How many of you have chickens illegally

[norahsmommy]

How many of you have chickens illegally, we live in town right on city limits. We have a 1 are lawn and I want to get some chickens. I would like to build on of the chicken houses and runs I found on this site. It has a chicken house with storage in the front and two runs on either side, and an area for a comost bin in the back. We want to order a straight run from mcmurray of 25 chickens and slaughter the males when they are big enough. I haven't looked yet to see if its legal to do this were I live, and before I do I just wanted to ask how many of you kee them regardless of the law. If you do what are the consequenses for being found out, I want to kee chickens because quite frankly I am discusted by the chicken industry and I just don't want to eat what they roduce. I am also going to look into getting my beef and my ork from local farmers since I don't have room to have all that. But I do have room for chickens so I would like to have them. I don't think our neighbors would mind if we did have chickens because we have a flock of turkeys that wander though every day and its about 30 birds! We also have many deer that come over too. The chickens would be in a large run all the time anyway and I am going to try to make the coo and run as attractive as it can be so it wont be an eyesore.

 

[mommyof4littles]

Talk to your city about moving your line first, next check covenants, alot of the old covenants in areas that were farms state poultry are allowed because owners wanted to keep their flocks yet get the benefits of town. Covenants are not real easy to uphold at the courthouse but they work wonders when animal control visits and honestly no one really wants to take chickens unless they are in a bad way. Then they have to find a home and if they take them from you they have to find a home outside the city limits so...

Put it behind your house and grow vines on it. I know a girl up near des moines who built a run and everything but then they built a dog run around it and grew bushes that were evergreen around the outside. Another thing is the black screen mesh on the inside of trellis board virtually makes it impossible to see inside from a distance. Build your run out of that possibly and still do your plan as well. Technically I can as long as my neighbors continue to say okay if you consider poultry livestock. They have no wording on poultry so I am not concerned anyways but livestock need 1 acre but the people I know with less enthusiastic neighbors just are discreet.

 

[eaganchickens]

Check the laws first and if they are illegal try to change the law. And if that doesn't work build a camo coop and get them anyway!! I have 6 pet hens that way and Had a few problems with a neighbor calling animal control thinking he could get away with it without me knowing it but I confronted him and told him I know that he called animal control on my chickens!

And animal control said I could either ''say'' I got rid of them or go to court and try to change the law so I ''said'' I got rid of them and haven't had a problem since!

 

[WriterofWords]

Mine are legal I'm in the country, but I don't think posting that you have chickens illegally would be a good idea since this a public forum and you have no idea who might be reading it. Remember. BYC has been in the news a lot with interviews and some folks just might think it's a good idea to keep an eye on it for just that information.

 

[Rhett&SarahsMom]

Quote:
ITA.

BTW I got rid of my pet hens. I am just hanging out here living vicariously through those that still have theirs.

 

[gardener]

I had chickens illegally. I dont think the authorities have pet chickens keepers on their list of high priorities to watch for.
I was turned in by a neighbor and still dont know why, probably the noise from hens that like to brag about thier egg laying.
The codes are enforced by complaints only in our city. So as long as your neighbors dont mind, the code enforcement officers are not out looking for stuff to bust you.
There is something in the works to hopefully get our city to allow hens!!

A project called CITY ( chickens in the yard)

 

[citalk2much]

I am a criminal

 

[Willie647]

I am a criminal too. I am a law abiding,never been arrested,never been in jail,concealed handgun licence holder(meaning squeaky clean record) 53 year old man. I have chickens in my fenced backyard and just got the letter from the hoa commanding me to get rid of them. I soon will know just what they can do to me as I am going to work them as far as possible. You might think they would have better things to do with our money that harass harmless chickens who bother no one. Just goes to show....if they want to anyone can become a criminal. In the famous words of Adolf Hitler...father of the hoa....." It really is convenient to have laws that make most everyone a criminal,it keeps everyone quiet" -anyway,1/22/09 -the hoa demand letter...I will keep everyone informed as to what happens next.
Will -the chicken criminal in my own yard and home.

 

[citalk2much]

Quote:
What state do you live in have you looked at the right to farm laws?

 

[gardener]

Quote:
Hi citalk2much! The first step in a twelve step program.

I think this goes to show the more people keeping them illegally
will eventually show lawmakers their cities are wasting more time and money trying to respond to illegal chickens than what it is worth and allow people to keep a few hens as pets.