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

[WthrLady]

Sorry this is happening. It depends on what City. It's a zoning issue? or a subdivision violation? If someone files a complaint, you're kinda sunk if you're not zoned for chickens. There is a great active thread on BYC re how to change zoning! Check the dropdown on forum navigation. Good luck!

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.

Sure they can. Say someone up the street gets chickens three years down the road, and their neighbors complain to the city. The people balk and say "well so, and so, up the street has them and has for years" Now the city is on YOUR door step.


Or someone up the street does something else against the law or the HOA, like, parking a camper too long on the street or in the driveway. They get in trouble with the city, and complain that they shouldn't be in trouble for something so little as the family up the road has CHICKENS, and those aren't allowed either. Again, now you're on the radar.

I don't want to be a Debbie Downer, but reading about people who get chickens and have to get rid of them is heartbreaking. Reading about not being able to find homes for them is even harder. Reading about heart broken kids is terrible. Reading about the city taking them and killing them is preventable. Reading about people abandoning them in the woods to fend for them selves is even worse.

ALL of which have been on this site in the past month. All because people either sneak them in where they aren't allowed or don't find that out before hand.

 

[WthrLady]

Districting, well that stinks and it is confusing for residents.

Maybe you could home them to an allowed district and change the law in your's THEN get them?

 

[asteria01]

Sure they can. Say someone up the street gets chickens three years down the road, and their neighbors complain to the city. The people balk and say "well so, and so, up the street has them and has for years" Now the city is on YOUR door step.

okay, i see what you mean, i didnt quite think about that part. thank you.

Districting, well that stinks and it is confusing for residents.

Maybe you could home them to an allowed district and change the law in your's THEN get them?

can i wait until i get caught? or is that too late?

 

[WthrLady]

okay, i see what you mean, i didnt quite think about that part. thank you.
can i wait until i get caught? or is that too late?

It depends on your own conscious. I am in no position to give you that advice, nor have I stayed at a Holiday Inn recently to qualify.

Can you deal with the daily threat of getting in trouble?

Or

Would it be easier to go to the city and plead your original ignorance. The defense of "well TSC SELLS them" isn't a defense. You are still obligated to check your local laws and ordinances, before taking them home. You said you were near a rural area, well farmers who ARE allowed to have birds, come to TSC for stock, as well as 4H kids. We have a TSC in the downtown area, and they too have chick days. HENS are allowed here, Cockrell and roost are not. So you better have a plan if you live in town and get a boy. Not all hatchery sexing is 100% or even close.

Maybe go in, hang your head, tell them your dilemma, and ask for helpful ideas on how to resolve the situation. Find out WHY your district is chicken free. Then work to change your part of the district.

 

[WthrLady]

Maybe they'll be mean,

Maybe they'll let you keep them with permission letter from your neighbors.....

You never know.

My best to you in your endeavors though.

 

[asteria01]

Maybe they'll be mean,

Maybe they'll let you keep them with permission letter from your neighbors.....

You never know.

My best to you in your endeavors though.

thank you for your advice! You helped me see all the possibilities.

 

[Mutt Farm]

Its a district issue. Apparently only certain districts of fresno are allowed chickens, while i thought chickens would be allowed throughout the city. i mean, you would think that fresno would openly allow chickens, not only because this is an agricultural area but becuase even our tractor supply sells chicks during easter and our costco sells chicken coops and organic chicken feed, but only certain districts within fresno are allowed chickens because they are zoned differently to us. i only found out after our chickens that this is how fresno really is, so by then it was too late. we just hoped that at this point we could get by on minimal sound, and i guess the mercy of our neighbors.

Well, district is easier than the Supreme Court. Our farm stores sell chicks all season and Costco also sells coops and feed. But...there are local areas who do and don't allow them. Sad you're having trouble, but rules are rules. I'd work to change them.

 

[pdirt]

It's the living in fear part...not good for mental or physical health.

What I've read is you didn't know they were illegal until after got the chickens. Fair enough human mistake. Go fess up now to the city or what not and ask what would be necessary to change the law for your district. Tell them, because chicks and chicken coops are available for sale in your town, you figured they wouldn't be for sale if they were illegal to have. That you didn't know about the districts thing (I've never heard of city districts before and I spent 20 years in a big city). Fix your law and then you can rest soundly every night.

Yep, eventually it will catch up with you. Don't wait until you get caught, because then you are already down with the teeth at your jugular, so to speak. Do it while you still have a leg to stand on.

Or you could just enjoy your chickens for as long as it lasts. Perhaps it will last a week or 10 years, but you will be living in an constant state of unknowing. But you will know that, any day, you could and probably will lose them. You can't bribe with eggs the grouchy person who just wants to bring misery to others by enforcing the law. Or they might even take your eggs and still bring the law down on you.

 

[asteria01]

It's the living in fear part...not good for mental or physical health.

What I've read is you didn't know they were illegal until after got the chickens. Fair enough human mistake. Go fess up now to the city or what not and ask what would be necessary to change the law for your district. Tell them, because chicks and chicken coops are available for sale in your town, you figured they wouldn't be for sale if they were illegal to have. That you didn't know about the districts thing (I've never heard of city districts before and I spent 20 years in a big city). Fix your law and then you can rest soundly every night.

Yep, eventually it will catch up with you. Don't wait until you get caught, because then you are already down with the teeth at your jugular, so to speak. Do it while you still have a leg to stand on.

Or you could just enjoy your chickens for as long as it lasts. Perhaps it will last a week or 10 years, but you will be living in an constant state of unknowing. But you will know that, any day, you could and probably will lose them. You can't bribe with eggs the grouchy person who just wants to bring misery to others by enforcing the law. Or they might even take your eggs and still bring the law down on you.

this might sound like a stupid question, but wouldnt asking to change the law now expose me right now and make me get rid of them? i did some more digging and found that people have tried to contest this particular section of the law about 4 years ago... but was overturned by city because so many people just had this mindset that chickens are dirty, loud, etc, and honestly, i dont blame them. there are people in this town who keep chickens in dirty conditions, either because they keep too many, or they just dont clean up. of course i wouldnt want to be one of those people, seeing as they are my pets and not something i can make a quick buck off of, but the image of chickens may be ruined by in our town by people like them, who would try to use them for fighting or selling.

 

[asteria01]

im going to look into our local chicken group. apparently we have one here thats working to get chickens legal!