hoping to have chickens! Help!

[rbynnbird]

i posted this in new members and was told someone here might be able to help!!!

Hey i am new to this site and to chickens in general! i am totally excited about getting chickens and DH is on board too but we have hit a snag with the township, they don't ever return calls and are really annoying to try to talk to! i am almost tempted to get my chickens secretly and deal with the consequences later but DH wants to do it right...anybody have any advice for applying for a use variance for my land that is just barely not big enough to have chickens?

 

[rbynnbird]

Anyone at all?!?! please!!! i need help!!! i already have my girls picked out!!!

 

[gg706]

I would definetly check and make SURE that you are legal to have chickens. The heartbreak that would be involved in letting your birds go once you get caught would be AWFUL. Contrary to what people who have not had the pleasure to keep chickens believe ...chickens are exellent pets. They can be very friendly, affectionate and can easily get your heart. I would not want to put myself in that situation. You can also be fined by the city or town. Read your ordinances and go from there. I will warn you it can be VERY difficult to get a town to issue a variance or change the ordinaces. Most people that don't know any better think chickens are a disgusting creature that has bugs all over it and stinks! Chickens that are well taken care of do not have bugs or stink. It is all in how they are cared for. They are no more prone to getting bugs than your family dog is with getting fleas. It happens, but it can be treated and steps taken to prevent it. Given a choice chickens prefer to be clean and live in a clean environment. Good Luck!

 

[gg706]

where do you live?

 

[gg706]

I don't want to discourage you......some people have been successful in changing the ordinances etc.......I think alot of it depends on WHO is in charge of the town and ordinance changes and how THEY feel about chickens. It isn't fair but I think it is the truth. I lived in a small town , Hudson, NC. I wanted to have a few hens in the backyard. I was told ABSOLUTELY NOT! They would not even consider changing any ordinance or issuing a variance. I was told NO CHICKENS period! I had to wait over 2 years, we ended up selling the house and when we moved here to Georgia, we bought a house in the country specifically so I could have chickens and other animals if I wished.

 

[rbynnbird]

I am in South Jersey. my land is 1.25 acres and the ordinance says that i am supposed to have 1.5 acres. really frustrating that I am soo close to being in the clear!

 

[gg706]

DO NOT call and ask...LOOK at the ordinances FIRST! Someone may tell you NO, and the ordinances don't say NO. If you call and ask..they could pass an ordinance BEFORE you can get chickens and get them "grandfathered" in. If the ordinance does not mention chickens OR livestock...you might be able to get somewhere. Since you are so close to the amount of land needed a variance could be a possibility IF your neighbors would go along with it and sign a petition to allow chickens.
You can read for days here on BYC of people's fight with their town or city attempting to get chickens or keep their chickens. It is really pathetic, as a country, that we have gotten so far removed from where food comes from!
Read some of those threads and you will have a good idea what you are up against!
I am pretty sure it will be this....

However SOME people HAVE been able to get laws changed and have been successful in getting their way...not many but some.
Good Luck and keep me posted!

 

[gg706]

Be prepared to submit a petition signed by all of your neighbors. Your "chicken plan" how many, what kind, all hens...etc. A very nice picture of the coop you plan to build. Facts on the health benefits of raising your own chickens etc...... Facts on the benefits to the land and neighborhood supporting backyard chicken keeping. BE PREPARED!

 

[rbynnbird]

Thanks GG! i did look up the ordinances earlier this week and it is there

. Time to put together a reason for the land use variance and possibly "bribe" my neighbors with fresh eggs when i get them! i am fairly certain that one of my neighbors would be ok with it but i barely have any contact with the others... my town is pretty rural for nj. there are a few horse farms on my street.

 

[rbynnbird]

this is what the ordinance says:

The following section shall be amended to read as follows:
§253-190.12. Home Animal Agriculture. ​

A. Definition. Home animal agriculture is defined as the activity of producing domesticated animals or their products for home use or consumption including breeding, growing, caring, housing and product preparation where sales are incidental.

B. Animals Permitted.

(1) Large sized animals including horses, Llamas and cows.
(2) Medium sized animals including goats, emus and sheep
(3) Small animals: rabbits
(4) Poultry: Chickens, ducks, geese, turkeys and game hens, Game birds (such as pheasant and quail will be by permit only and must follow New Jersey State regulations).

C. Lot Size Minimums.

(1) No animals under this section are permitted on lots less than one and a half (1 ½) acres in size exclusive of wetlands and wetland buffers.
(2) A minimum of one (1) acre is required for a dwelling unit and half (1/2) additional acre is required for poultry up to 15 birds; except only 5 geese, ducks or turkeys are allowed per half acre.
(3) A minimum of one (1) acre is required for a dwelling unit and one (1) additional acre is required for any medium size animals up to five (5) except that not more than seven (7) animals per acre after three (3) acres.
(4) A minimum of one (1) acre is required for a dwelling unit and one (1) additional acre is required for any large animal, except that not more than (1 ½) animals per acre after three (3) acres.

D. General Standards.

(1) Buildings to house large size animals shall be located 20’ from property line, and not less than 40’ from any dwelling on said lot or 120’ from any other neighboring dwelling. Each shelter shall have a minimum of 100 square feet per animal.
(2) Buildings to house medium size animals shall be located 20’ from property line, and not less than 40’ from any dwelling on said lot or 120’ from any neighboring dwelling. Each shelter shall have a minimum of 20 square feet per animal.
(3) Buildings to house poultry shall be located 20’ from property line, and not less than 40’ from any dwelling on said lot or 120’ from neighboring dwelling. Each shelter shall have a minimum of two (2) square feet per chicken, three (3) square feet per duck and six (6) square feet per turkey and goose. Birds need adequate space for movement and exercise as well as area to nest and roost. Space requirements will vary with the type of bird.
(4) Corral area/pasture shall be located a minimum of 50’ from any dwelling.
(5) Fencing for large sized animals shall comply with requirements of Section 253-190.9. Fencing shall not be placed any closer than 15 feet from the neighboring property lines for one fence and not closer than 8 feet for two fences when using an electric interior fence. Electric fence to be 8 feet from exterior fence.
(6) Fencing for medium sized animals shall provide a minimum of 25 square feet per animal and should be with wire and sufficiently strong and high enough to keep dogs and other predators from entering.
(7) Fencing for fowl shall be provided at a rate of ten (10) square feet per chicken, fifteen (15) square feet per duck and eighteen (18) square feet per turkey and goose. Space requirements will vary with the type of bird. Wire should be sufficiently strong and high enough to keep dogs and other predators from entering.
(8) The lot must be free of debris and standing water other than in a container.

E. Waste Management.

(1) Dry (except for normal daily waste) interior stalls shall be maintained. Outside lots should not become muddy either due to weather or animal activity.

(2) Weekly removal of all manure in interior housing or exterior lots. The Township’s Public Works Department will not collect this waste material. The manure, once removed, should be handled by one of the following alternative methods:

(a) Daily placement in a plastic garbage bag, tightly closed, for periodic removal from the premises or stored for later use, such as incorporation into the soil. Stored manure should not accumulate for more than four weeks.

(b) Used immediately and incorporated daily into the soil of a garden as surface mulch.

(c) Incorporated into a bona fide composting procedure so odors or fly breeding and flies cannot be a by-product. A manure pile does not qualify as a composting procedure.

(d) Store in an undercover (rain free) well drained, screened and fly-free storage area, located 120 feet from any dwelling, until the manure can be handled in any of the above alternatives 1,2 or 3.

(3) Operator/owner to comply with N.J.A.C. 2:91 Criteria and Standards for Animal
Waste Management.




basically what i am getting out of it is that if i want any chickens i have to have over 1.5 acres, and then i would be allowed to have 15, but if i want only 6 it doesn't matter because i don't have the land. My property is very secluded, trees separate us from all neighbors no one lives across the street (not even a house there, just forest) but my entire property is visible from the road. (only if you are right in front of it). I have been calling since i read the ordinance and NO ONE has called back

! I am tempted to go down there and talk to them in person but that would involve bringing my kids down there and they can be quite distracting! Should i go ahead and talk to the neighbors first or get the ball rolling with the township before talking to them?