How to convince your parents...

[chickenlover50010]

Hi! I really want chickens and have been asking parents for some for about 2 1/2 months now and they still don't want to let me raise some. i need some help from people who convinced their parents, and from people who were convinced from thier kids, or people who just want to help. Anything will be very useful. Thanks!

 

[The Chicken Lady]

Do you know if you are allowed to keep chickens where you live (zoning ordinance)?

 

[chickenlover50010]

No, but I have been googleing(is that a word?) and posting on here to see if I can, but I still haven't found anything out...

 

[wings]

As a young chicken owner, I convinced my parents by clearly stating that I would take care of everything. The only thing they needed to do was pay for the expenses. My parents were happy to agree, so I didn't have a problem, but I guess for you it's different. I would go all out in convincing them. Get a big tri-fold posterboard to make it professional. The main points I would make are:

1. You will do all the work.

2. There are sooo many benefits to getting fresh eggs.

3. That you will do your best to keep the costs down. [I would make a whole plan of how you are going to save money.]

Do research on how to be really thrifty. I would get three hens, because that's a perfect amount for people just starting out. They won't stink as much, make as much noise, and you'll have just the right amount of eggs. Try and pick a breed that they will grow most fond of. Good luck!

 

[chickenlover50010]

Thanks! Now, all I need is to find out if it is legal to keep chickens. I looked on craigslist and in a neighboring town someone was selling chickens because they had to move. I'm thinking that if they can raise them, then I can too.(I ended up on craigslist looking for a coop that would be chaeper then one we would have to buy... none of us are as talented as your dad...) I am going to use your idea, and maybe even show them this site and how helpfunl that it has been. Thanks again!

 

[PortageGirl]

Ok, I have a link to a large library of state/county/municipal codes, and none of them have Marlton listed, darn! What county is it in, and/or the nearest larger city?

I've been researching a lot of people's questions about ordances and muni-codes, not that I'm ANY kind of lawyer person, I just used to do a lot of research for a past job so I enjoy it. What ever we find needs to be confirmed at the actual city offices!!

The good thing is NJ has a long history of chicken keeping, so many many places are fine with it.

here's the Parent site I've been using... either post of PM me with more info about your area and I'll look too cause two different people sometimes take two different views about research and sometimes are able to find things better. ok, site is... http://www.whpgs.org/f.htm

It's an awesome site, but even after you find what you THINK is right, you need to go to your city hall, town office, county office, whatever you have, armed with what you have found and double check because what's here could be incorrect or out of date. This would be a good civics lesson for anyone!! You should see if you can get some kind of school credit for it in fact. Perhaps you should ask a teacher for some ideas about how to go about it too, show her/him what you've found, you might impress them a bit, and get them interested in either helping you or even in getting some extra credit for it, which will show your parents how determined and impress them with your sense of responsibility about the whole thing.

ah, Evesham Township!!! hmmmm...

 

[PortageGirl]

Oh, and I'd call your County Extension Office, and see if they have any information on local laws. The extension office also runs the 4-H program in every county, not sure if you'd be interested in joining a 4H club, but if you have a local poulty group nearby, they can sort of offer 'adult supervision' to the whole idea that can give your parents a more secure feeling about it all...

(I was the younger child who watched my brother go about trying to get what he wanted the WRONG way, and figured out how to get what I wanted by using my brain instead of my emotions. LOL )

 

[PortageGirl]

Sorry to keep doing this, but I didn't want this to get lost... I know it's important to ChickenLover...

§ 160-33.1. Right to farm; permitted use in designated zones. [Added 9-5-2000 by Ord. No. 30-8-2000] A. The right to farm, as defined in N.J.S.A. 4:1C-3, is hereby recognized to exist in the Township of Evesham, in the County of Burlington, and is hereby declared a permitted use in all zones of this Township, where an agricultural use is preexisting and current, and a permitted use in the following zones under any circumstances: Forest Agriculture (FA), Forest Woodland (FW), Rural Development-1 (RD-1), Rural Development-2 (RD-2), Rural Development-3 (RD-3), Regional Growth-1 (RG-1), Regional Growth-2 (RG-2), Environmental Protection (EP), Low Density (LD), Medium Density (MD), and Affordable Housing (AH-1, AH-1A, AH-2).

This right to farm includes, but not by way of limitation:

(1) Production of agricultural and horticultural crops, trees and forest products, livestock and poultry and other commodities as described in the Standard Industrial Classification for agriculture, forestry, fishing and lawful, humane trapping.


There's more to it, distance of coop from the lot line and such, but look here, and search from there. http://www.nj.gov/agriculture/sadc/rtfprogram/resources/localordinances.html

Also here... http://www.e-codes.generalcode.com/codebook_frameset.asp?t=tc&p=0481-160.htm&cn=1184&n=[1][951] and do a search on this page for poultry. there's more details to it, that right to farm stuff has limits. and the zoning specifically says poultry are NOT considered pets.

Here is your county extension office info too, in case you want to talk to them anyway. http://njaes.rutgers.edu/county/quickinfo.asp?Burlington

Sure hope all this helps!

 

[HorseFeathers]

Quote:
Call your city council and find out. You'll want to have the law on your side!

In order to convince your parents (I too am a young chicken owner, but it's really the whole family that loves them), I'd outline exactly what you are going to do, how and when you are going to do it, then tell them the benefits of having a few pet chickens (eggs, entertainment) and ask why they are opposed to it. Maybe you can figure something out from there!

 

[wings]

Quote:
Call your city council and find out. You'll want to have the law on your side!

In order to convince your parents (I too am a young chicken owner, but it's really the whole family that loves them), I'd outline exactly what you are going to do, how and when you are going to do it, then tell them the benefits of having a few pet chickens (eggs, entertainment) and ask why they are opposed to it. Maybe you can figure something out from there!

Good advice, HorseFeathers! I'm a young chicken owner, too!