Hi I'm new here with a few questions

[crystal94040]

Hi,
my name is Crystal, I just moved to lexington SC from CA...I have 3 children 5,3 and 1

I recently started thinkg about raising chickens for eggs ( and possibly meat ) in my backyard...we have a large yard but I was thinking of starting with 4 and maybe adding more come spring if we decided we really like raising chickens. I've looked around on the internet a little but I haven't been able to find a clear answer on if it's legal to have chickens in your backyard.....we do have nieghbors...but I was planning on NOT getting a rooster. I also like in a community ( OAK POINTE) so there is a home owner's association....they seem to be pretty uptight about things but I'm not sure if they can restrict what kind of animals you can have (outside of roosters.)
TIA,
looking forward to getting to know you all!

 

[joebwe25]

Welcome! I'm right in the middle of St. Louis city.
All our neighbors love the chickens and say their grandma,
aunt, or some close relative used to have chickens when they where little.
Our area is still zoned for livestock.
The Ex Alderman even had a donkey!
Not getting a rooster is a good idea.

 

[nccountrygirl]

Hey Crystal, I'm from Columbia, I have a sister that lives in Lexington and a brother and his family and a sister that lives a short drive away in Pelion, enjoy Lake Murray, just watch out for the gigantic cat fish. My mother and the rest of my brothers and sisters still live in Columbia. Welcome to BYC.

 

[rosyposyosy]

my neighbors hated our rooster crowing. we got rid of my baby boy (sweetest thing!!!!) on craigslist. if you are ordering online i reccomend mypetchicken.com, they have a minimum of 3 chicks, while most places have a minimum of 25

 

[2mnypets]

Welcome to BYC Crystal. We're happy you're here. I would suggest you check with your local zoning laws before getting any chickens. That way you won't have your heart broke if they say that the chickens aren't zoned for your area. Just call your local chamber of commerce. If they say yes, then you are going to have soooo much fun. These babies are soooooooo addicting.

 

[wolfpack62001]

Welcome Crystal, nice to have you here.
First check city ordanance and then get in good with your neighbors.
Second make a Good Looking Pen, Folks in Gaited (SP) Communities have a funny outlook on Farm Animals.
Eggs are good, and the joy they bring you is worth the work, but they will Trash a Garden or Lawn.
Plus they will Draw Dogs, Cats, Owls, Hawks, just some things to think about.
But they ARE worth it and are the best thing for the end of a day, my 2 Year Old loves to play with my hens, makes me laugh.

 

[cheepchicks]

Hello and Welcome to BYC


Kim

 

[Chelly]

I also just moved from CA - at the end of July.

We're starting with 8 little chickens..... will probably add more next year - they're super cute! I can't wait for eggs.
We have a large area of our own (totally different from what we had in CA) we have 3 acres, and will soon have my horse moved here and will probablly get a goat or two - I need to research a little first!

Welcome to BYC

 

[arlee453]

I'd start with your homeowner's association agreement. There may be specific language in there that restricts 'pets' to certain animals, ie dogs and cats only, etc. Your homeowners is more likely to be the more restrictive language as opposed to your town/city ordinance.

If you don't have a copy of the agreement, call the president and ask for one - I'd recommend NOT saying you are thinking of getting chickens - find out what the legal-eze is first.

Then if the homeowners don't outright ban or restrict you from getting chickens, call the city/town hall offices and ask to speak to someone in zoning. They should be able to tell you how you are zoned and if it allows chickens and how many, etc.

AND, dont' get a rooster...

We ordered our girls from http://www.meyerhatchery.com/. They arrived next day and in really good shape. They will do small orders too, but do charge a $20 surcharge on orders less than 15 birds. The shipping on ours cost more than the birds, LOL! I wanted to go for 25 myself, but since we live in a neigborhood (although not with covenance or homeowners, thankfully) I didn't want to stress out our neighbors too much...

Good luck - I think you will enjoy having some chickens if you can make it work!

Susan

 

[ozark hen]

I agree with Susan, and by the way...welcome