your future neighbors last names, don't expect to be greeted with wide open arms. It might happen, or you could end up being "the unrelated outsiders". One way to combat that would be an open house right after you move in. Visible support for the local Volunteer Fire department and use of/praise for the local businesses.
Best,
Karen ( western PA ridgerunner , i.e. in western PA lingo, an educated person who happens to live in the hills, not a hillbilly)

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=flatlander

Stipulation...I am a Hillbilly.


West Virginia has zoning laws but few of them are enforced. Only the big poultry houses in the eastern part of the state get much scrutiny.

Another example...Elkins, the County seat of Randolph county allows unlimited number of dogs...so long as the neighbors don't complain.

I'm not trying to lure anyone to WV, I'm just pointing out that there are still places in this country where you can do pretty much what you want, so long as you don't do any real harm to others.

I threaten to leave during seriously cold weather and I will, one day soon but I will only be going on vacation.

I have been all over the world (almost literally) and have never been to a place that allowed me to live the way I do with so little regulation ...by and large, as long as I mind my own business, folks don't give two whoops in hell what I do.

EDIT: All this building and renovation going on around here...sure they 'require' permits but I 'support' which ever group is in the lead of county politics and I don't waste my time with $15 dollar permits.

 

[Tomtommom]

I'm in the center of town, but the town is surrounded by farm land.. got a farmer with cows a stone-throw away and folks with horses only a few blocks down. The city is fine with my chickens and the ordinance is much the same... doesn't say a word about roosters, only a noise and nuisance ordinance. Needless to say, I have one of THOSE neighbors.. and rooster had to go. Code enforcer said I was fine with my birds, as long as I didn't start keeping them as a business.

I still have A LOT to learn, not just in chicken keeping, keeping a garden as well. Once I manage to get some land, I want to know how to use it properly. And it all may end up some wishful thinking.

Thanks for all the input!

 

[thedragonlady]

We actually got our ordinances changed. There were 6 people with chickens on my road when a newspaper article about my chickens came out in the areas largest newspaper. The mayor was livid to learn there were people in the town with chickens. He didn't even know his next door neighbor had them.
They gave me 2 months to get rid of them. We packed city hall at city council meetings twice a month and not one person spoke up against them.
The end result was that we could basically keep doing what we were doing and could keep the number of birds we had plus 5%.
Others who want chickens needed to wait a year and could only have 5 but one could be a rooster.
I ended up getting a permit for 85 chickens and 5 roosters. That's one of the reasons I'm focused on only one breed. Not a bad thing in retrospect.

Well done you !!!

 

[RedRidge]

 
The last thing that I will do is live in a place that micro manages what I do. On my property I will do as I please. The first step is getting out of a city. Then look at the counties, etc. If I had to, I would move to another State entirely.

That is just how I am. It is just a matter of knowing where the safe zones are, and predicting how long they will be safe.

That's a good plan.
My life long job was here and I worked too many hours a week to live far enough away. Then when we all lost our jobs, the housing market didn't warrant a sale so I'm sitting tight.
Hopefully in about 2 years I'll be moving to a place with few regs and somewhat lower costs. But it isn't in the US.

Well said!

 

[gjensen]

That's a good plan.
My life long job was here and I worked too many hours a week to live far enough away. Then when we all lost our jobs, the housing market didn't warrant a sale so I'm sitting tight.
Hopefully in about 2 years I'll be moving to a place with few regs and somewhat lower costs. But it isn't in the US.

I certainly understand and can relate with limitations. There is more to our decisions than poultry. Once my boys are out on their own, I picture another move.

I have always been like this and the trends are obvious. I dare not comment further, and get political. Anyone that can read between the lines can see what I am implying. I prefer that people be allowed to do as they decide. I see irony that in the name of tolerance, we have such low tolerance.

Further south and in rural areas, people do as they please. What an individual does is there own business. Less areas that have seen an increase in outside influence, it will remain that way for some time.

I do have neighbors, and have a good relationship with my neighbors. They are not concerned with what I do or don't do. They do not assume that they have say. And they do not. And on my end, I am mindful of the atmosphere that I contribute to. I do care about how decisions affect them. My concern may not affect what I do, but how I do it. I prefer for these choices to not be taken away.

I look forward to an even better arraignment. I love SC for this. In rural SC, we do as we please. Even to a fault. Taxes and cost of living is low. There is a reason that I am here.

 

[Tomtommom]

I certainly understand and can relate with limitations. There is more to our decisions than poultry. Once my boys are out on their own, I picture another move.

I have always been like this and the trends are obvious. I dare not comment further, and get political. Anyone that can read between the lines can see what I am implying. I prefer that people be allowed to do as they decide. I see irony that in the name of tolerance, we have such low tolerance.

Further south and in rural areas, people do as they please. What an individual does is there own business. Less areas that have seen an increase in outside influence, it will remain that way for some time.

I do have neighbors, and have a good relationship with my neighbors. They are not concerned with what I do or don't do. They do not assume that they have say. And they do not. And on my end, I am mindful of the atmosphere that I contribute to. I do care about how decisions affect them. My concern may not affect what I do, but how I do it. I prefer for these choices to not be taken away.

I look forward to an even better arraignment. I love SC for this. In rural SC, we do as we please. Even to a fault. Taxes and cost of living is low. There is a reason that I am here.

I grew up in Holland.. for 22 years of my life. The first time I came to the US that was the thing I loved: FREEDOM! 22 years of being judged, told what to do, how to live my life.. all by folks who had no grounds to do so. My happy self moved across the pond, and fast. Never forget my older brother's words "But she'll get even fatter in the US". That about tells you all.

Nope, give me space and a community that likes to be left alone. People who have your back if you ask for it, but wont run the dang door down.

I've always grown up with my feet in the dirt, even though we lived mostly in suburbs... always bringing home critters I found, helping my mom grow fruits and veggies... roaming around in the woods or on nearby farms. Best times of my life involved getting dirty

I've got a barn heart, as they call it.

Sadly, stuck right now, with a home that's not worth what I still owe. Making the best of it... Maybe one day I can move further out of town. Doesn't have to be too far, we're a fairly rural community. Got fellow BYC folks down the road, with horses and roosters!