How Do You Find The Laws On Chickens For Your State ?

[Woodcutterron]

One thing I want to point out is that you don't want to simply ask if you can keep chickens. You might be told you can when you can't (it's happened, I read about someones experience with that right on this website) But more likely, they might tell you can't . . .when you can.

My town used to do this. They now stand corrected.

 

[BellevueOmlet]

I called my county office and left a message. They called back the next day and told me the info.

 

[theghostandmrchicken]

I went onto Municode.com and they provide informaiton on local laws and ordinances, however you will still need to call/email your county/city/state/town office and get the up to date info, just to be sure that what you are doing is legal.

Here's the Municode site. http://www.municode.com/Library/Library.aspx
Just select your state and then county/city and then boom, there are the ordinances/laws.

 

[Woodcutterron]

Quote:
Don't just ask . . . get the actual ordinance, code, or statute numbers and verify them yourself. If I had just called City Hall, I'd be under the mistaken impression that I couldn't keep them . . . which I would have anyway . . . but that's beside the point, heheh.

 

[Dragona72]

I tried to look up my city here but it's not.I live in Bailey,CO in the Burland Ranchetts HOA I tried emailing them and haven't gotten a response, all around me though are horses,cattle,and goats. I bumped into a woman who lives here that owns chickens but she said it wasn't allowed and she keeps bees. Even though she said it wasn't allowed she said people do what ever they want,not sure if that is good? But I also saw the HOA rules and it stated you could own such things as long as you didn't live at certain units,according to our paper work we are in a unit that can have livestock the last time the rules were updated was in the 70's.I am going to call the county today and see what they say,if they are not allowed how can I go about trying to keep chickens here? Do I apply for a zone change through the county? Also unit numbers are not posted outside of the homes all homes here go by regular addresses and the unit numbers stated were through 29,there are a lot more homes here than 29,so I don't get that either.
Thanks for any help.

 

[Woodcutterron]

Sounds like your HOA might have let their incorporation papers slip anyway, so they might not even actually have any power. Don't assume that even if some folks meet and call themselves an HOA, they might not have any official power or capacity, and could be operating as essentially a volunteer citizens group. Frankly, if your HOA paperwork says you can have chickens, and you see others with them, you're probably pretty safe. As for asking the county, ya gotta be real careful there. I know of at least three Municipalities who told people they couldn't have chickens, even though they could. And that isn't even counting the poorly written ordinances that were inteneded to bar chickens that really don't, due to being drafted by morons.

It's best not even ask them if you can. Ask them for a copy or the specific numbers of the ordinances about keeping poultry instead, and verify it for yourself. It can be amazing how little local officials actually know about their own laws, and even the municipal attorneys can be surprisingly . . .well . . .dumb.

 

[chickortreat]

If I wanted to get chickens, I'd get chickens. Then if they had a problem with it, they'd let you know....and they'd have to show what authority they had to tell you whether or not you could have them in the first place. It's interesting to note that America would be a far different country if all through our history we only did what was allowed........the willingness to stand up and be different is a hallmark of America.

 

[Woodcutterron]

Quote:
Here here! Very good point!