INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[racinchickins]

One last thing and I will stop spamming the thread! I saw this on facebook and thought that it would be of interest to those of you in the area. It seems like changes are in the works and you might want to be informed and involved!

This prompted me so do some looking. Any Indy residents will want to make sure they closely monitor this. It looks like they will be looking at applying limits on numbers of chickens. There is even a poll on whether to allow roosters.....

http://www.indyrezone.org/content/personal-livestock-and-gardens

 

[SallyinIndiana]

I was going to post info too, but yes, it is looking like Indy wants to put limits in place. They posters are not mentioning the limits and I find that distasteful. I also find it annoying as many people in Indy already have their chickens and possibly a rooster.

On a different note.I have 11 duck eggs laid today and more from the last few days. If anyone wants them send me a PM. I typically don't sell eating eggs but we are overloaded this week. No one ate eggs last week.

 

[racinchickins]

More info (remember, these are PROPOSED rules, not current rules):

http://indyrezone.org/sites/default...- CH. 743 Art. III Use-Specific Standards.pdf

Personal Livestock
The following standards govern the keeping of Personal Livestock as an accessory use
in all zoning districts except Agricultural Uses and lots in the D-A district over three acres
in size.
1. This use must be accessory to a single-family or two-family residential dwelling as
the principal use on the same lot or parcel.
2. The caretaker of the animal must reside on the same lot as the animal.
3. The following domesticated animals are permitted outside in accordance with the
requirements indicated in Table 743-306.3, unless otherwise prohibited or limited by
the Zoning Ordinance or other regulation.

Table 743-306-3. Permitted Personal Livestock in Dwelling Districts, except D-A

Domesticated Animals Maximum Number Minimum Lot Size
of animals on a lot

Rabbits 12 No minimum
Chickens, Quail, Pigeons and Ducks 10 No minimum
Chickens, Quail, Pigeons and Ducks 24 1/3 acre
Sheep and Goats that are female, male goats 2 1 acre
under 1-year, or neutered male goats
Equine (horses, donkeys, mules) and 2 2 acres
Lamoids (alpacas, llamas)

4. Outside exercise area and pasture must be fenced. Roosts, pen, shelter, coop,
hutches, and other shelter for animals must not be located in a front yard and must
meet setbacks required in the district.

5. Minimum lot size is cumulative between the categories of domesticated animals.

6. Roosters are limited to one per site and between dusk to dawn the rooster must be
kept inside an enclosed roost or similar fully-enclosed structure.

7. Bee-keeping is permitted in all districts.

8. Domesticated dogs and cats are not regulated by this Section 743-306-3. Refer to
Kennels.

 

[SallyinIndiana]

Just saw the comment asking how long ducks lay for. My oldest ducks are breeder quality khaki ducks and are 1 yr old. I was told they will lay almost every day for 4 years so until they are about 4.5 yrs old. The ones I got from the hatchery, I'm estimating a 3 yr consistent laying period.
I keep debating if I want to replaace a third of my flock each year and basically keep 3-4 breeds of ducks. Then I could replace 1 breed each year.
Duck eggs are amazing. But they do require more effort. More cleaning and more refilling the water. Winter is way more work for the ducks, but this year the ducks will be in their own coop. Last year I only had 2 and they made a mess of our largest chicken area. Still even with the extra work they caused, DH asked for more ducks. That says a lot to me. He has not asked for more hens. He has not said no more hens either though.

 

[iamfivewire]

Nice chicken photos peaceful walls

 

[pginsber]

One last thing and I will stop spamming the thread! I saw this on facebook and thought that it would be of interest to those of you in the area. It seems like changes are in the works and you might want to be informed and involved!

I was going to post info too, but yes, it is looking like Indy wants to put limits in place. They posters are not mentioning the limits and I find that distasteful. I also find it annoying as many people in Indy already have their chickens and possibly a rooster.

More info (remember, these are PROPOSED rules, not current rules):

http://indyrezone.org/sites/default...- CH. 743 Art. III Use-Specific Standards.pdf

Personal Livestock
The following standards govern the keeping of Personal Livestock as an accessory use
in all zoning districts except Agricultural Uses and lots in the D-A district over three acres
in size.
1. This use must be accessory to a single-family or two-family residential dwelling as
the principal use on the same lot or parcel.
2. The caretaker of the animal must reside on the same lot as the animal.
3. The following domesticated animals are permitted outside in accordance with the
requirements indicated in Table 743-306.3, unless otherwise prohibited or limited by
the Zoning Ordinance or other regulation.

Table 743-306-3. Permitted Personal Livestock in Dwelling Districts, except D-A

Domesticated Animals Maximum Number Minimum Lot Size
of animals on a lot

Rabbits 12 No minimum
Chickens, Quail, Pigeons and Ducks 10 No minimum
Chickens, Quail, Pigeons and Ducks 24 1/3 acre
Sheep and Goats that are female, male goats 2 1 acre
under 1-year, or neutered male goats
Equine (horses, donkeys, mules) and 2 2 acres
Lamoids (alpacas, llamas)

4. Outside exercise area and pasture must be fenced. Roosts, pen, shelter, coop,
hutches, and other shelter for animals must not be located in a front yard and must
meet setbacks required in the district.

5. Minimum lot size is cumulative between the categories of domesticated animals.

6. Roosters are limited to one per site and between dusk to dawn the rooster must be
kept inside an enclosed roost or similar fully-enclosed structure.

7. Bee-keeping is permitted in all districts.

8. Domesticated dogs and cats are not regulated by this Section 743-306-3. Refer to
Kennels.

I'm quite irritated with this new found government interest in what's going on in my house and my backyard instead of what's going on in our streets and our counties. So many of our members live in areas that are becoming impacted in this way, that it's clearly a widespread initiative.

Why are Indiana cities and counties are becoming so committed to restricting our ability to feed our families this way?

Personally, I wish the government entities would prioritize efforts and resources on eliminating urban violence before they focus their efforts on what I do on my own property.

Okay--rant over for now!

 

[ChickCrazed]

I know, I am so sorry it is now hitting Indianapolis. I think we need to flood the meeting and every single person can ask why this is a focus at all when the violence is so out of control in Indy. They are focusing on the wrong things in my opinion....

 

[kabhyper1]

Haven't posted any pics in a long time. Still need to get pics done of the orchard I had promised someone a while ago!

My new lavender orp toddlers (not quite chicks any more!) I got from Brad. Decided to name them Fred & Ethel since that was the first pair of names that popped into my head!

My daughter's banties. We ordered them from Townline Hatchery -- only came as straight run, mixed breeds. We figured out the golden seabrights & d'uccles, but are unsure what the other pair are. We got them April 15 so they're about 3 months old.



It's hard to tell on the pics but they do have feathered feet. They started out a blue/opal color & in just the past few days the buff color has started showing up on them. The front one had a comb right away so we knew it was a roo. The other got a comb a lot later -- assuming it is a pullet. Can anyone ID them for us?





Thought I'd share this girl (at least I think it is at this point!) I'm very curious about the white coloring. She's from one of our mixed flock hatches. The father is one of our orpingtons (either lavender or lemon/lavender), I have no idea which hen will claim her! Most of our other mixes turned out like the 2 goldish ones behind her -- lots of interesting penciling/partridge type patterns. She had been more pure white & now there's more black starting to peek through. My only birds with white are silver laced wyandotte & barred rock. Neither of my easter eggers are the white variety...




Thought this was too cute. A couple of our girls insisted on going out the door to free range in my garden and wherever they pleased instead of going out to the enclosed pasture with everyone else. She's been really bummed since we just put on a screen door on the barn. She's often right there trying to figure out how she can escape!





Lastly, the pond party resumed again. After all the different ducks and geese that came this spring, the pond was pretty quiet until this flock of creatures showed up. Must be a new breed of waterfowl...(or just the out of state cousins for a visit!)

Your white girl looks like a hen we got from mixing a rir hen with my slw roo. The girls got that sort of burnt masmallow almost columbian coloring, and I dont know what the boys look like.

 

[racinchickins]

As far as the proposed Indy regulations go. I'd like to offer some perspective, some of which I gained attending the meeting of the Lawrence town council.

If you read through the rest of the literature, the livestock portion is a small fraction of the re-zoning initiative underway, not the focus. And it looks like they are trying to get out in front of the Urban Farming trend/revolution by putting regs in place to encourage it, not discourage it. As our friends in many other areas are finding out, it is much harder to fight an existing reg than to implement a new one. The Indy Rezone group appears to be trying to get agriculture friendly regulations on the books before overly restrictive ones are placed there. Also, compared to pretty much any other ‘chicken’ restrictions I have seen, the proposed Indy regulations are very liberal. Allowing 24 chickens, including a rooster on any 1/3 acre lot is pretty generous. We own a house on a 1/3 acre lot near Broad Ripple, and that would be a lot of chickens for that space. For contrast, the city of Lawrence was looking at allowing 3 for that space and 6 for larger lots. With no roosters period.

That being said, do I wish there was no restriction at all, absolutely I do. But we also have to deal with the fact that there will be irresponsible chicken owners just like irresponsible cat and dog owners. The proposal will give officials a base to work from to deal with these people. Welfare of the poultry was a major concern of the Lawrence committee considering their resolution. And it would only take one or two instances of abuse that would galvanize a hasty statute to be put in place that would be much less considered and likely much more restrictive that what is currently proposed.

I do think Indy chicken owners should be very aware and involved with what is going on. The re-zoning is taking place regardless of whether they are involved or not. So take the chance to be involved in constructive conversation with an eye towards encouraging Indy to be a place that WANTS chickens in backyards, not one that is trying to keep them out.

 

[SallyinIndiana]

The one rooster thing is somewhat limiting to anyone wanting to hatch as things happen and a backup is nice. I can't make it to either of those meetings but if a fill in the blank style letter is posted geared towards that meeting, I will print, sign and mail it in.