How to Get Urban Chickens in Columbus, Ohio

[SophieLain127]

It can't be any worse then the neighbors behind us who lock their dog outside for hours on end and we have to listen to it bark and howl or the person on the other side of us who likes to sit at the open window with the screaming baby (this one is a little less avoidable then the howling dog.....lol)

 

[columbusguys]

We live near German Village in Columbus. Our coop and run should be ready this weekend, and the girls are getting a little too big for the set-up in the basement...can't wait to get them outside!

We talked to our neighbors on either side, and put up 6' fencing around the back yard. We decided not to persue a permit after searching for so long and not being able to figure the process out. We'll see how it goes! I'm interested in the progress others have made in the permit process.

Thanks for posting!

 

[chickwitch]

Quote:
Congratulations!

 

[SophieLain127]

GL just remember the city is cracking down on violations... Best of luck with your girls

 

[shawman]

the guy next door sells rib dinners from his front porch.

How do you contact the rib guy??? that sounds great!

I'm in the process of getting some chickens and learning about run designs. Anyone have experience or advice for a run in a 10' wide space between houses?

 

[[email protected]]

Sound great for Columbus. I'm in Licking County in Granville city limits. Anyone have any experience convincing the city its not an agricultural use?

 

[[email protected]]

Sounds great for Columbus, Ohio - I've moved east to Granville. Does anyone have any experience in Licking County or the City of Granville?

 

[ALPARK]

i am at ( upper alringtion ) ohio .. ( which was inside of columbus ) , i contact city manager , thay reply to me in upper alringtion homeowner want to rasie chicken or poultry , must have 55 acres land ... ( 55 acres !!! ) who will rasie chicken if had 55 acres land in upper alringtion !!!! i want to move now .. ( for chicken )

 

[Danaus29]

According to the Ohio Revised Code 303.21, you must have more than 1 acre for agriculture. Currently Franklin County considers even one single bird that falls under the definition of poultry to be agriculture. If the property lies in a platted subdivision it can have no more than 35% of the lots developed for animal or poultry husbandry or dairying to take place. If you have more than 5 acres agriculture cannot be regulated by the county or board of zoning appeals.

People who have poultry inside the city of Columbus on less than 1 acre, even though they have all the "permits" and approvals are in zoning violation. Personal use poultry is not permitted. As the old saying goes, "it's legal until someone complains".

I have spent the past week on the phone and the internet trying to get to the bottom of the chicken vs zoning debate. What I had thought was legal is not. Now my only hope is to find a suitable home for my girls. I can't simply butcher them and eat them. They have names and come or answer when called.

The only way to find out if you are in a "platted subdivision" or are allowed any poultry is to call your county zoning office. Don't believe your township trustees, former village mayor, board of health inspectors, neighbors, real estate agent, or auditors office. The zoning officer or maybe someone in the planning department are the only ones with the real answers.

 

[queeneev]

Greetings, neighbors! I too am a Columbus chicken-ite, as of yesterday, WOOO HOO! And I am renegade. My husband and I looked into the zoning thing, and decided the hoop jumping was just a disguised way for them to say "um, no" to our application. Not only that, we object to the innane, vague, and basically hard-as-heck-to-figure-out manner in which you must go through multiple vague and cumbersome steps to get the approval. Perhaps if there is enough momentum, the process will be made straightforward and SUPPORTIVE of Columbus residents having chickens.

Prior to reading this thread, and prior to chatting with our chicken seller, we thought the process involved getting a "permit". Yesterday, we were told by our seller (a guy who works for Dr Messer, but not in a chicken-related capacity) that Columbus does not issue permits, just zoning variances. He said he heard rumors that permitting was "coming in the future".

We have a 6 foot privacy fence, but the back neighbors can still see the tractor. We plan to share our eggs to keep the neighbors on our side. FYI our lot is quite small, our back yard is no bigger than .15 acres. We will just tote the tractor around the yard as needed. We suspect we will no longer need to mow, YEE HA!

Our (17 week old) chickens are Lucy, Ricky, Ethel, and Fred. But don't ask me to tell you which is whom, lol. We have 4 Golden Comets and they are pretty much indistinguishable to me!