How to Get Urban Chickens in Columbus, Ohio

[theFox]

Quote:
Sounds like a change you can believe in is needed.

I've seen more than one town and their attorneys get hind quarters handed to them when their zoning folks attempted a few tricks.

Seems that local folks only sit up and pay attention when the governmental level above steps in and crushes them. Sometimes all it takes is the right person getting the whole story.

However you must be certain your hands are clean, which is why I keep telling people do your fighting before getting your birds.

 

[Danaus29]

I agree wholeheartedly about having clean hands. But that also means anyone who has ever had any kind of cps, or humane society, or zoning or health dept complaint filed against them is not able to have any poultry of any kind. The powers that be can and will check your record to see if there have ever been any such complaints filed. Also you cannot have any shelter or fencing already set up, you would need to add those to any variance you request.

At least I am an example of how not to do it.

Best way to have poultry in Ohio, buy more than 5 acres of land. Doesn't matter where, by state law poultry cannot be prohibited on parcels of more than 5 acres.

 

[nonseq]

Code here hasn't gotten back to me, and it has been over a month since I spoke to him. I dunno if they are too busy to deal with me or just don't want to. I'm working on plans to make the coop and run more low profile, just in case.

Danaus - I am sorry you have had such problems.

 

[MrsCOS]

Just wondering if there are any recent updates to this, since it's chick season.

 

[TerryQui]

Hello, I am in Columbus Ohio and recently spoke to Dr. Messier about the whole process.
In reading the documentation, I realize that they expect me to take my chickens to the vets prior to getting a permit. That would be difficult and costly. I raise green cheeks and lovebirds and have for years. Keeping birds healthy is preventative. I have 24 eggs in my incubator right now for chickens, but looking over all the restrictions, I will probably either have to stop the process or raise the chicks and place them on a farm.
I just want to have a few hens for eggs and the joy of caring for them.
I know this post is old, but I thought I would begin here since this discussion is about my city.
Any advice from people in Columbus ohio? Thanks. Terry

 

[TerryQui]

Oh and the ask the neighbor thing really bothers me. They don't ask me if they can smoke dope and let the smell come on my property or sell drugs, which I know is going on with all the traffic in and out. My goodness, what I do on my property should be my business.
Most people around here have "back yard" dogs that bark day and night and they are far more annoying then a few chickens could possibly be.

 

[TerryQui]

Sorry just one more thing. Someone in this thread said fences are not allowed. How can you be expected to keep chickens in without a fence?

 

[Danaus29]

In Franklin county (inside Columbus city limits this might be different) you are now required to apply for a certificate of zoning compliance to install any buildings or fences. They expect even people who have more than an acre to submit to this stupid requirement. However state law allows owners of more than one acre to install buildings without zoning interference. State law also requires livestock owners to erect fencing to contain their livestock. I don't know how you can contain chickens without fencing. IMO all the stupid requirements and fees were put in place just to keep people under county zoning from having animals of any kind.

Last I heard though was that inside Columbus city limits you are permitted to have 6 chickens. Don't know how true it is but that is what I was told at my variance hearing.

 

[TerryQui]

Thank you very much.
Columbus does not limit the chicken number. I need to research it a bit more though as this vet thing has me hung up a bit.
You can get a permit to have meat chickens too. Wondering it they expect meat chickens to go to the vets?

 

[nonseq]

When I emailed Dr. Messer, he said nothing about having the chickens vet inspected. Dr. Messer is supposed to inspect your coop plans and waste disposal plans before you get your birds. The whole process is delineated on the Columbus Public Health's website. I think that is why there is so much confusion about the regs in Columbus. In Columbus chickens are regulated through Columbus Public Health, not the code or zoning boards.