I Need Help Addressing a few Concerns

[ChickenStacy]

I am working to change chicken laws in my community. I came up agaisnt 2 things that I dont know how to address and get around. 1. A farmer stated chickens need an acre of land to be healthy. Even if it is only the 3-5 we proposed
2. An eye doctor stated that children will go blind as a result of being exposed to chicken droppings.

I know these are silly, but these are 2 "experts" and I am kinda viewed as a crazy chicken lady after they spoke at the last meeting. Does anyone have any advice on how to address this? Thank you.

 

[chooks4life]

I am working to change chicken laws in my community. I came up agaisnt 2 things that I dont know how to address and get around. 1. A farmer stated chickens need an acre of land to be healthy. Even if it is only the 3-5 we proposed
2. An eye doctor stated that children will go blind as a result of being exposed to chicken droppings.

I know these are silly, but these are 2 "experts" and I am kinda viewed as a crazy chicken lady after they spoke at the last meeting. Does anyone have any advice on how to address this? Thank you.

....So, is your local regulation against poultry based on those two 'experts'? If so it's high time someone changed it. But if your backyard is only a dozen square meters, you're better off trying to find a place that better suits your agricultural inclinations.

The majority of chickens won't even use a whole acre each. I myself am baffled as to why I am supposed by law to have 5 acres per sheep but can keep 5 horses in one acre. But that's the law. Geared to suit some and blind while it's at it, as though horses can be supplemented but sheep cannot for some reason. Horses obviously are not naturally battery animals any more than sheep are but the equine industry is big and has powerful connections, whereas the ovine one doesn't really.

Anyway, onto chickens. You should inquire of your local lawmakers or policymakers how one would go about redressing an unfair or incorrectly-based law or local regulation. If studies are enough to prove the previous criteria wrong, you're ahead, because there's plenty of studies showing chickens can be kept healthy at higher densities than one per acre.

About the children going blind as a result of being exposed to chicken droppings, as quoted by the eye doctor apparently, someone immediately report him for child abuse and arrest him, because clearly he is either: A) rubbing chicken feces into children's eyes, or B) keeping children in a coop with no ventilation where they are basking in ammonia fumes nonstop, in which case he's cruel to animals too. Seriously though the studies behind his claim need to be re-checked. Kids have been raised around poultry for thousands of years, and are being raised around poultry by the millions, without any correlation of blindness I've ever heard of. It's possible kids rubbing feces into their eyes would be a problem but why not ban dogs, cats, horses, and every other pet as well, in that case?

These are weak bases for the regulation/law, I think with a community petition and digging up the support of relevant people like policymakers or politicians who want votes you may be able to change things. This is certainly a time of great interest in 'backyard chickens'.

Best wishes with your quest.

 

[bantamrooster]

Ocular histoplasmosis is what the eye doctor is talking about.
I have a sister in law that is losing her sight because of it. Growing up her family raised thousands of turkeys.

 

[Sonoran Silkies]

Ocular histoplasmosis is what the eye doctor is talking about.
I have a sister in law that is losing her sight because of it. Growing up her family raised thousands of turkeys.

And yet, what is its prevalence? Did her entire family acquire the disease? Histoplasmosis is not common.

 

[bantamrooster]

And yet, what is its prevalence?  Did her entire family acquire the disease?  Histoplasmosis is not common.

The point of my post was to let the OP know that there was a disease and the name of it so they could do some research and be better informed to address their city about what the "expert" had to say.
No her entire family did not acquire the disease. That is why I said "my sister in law" instead of my sister in law and her entire family.
I find your post disrespectful.

 

[Half-Pint]

The point of my post was to let the OP know that there was a disease and the name of it so they could do some research and be better informed to address their city about what the "expert" had to say.
No her entire family did not acquire the disease. That is why I said "my sister in law" instead of my sister in law and her entire family.
I find your post disrespectful.

I didn't see anywhere where her post was disrespectful, honestly. She asked you a valid question. The concern of the OP is whether it occurs commonly or not.

Those are pretty weak bases to stand for an ordinance. I keep 13 chickens no problem in a town lot... no overcrowding or anything. That farmer was probably paid by somebody against chickens to say that.

 

[bantamrooster]

I didn't see anywhere where her post was disrespectful, honestly. She asked you a valid question. The concern of the OP is whether it occurs commonly or not.

Those are pretty weak bases to stand for an ordinance. I keep 13 chickens no problem in a town lot... no overcrowding or anything. That farmer was probably paid by somebody against chickens to say that.

I didnt see where the OP was asking if it was common or how common it was. Only that they were asking for advice on how to address it.
If someone told me someone in their family had a disease and all I had to say was whats the prevalence? And did their entire family acquire the disease? I would feel like that was disrespectful. But hey maybe thats just me.

 

[JadedPhoenix]

Ocular histoplasmosis is what the eye doctor is talking about.
I have a sister in law that is losing her sight because of it. Growing up her family raised thousands of turkeys.

"Cause and Risk Factors
How does histoplasmosis cause ocular histoplasmosis syndrome?

Scientists believe that Histoplasma capsulatum (histo) spores spread from the lungs to the eye, lodging in the choroid, a layer of blood vessels that provides blood and nutrients to the retina. The retina is the light-sensitive layer of tissue that lines the back of the eye. Scientists have not yet been able to detect any trace of the histo fungus in the eyes of patients with ocular histoplasmosis syndrome. Nevertheless, there is good reason to suspect the histo organism as the cause of OHS.
How does OHS develop?

OHS develops when fragile, abnormal blood vessels grow underneath the retina. These abnormal blood vessels form a lesion known as choroidal neovascularization (CNV). If left untreated, the CNV lesion can turn into scar tissue and replace the normal retinal tissue in the macula. The macula is the central part of the retina that provides the sharp, central vision that allows us to read a newspaper or drive a car. When this scar tissue forms, visual messages from the retina to the brain are affected, and vision loss results.
Vision is also impaired when these abnormal blood vessels leak fluid and blood into the macula. If these abnormal blood vessels grow toward the center of the macula, they may affect a tiny depression called the fovea. The fovea is the region of the retina with the highest concentration of special retinal nerve cells, called cones, that produce sharp, daytime vision. Damage to the fovea and the cones can severely impair, and even destroy, this straight-ahead vision. Early treatment of OHS is essential; if the abnormal blood vessels have affected the fovea, controlling the disease will be more difficult. Since OHS rarely affects side, or peripheral vision, the disease does not cause total blindness."

https://www.nei.nih.gov/health/histoplasmosis/histoplasmosis.asp#b

I don't see anything about feces causing this at all anywhere. So just WHY would the eye doctor say it does?

 

[bantamrooster]

"Cause and Risk Factors
How does histoplasmosis cause ocular histoplasmosis syndrome?

Scientists believe that Histoplasma capsulatum (histo) spores spread from the lungs to the eye, lodging in the choroid , a layer of blood vessels that provides blood and nutrients to the retina. The retina is the light-sensitive layer of tissue that lines the back of the eye. Scientists have not yet been able to detect any trace of the histo fungus in the eyes of patients with ocular histoplasmosis syndrome. Nevertheless, there is good reason to suspect the histo organism as the cause of OHS.
How does OHS develop?

OHS develops when fragile, abnormal blood vessels grow underneath the retina. These abnormal blood vessels form a lesion known as choroidal neovascularization (CNV). If left untreated, the CNV lesion can turn into scar tissue and replace the normal retinal tissue in the macula . The macula is the central part of the retina that provides the sharp, central vision that allows us to read a newspaper or drive a car. When this scar tissue forms, visual messages from the retina to the brain are affected, and vision loss results.
Vision is also impaired when these abnormal blood vessels leak fluid and blood into the (macula. If these abnormal blood vessels grow toward the center of the macula, they may affect a tiny depression called the fovea . The fovea is the region of the retina with the highest concentration of special retinal nerve cells, called cones , that produce sharp, daytime vision. Damage to the fovea and the cones can severely impair, and even destroy, this straight-ahead vision. Early treatment of OHS is essential; if the abnormal blood vessels have affected the fovea, controlling the disease will be more difficult. Since OHS rarely affects side, or peripheral vision, the disease does not cause total blindness."

https://www.nei.nih.gov/health/histoplasmosis/histoplasmosis.asp#b

I don't see anything about feces causing this at all anywhere. So just WHY would the eye doctor say it does?

Why are you quoting my post? I didnt say anything about feces or feces causing anything. And I dont know anything about why the eye doctor the OP is talking about said what they did. If you all what to ask questions about this eye doctor, or anything he said, or why, or about this disease or any other, or how common it is, or just argue about any of it then knock yourselves out but quit quoting my post. Once again my post was to give the OP a place to start to address their city. Thats all.

 

[Half-Pint]

Why are you quoting my post?
I didnt say anything about feces or feces causing anything.
And I dont know anything about why the eye doctor the OP is talking about said what they did.

If you all what to ask questions about this eye doctor, or anything he said, or why, or about this disease or any other, or how common it is, or just argue about any of it then knock yourselves out but quit quoting my post.
Once again my post was to give the OP a place to start to address their city. Thats all.

And s/he was trying to make sense of the fact that you said and I quote "Ocular histoplasmosis is what the eye doctor is talking about.
I have a sister in law that is losing her sight because of it. Growing up her family raised thousands of turkeys." How is that connected? From the info JadedPhoenix posted, there is no connection. Just because your sister in law has that disease and she grew up on a turkey farm in no way guarantees that the turkeys are causing it.

I don't think ocular histoplasmosis is the thing the eye doctor is talking about, and it is a bit rude of you to post that information and get offended when people ask you questions about it. If you don't want to be questioned, please go to another forum.