Keeping chickens in a garage???

[Bandkau]

Hello! I am brand new here- I know nothing about chickens or birds in general. I'm not even sure if this is the right place to post this question. I know that I love to eat eggs and I have been curious about chicken keeping for awhile now. I want to try as much as possible to grow my own food (as many people do) and chicken keeping seems to be a great way to do that. I am currently in the process of learning and have not yet committed to keeping chickens. I am mostly just looking into it, to see if it would be doable for me.

Which brings me here, with this question....

I live in a community which has essentially outlawed backyard chickens (4K to apply for a permit, you have to have a hearing. Ridiculous- I thought I lived in America. Oh well.) I asked the lady at the land use office what was the city's position on indoor only chickens. She didn't really have an answer, although she said she thought it would likely be ok as long as they were only hens. I emailed the land-use manager, so I will get a final answer on this soon. But I'm left wondering...would this be cruel? I have a large 2-car garage, and a tiny micro-sedan which only takes up 1/3 of the garage. There would be plenty of room to build a big, safe chicken run and a really nice little chicken house for them to roost in. There is a window with a screen I can open for ventilation, and I can check on them whenever I want to, it would probably encourage me to keep their quarters extra clean so the smell doesn't overwhelm my house. I am only interested in keeping 3-4 hens.

But I'm wondering, would this be wrong or cruel? It seems a little artificial, but I would take good care of them and give them enrichment. I don't let my kitties go outside because the world is too dangerous, so to me it doesn't seem cruel- but then again I don't know jerk shot about chickens. So here I am asking this....has anyone heard of garage chickens?

I think it would be just fine. I wouldn't leave my vehicle idling in the garage but other than that they will be safe. I'll be putting my new chickens in the garage as well since the price of lumber is outrageous right now. I'm using the side door as an opening to a run so they can be outside during the day. I know of someone else who has their chickens in the garage as well with a little door they cut out to let the chickens outside. Maybe you could do the same. OR carry them ouside everyday! Best of luck

 

[Ruby Rogue]

I think it would be just fine. I wouldn't leave my vehicle idling in the garage but other than that they will be safe. I'll be putting my new chickens in the garage as well since the price of lumber is outrageous right now. I'm using the side door as an opening to a run so they can be outside during the day. I know of someone else who has their chickens in the garage as well with a little door they cut out to let the chickens outside. Maybe you could do the same. OR carry them ouside everyday! Best of luck

They can't have them outside. Would you keep yours in the garage without them ever being able to go outside?

Quail are an good idea. And since there are (probably) no ordinances about quail, you probably could keep them outside.
Either way.

 

[AmeliaBeastMaster]

Honestly, it is at least better than if the chickens were kept in cages in high producing farms. So why not...but chickens LOVE to dig and forage. So if possible I would definitely take them out to have some sun and enjoy foraging. Because like most animals, sunlight is very healthy for them. I also have something else to consider. Chickens need light to lay eggs. So they need daylight, or some sort of lamp or else they wont lay eggs. Thats why when the days are shorter in the winter, they do not lay as much, and sometimes none at all. For example my chickens, who free range all day long, except maybe a 10:00 am or noon (cause hawks and vultures come out at this time), during winter lays 1 egg a day from 11 hens.

Thank you so much for your reply! I got an email back from the land-use manager and he says that chickens (regardless of where or how they are kept) require a land use permit. So I'm screwed either way unfortunately.

 

[AmeliaBeastMaster]

HOA?

I would not keep chickens in a garage that has running engines in it.
Doesn't take much exhaust to kill a bird.
They need to be on the ground outside with fresh air, IMO.

No, it's the city. I don't live in an HOA (thank God!). But they nixed the garage idea anyways. My husband says we should just keep them and that no one will notice (we live on a larger parcel, set back from the road). But I'm nervous about it and don't want to get an animal if there's a chance I will have to rehome it. I'm probably going to do some research about quail and see if they are also banned, and perhaps try to work on the city government to lighten the restrictions.

 

[AmeliaBeastMaster]

They can't have them outside. Would you keep yours in the garage without them ever being able to go outside?

Quail are an good idea. And since there are (probably) no ordinances about quail, you probably could keep them outside.
Either way.

I'm going to look into quail and see if I can pull a fast one on the city. If it isn't specifically mentioned that no quail are allowed, then I'm guessing that I would be in the right. At the very least I can please ignorance. Can't believe this stupid ordinance, its actually really shocking because the majority of the parcels in my quadrant of the city are over an acre. Plus we are less than a 1/4 mile from a farm community which grows the majority of the states hazelnuts. It's just not a fitting or reasonable law, given the area.

 

[3KillerBs]

... It's just not a fitting or reasonable law, given the area.

Indeed.

I hope you can work to get your laws changed.

I was putting a letter together to the authorities in my previous town when someone beat me to it and, aided by the fact that the new mayor's father-in-law raised chickens just outside the town limits, the town council was made to realize that the anti-farming bylaw that they'd interpreted as forbidding chickens would also forbid home gardens under the same, strict interpretation.

Good luck!

 

[aart]

Plus we are less than a 1/4 mile from a farm community which grows the majority of the states hazelnuts

Nut trees don't make noise or exude stinky stuff.

Mind sharing what city?
Someone suggested trying to change the law there.
Might browse this forum for ideas.

 

[Meg-in-MT]

Seems to me they're infringing on your rights by trying to tell you what you can or can't have in your own house. How can you need a land-use permit for inside your walls? Is that legal? Not that I'm recommending keeping garage chickens, but I'm not sure how that's the city's concern.

But, I've never lived inside city limits.

 

[Liz Birdlover]

Since your city does not allow it, don't do it, because what will probably happen is you get some hens, get used to the schedule of cleaning (which if confined to an indoor structure, there will be more mess & therefore lots of daily cleaning...can you spare & dedicate an hour or 2 every single day?), you'll get attached to them because the more time you spend with them, the more you'll love their sweet personalities, then 1 nasty neighbor will make 1 anonymous complaint and you'll be forced to say bye bye to your sweet girls, who will be used to an indoor setting and probably not adapt well wherever they end up.

I wanted chickens for decades, but I waited until I relocated to a place zoned for it. I previously lived in a neighborhood, had 1/4 acre, and flew Homing Pigeons on weekends, and some jerk neighbor complained about them...my Pigeons only flew and landed from distant release points flying back to my own yard, they never landed on neighbors roof tops, & they don't poop on the fly, yet someone had a wild blackbird crap purple berry poop on their car & automatically blamed my pigeons...who incidentally do not eat berries, they only eat the best grain feed I can get. Trust me, no matter what your neighbors may say, what they do behind your back is another thing.

Keep in mind any living animal or pet is a long term commitment. Livestock is even more than a commitment, it is a lifestyle. If you really want to make that commitment, move to some acreage 1st. If you've never had birds as pets, you might consider something smaller to get into it, see if this is really your thing. I've had various birds in my life since I was 3 yrs old & volunteered at Tri State Bird Rescue with wild birds. And I still am learning a lot from having chickens in my life. Eggs are a nice bonus, but these birds have quite amazing personalities. I've come to love them very much.

 

[Liz Birdlover]

I'm going to look into quail and see if I can pull a fast one on the city. If it isn't specifically mentioned that no quail are allowed, then I'm guessing that I would be in the right. At the very least I can please ignorance. Can't believe this stupid ordinance, its actually really shocking because the majority of the parcels in my quadrant of the city are over an acre. Plus we are less than a 1/4 mile from a farm community which grows the majority of the states hazelnuts. It's just not a fitting or reasonable law, given the area.

Quail may be a better choice but the town/city may still consider them to be "poultry" if you keep them any place except inside of your home. All it takes is you opening the garage door & one jerk neighbor to see & complain, regardless of what animal you have there.

I don't mean to sound negative but trust me I used to live in a neighborhood and neighbors will complain about anything and everything, especially if you have a busy body, bored, stuck in the house, looking out the window all day for things to bitch about. One nasty lady complained because my neighbor had a kennel set up for their dog in the garage, she made up a false claim that they were boarding dogs! It was just whenever their son had weekly meeting in the house, they would put the dog in the crate in the garage for a few hours or he'd get too excited running around other kids during their meeting, but she saw the empty dog crate out there when the garage door opened, and proceeded to complain, saying dogs in their garage were attracting rats!

Just be aware of potential idiot scenarios.