Hoping This Doesn't Pass...

[Lacy Duckwing]

I'm lucky to have found this forum. I didn't know this was an issue. When I started my backyard coup a couple years ago everything I could find as far as the Township was concerned was, No Rosters! As of now all my neighbors say they like seeing and hearing the girls. And I'm sure sharing the eggs helps. LOL

Yes, it sure can, unfortunately. And it can be a huge problem for a lot of people. Thankfully, for at least in my State, there are people who are trying to stop these ordinances on a much larger level than just town so everyone can have chickens. Either way though, you always want to keep an eye on things because it doesn't take much for those in charge to change things when there's persistent complainers. Some of it could literally sneak right past without anyone knowing like it almost did in my town. (It was on the ballot before anyone knew about it.)

Welcome to BackYard Chickens, by the way!

 

[someonewholovesgeese]

They're trying to pass this ordinance in my town all because of a couple people who have way too many goats. There are so many ways this will effect me and many in my neighborhood. Everywhere you go, at least someone has chickens and with the raising egg prices, many more have gotten chickens. There's a meeting tomorrow night about this topic, though it will have no effect over it being voted on. On April 29th, they're having a vote on this, which me and many others will be voting against it.


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There are many ways many of us won't be able to comply if it does get passed. First off, those of us who are keeping chickens for their eggs, six chickens won't be able to feed our homeschooling families. The no butchering your animals, violates our Maine Right To Farm bill. Not to mention, we have many poor people here who will not be able to pay a butcher.
The chicken run alone is a hard one. Wire buried 12" under ground? A lot of us don't, and there's not enough predators to need it. Runs that rodents can't get into? People can't even keep rodents out of their houses and when I've seen a rat chew a hole through the floor in one night, how am I supposed to deal with that? My neighbors have so many dumpsters that it's impossible to keep the rats away, even with poisoning them.
How about the no lights in the coop after dark? We have this new store that has more light pollution than anything and some people use lights to keep their chickens laying in the winter and heat lamps to keep their chicks warm. The no free ranging part is almost understandable, but am I going to be violating this ordinance over taking my chickens out for a few minutes to do a photo shoot or to simply clean out their coop? When they're out I'm right there watching them, ensuring they don't leave my property.
And back to the coops, they want the coops built a specific way, meaning, none of us can use our recycled materials. Instead, we must buy wood that we can't afford. On the waste, I compost all of my manure and use it as fill and in my garden year after year. We have corn fields that use manure for fertilizer that stinks up our whole airport. Will the corn fields be effected? Or what about the Amish community that just moved in? They have fencing up near the road. And they probably butcher their own animals too. We even have a business that butchers their own animals on their property.

I can go on and on about how bad this all is. I'm planning on going to the meeting tomorrow night, but I'm terrible at public speaking. I've been keeping chickens on this property for nearly fourteen years and I've never had a problem.

dumbest rule i ever heard.... if i was living there id vote against