Topeka KS has allowed roosters for some time and they don't have any more complaints than Lawrence does. There's always going to be a few complaints about anything. I had my 4 6-wk old hens in a little pen in my front yard while I was gardening and suddenly there's a pit bull on a 16' leash in my front yard (fortunately he was ignoring my chicks). This young man followed, saying chickens should be against the law! I pointed out that my chicks were in a pen in my yard being watched by me and his pit bull was on an illegally long leash (not under his control) and had rushed up to me. (I was on my knees weeding. Fortunately it was friendly and only licked my face.) I wasn't rushing in the house to call the police or screaming about his dog, so why was he bothering about my little chicks? Surprisingly he apologized. And before I get emails...this wasn't about pit bulls, I don't really want any strange dog suddenly shoving his face into mine. The #1 dog biter in the US is the dachshund followed by the chihuahua. Of course they can't do the damage that pit bulls can but having been bitten by dachsunds and 1 chihuahua...it still hurt.
Back to the subject...I have it (a good authority) that when Lawrence disallowed roosters back in 2009 there was only one person (albeit one with power) opposing roosters. Crowing roosters was not never an issue. The concern was encouraging cockfights. (Those people are already breaking the law and would still be in violation if we allowed roosters...the law obviously is not a consideration for them!)
Roosters really add a lot to a flock...they're the early warning system for predators (with different vocalizations for different types of predators), they often run predators off, settle disputes and a good rooster will alert his hens when he's found a good food cache, usually letting his girls eat first! And they are so beautiful! What would you rather hear in the am...a rooster or the trash truck?
Anyway the one holdout on allowing roosters is no longer in Lawrence. I've never done this before but is anyone willing to help get the law changed now that we have a very good opportunity?
Back to the subject...I have it (a good authority) that when Lawrence disallowed roosters back in 2009 there was only one person (albeit one with power) opposing roosters. Crowing roosters was not never an issue. The concern was encouraging cockfights. (Those people are already breaking the law and would still be in violation if we allowed roosters...the law obviously is not a consideration for them!)
Roosters really add a lot to a flock...they're the early warning system for predators (with different vocalizations for different types of predators), they often run predators off, settle disputes and a good rooster will alert his hens when he's found a good food cache, usually letting his girls eat first! And they are so beautiful! What would you rather hear in the am...a rooster or the trash truck?
Anyway the one holdout on allowing roosters is no longer in Lawrence. I've never done this before but is anyone willing to help get the law changed now that we have a very good opportunity?