If your neighbors are OK with your backyard chickens, you could probably keep them under the radar of the "zoning police" without any problems. There were a number of folks in Madison, WI who did just that. They were part of the Chicken Underground and kept poultry illegally within the city limits for years.
But it took just one perturbed neighbor to make a call, and the chicken poop hit the fan.
The chicken owners then came together, wrote their petitions, raised awareness, managed to get a city council member on their side, and a year later, backyard chickens were officially legal in Madison.
It takes some work to change outdated zoning laws, but people are now challenging municipalities all across the US and Canada. The momentum is with pro-chicken people.
Now is the best time to get your laws changed. There's lots of other people out there who have done just that. Start Googling and you'll find them. Some of the more recent cities being Ann Arbor, Fort Collins, and Vancouver, BC.
Other cities that are currently being challenged include Toronto, Halifax, Iowa City, Milwaukee, Buffalo, Cleveland, Castlegar, and Mankato to name just a few.
But it took just one perturbed neighbor to make a call, and the chicken poop hit the fan.
The chicken owners then came together, wrote their petitions, raised awareness, managed to get a city council member on their side, and a year later, backyard chickens were officially legal in Madison.
It takes some work to change outdated zoning laws, but people are now challenging municipalities all across the US and Canada. The momentum is with pro-chicken people.
Now is the best time to get your laws changed. There's lots of other people out there who have done just that. Start Googling and you'll find them. Some of the more recent cities being Ann Arbor, Fort Collins, and Vancouver, BC.
Other cities that are currently being challenged include Toronto, Halifax, Iowa City, Milwaukee, Buffalo, Cleveland, Castlegar, and Mankato to name just a few.