How many is a minimum for a Flock?

[fireyshamrock]

I live in the Town of Herndon, VA and their ordinance says that I can only have one hen. From what I was reading chickens are highly social animals and should be kept in a minimum of three to a flock. I have sent an email requesting special permission to have three but there is a good chance they will tell me no. If that happens I am going to fight for having two but I cannot find any information in regards to having a pair of hens and if that is enough for them. Does anyone have any supporting information I can use ?

 

[RedDrgn]

Why hello there local-type person!

I know WV doesn't seem close, but I used to work in Chantilly and now work in Arlington and know Loudoun & Fairfax Counties particularly well.

That is a terrible ordinance. Chickens are flock animals. They do best with other chickens and generally do not do very well when kept all alone. At least two chickens would be preferable, but the usual low end is three. A chicken alone will even tend to be noisier than a chicken kept in a flock as they will try to call for others.

Knowing how stodgy northern VA can be when it comes to creatures they consider best suited for a farm, I would suggest talking to your neighbors (if you know them well enough). If you and a neighbor or two or three each got a chicken and then let them roam/coop together, you'd all get your chickens/eggs and each own only ONE bird.

Some info...
http://freefromharm.org/farm-animal...ature-forget-what-you-already-think-you-know/
http://poultrykeeper.com/chickens/f...he-minimum-number-of-chickens-i-can-keep.html

 

[fireyshamrock]

That't not a bad idea, but considering that its a misdemeanor I'd rather not push the buttons on it. I think I might be able to get one of my neighbors to go along with it but not sure. Two of them have gov jobs and may look at this as bending the law too much and not be interested. Thank you for the out of the box thinking though & the links!!

 

[RedDrgn]

Well, if you want to be certain, I'd recommend contacting (anonymously) your ordinance office and see what they might think of doing something like that. Find out if that would be a bend/break of the law, or whether it'd actually be acceptable. You may be surprised.

Best of luck!

 

[fireyshamrock]

I already have an email into the town zoning people about me having the hens stating for the humane pro

Dear Zoning,


I would like to have three hens on my property, xxx xxxxxxx lane
Per your ordinance Chapter 6, section 6-3 I am only allowed one hen.
In doing my research before adding a new member to the family, I found
that a hen is recommended to be in a flock of three or more as they
are highly social creatures. For the humane protocol and betterment
of the hen I would ask that I be allowed the three hens. I have
planned on building an A-Line coop along the side of my house and
putting bushes in front of it as to prevent it from potentially being
called an eyesore by any onlookers. Honestly, if one did not know it
was there it would go completly unnoticed. Hens are not noisy and are
not smelly when properly maintained so it would be no different from
having one versus having three. I have spoken to most of my neighbors
and they are fine with me having three hens. Below are the links to
where I found the Herndon Ordinance as well as supporting information
about having hens in flocks.


http://library.municode.com/HTML/10218/level2/PTIICOOR_CH6AN.html - Herndon Code

http://smallfarm.about.com/od/urbanandsuburbanfarming/tp/tipsurbanchickens.htm
- Supporting information about flocks

Thank you for your consideration in this matter.

Sincerely,

 

[poultryman17]

I bet there are people in the township that have dogs tied up that bark at all hours huh? I'm sorry you have to fight for something like this. Good Luck in your battle. I have 35 hens in my backyard approximately 50 yards from my neighbor. Her and her son came over last week and to my surprise she didnt even know I had chickens in the backyard, Granted they are in a coop and a pen, she had NO IDEA. Definately not noisy.You should start a reality show called "Chicken Wars" Stay with it!!

 

[fireyshamrock]

We have a neighbor with a TON of dogs that have made a track in their yard you can see on Google Maps! Add in a pond they don't clean that's full of mosquitoes! Thankfully not a direct neighbor but I am friends with the guy who lives by them and he's been through hell with ASPCA and local police trying to get it under control but they 'aren't breaking a law" I saw this coop & run https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/emededs-member-page and it looked perfect for what I wanted to build. Nothing major but shelter them from the snow during the winter and shade during the summer. I am not sure how but I'd like to fashion a slide out linoleum tray of sorts underneath the whole thing so that on Sundays I can come through and just slide out the poop and toss it in the compost tumbler.

 

[I Heart Chicks]

Usually ordinances like this REQUIRE no less than 3 or 4 hens and no more that 6 with no roosters allowed....I would check on that because it is cruel to keep just 1 hen. It is very sad watching 1 hen alone, they get very depressed.

 

[rikithemonk]

I already have an email into the town zoning people about me having the hens stating for the humane pro

Dear Zoning,


I would like to have three hens on my property, xxx xxxxxxx lane
Per your ordinance Chapter 6, section 6-3 I am only allowed one hen.
In doing my research before adding a new member to the family, I found
that a hen is recommended to be in a flock of three or more as they
are highly social creatures. For the humane protocol and betterment
of the hen I would ask that I be allowed the three hens. I have
planned on building an A-Line coop along the side of my house and
putting bushes in front of it as to prevent it from potentially being
called an eyesore by any onlookers. Honestly, if one did not know it
was there it would go completly unnoticed. Hens are not noisy and are
not smelly when properly maintained so it would be no different from
having one versus having three. I have spoken to most of my neighbors
and they are fine with me having three hens. Below are the links to
where I found the Herndon Ordinance as well as supporting information
about having hens in flocks.


http://library.municode.com/HTML/10218/level2/PTIICOOR_CH6AN.html - Herndon Code

http://smallfarm.about.com/od/urbanandsuburbanfarming/tp/tipsurbanchickens.htm
- Supporting information about flocks

Thank you for your consideration in this matter.

Sincerely,

I would replace "A line coop" with "Low Profile Coop". I would also change the part about bushes and eyesore and replace it with "taking steps to ensure the coop is not noticable."

Remove smelly. You will keep the coop higenic.


Dear Zoning,


I would like to request permision to have three hens on my property, xxx xxxxxxx lane
Your ordinance Chapter 6, section 6-3 only allowes one hen per household.
In doing my research before adding a new member to the family, I found
that hens are social animals that do poorly alone. Most sources I have
studied recomend a minimum of two hens per coop. Hens kept alone
develop social problems and can become loud and nucance animals.
I have planned on building an low profile coop and plan on taking steps to
ensure the coop is not noticeable. Hens are usualy quiet and I intend to
keep the coop hygenic. I have spoken to my neighbors and they
are fine with me having three hens. Below are the links to where I found the
Herndon Ordinance as well as supporting information about having hens in flocks.
Please consider giving a waver for no more than three birds.


Thank you for the cosideration

 

[I Heart Chicks]

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