illegal chickens. first time egg song. neighbors came by today to say hi...

[pdirt]

You build your case. Dozens of photos or videos of clean coops. Get testimonials from neighbors of other chicken owners about the lack of smell, etc. Be kind but resolute. Do not fold at the first setback. Don't get angry or demanding. Show your plan of how you will raise your chickens in a way that speaks to all the objections the city has. Get two or more veteran chicken owners from other cities to endorse your plan. Get written statements from other cities that decided to change their laws to favor backyard flocks and why.

Also, there is a section here on BYC devoted to changing local laws. Might be worth checking out if you haven't already.

 

[donrae]

i hope so too! i dont mind giving out eggs to keep the peace. generally speaking, though, how fast do these notices from the city come? if our chickens are creating a disturbance then people who have issues should immediately file a complaint right? if thats the case then I can expect a complaint soon from someone relatively quickly if someone has a problem with it. i know technically people can always complain at anytime, but people who really have a problem with it should complain soon? i mean, i dont want to think if someone had issues with it from the beginning that 4 years down the line they would suddenly file a complaint in the future...

oh yes, and i think they just send us a letter to inform us of our 'illegal activities', and tell us to get rid of them.

You'd think neighbors would complain right away, wouldn't you? Not always the case. We've had pigs on our property on and off the 15 years we've lived here. This year, one particular neighbor (who had lived there during at least 2 previous batches) decided he didn't want us raising them. Made such a stink with the county/city (urban growth area...long story) we finally moved them to another property to finish growing out.

I agree with pdirt--keep working to make them legal. Get letters from your friendly neighbors and pics of clean coops. Print out research on the benefits of chickens--including eggs, manure/bedding for the garden, pest control, decreased immune system issues for children exposed to animals during their young years, etc.