Keeping chickens in Cold Spring NY

[homemaker1]

Hey people - new to this whole idea of keeping chickens - last time I had chickens I was a child living in South Africa. Now, I have three children of my own, I am in the land of the free - a lovely first world country and I thought brilliant! This should be easy! So I looked up our town code on the internet and there is absolutely nothing in it about chickens - not a single reference. I checked the code for our next village from us and it is laid out in exactly the same way, and they are very specific - no chickens allowed whatso-freaking-ever! So I phoned my town council just to make sure, and that was my big mistake. I was read information from some document that prohibits me from keeping any chickens on any plot of land under 80 000 square feet, and the coop apparently has to be located at least 150 feet from any of my land boundaries. This sucks!!!!!! Not sure whether to just go ahead and get my neighbors' agreement to keep them anyway, and just keep a small (8 - 10) flock and see what happens. I have an acre of land, and woods on the back of my property, so the neighbors wouldn't even see the coop. Anyone have any advice or encountered anything similar? I have a serious problem with being told I cannot do something!! It ticks me off...

 

[redoak]

If you don't get a rooster, keep the chickens fenced in and keep a clean coop, I bet no one would even notice you have chickens.

 

[spook]

If I was you, following the law is one of the biggest lessons you need to teach your children. There is a lady on BYC, Seachick, her young daughter envirogirl that managed to have changed their cities laws.
Now if you and the kids went to the neighbors in a 1/2 mile radius of your home (360 degrees) ask them if 4 hens would bother them. Also look into how to change the law.

Good luck, but the best lesson is to teach your kids how to change the laws if they do not like them. Look up the 2 names that I gave you, perhaps they could help you out!

Personally I'd plop 4 hens in my back yard, but then the rest of the garbage!

 

[sussexgal]

Good Morning Homemaker,

I have friends who live in Cold Spring.... and I have stayed in Cold Spring myself when I was working in Poughkeepsie. What I know of the town is that they are ... um... er... tight sphinctered when it comes to their town rules. It would be heartbreaking to have chickens and then be told you have to dispose of them. Perhaps folks who have worked to change their town rules can help you better than I.... I do remember a story my friend told me about a resident who had a goat.... so you may be able to sway the town to see things your way. Good luck. Every home should have a chicken or two in my opinion. Oh.... and I'm not sure what all the act means, but NYS has 'The Right to Farm Act'. Check into that?

 

[homemaker1]

Hahahaahahaaahaha - I know what you mean about some people in Cold Spring being a little anally retentive. I laughed out loud when I read your post as that was exactly what I had been grumbling. I would prefer to try and change the laws - we'll see how it goes. I don't want to move over something as simple as chicken keeping, and I don't want to break the law. I have been chatting to my neighbors and so far everyone is happy for me to keep them, and some even want to keep them themselves, so maybe we could put together some kind of united front. Everyone I know in Cold Spring is wonderful, EXCEPT for the people who work at town hall! Funny how that is!! I guess being cranky must be part of the job description - I'd probably get cranky too if I worked in that environment. I don't live in the village though - I'm 10 minutes out between Cold Spring and Fishkill, but I still fall under the Phillipstown code. I have a couple of friends who are lawyers so will ask them about how to get the laws changed. Especially as I heard it's OK to keep a horse on much less land!! I think the laws are really old and need a review.

 

[sussexgal]

Sounds like you're on the right path. Good luck and keep us posted about your progress?

 

[Faye]

share the eggs