Hello everyone,
I only read the last couple pages but I am pretty sure I am in the right place. It was suggested that I let people know what I have been going thru.
This is a lot of info, but worth the time so please read.
May 2009 we bought our home in Bangor Twp Bay County Mi. We own 2/3 of an acre on a corner lot.
June 1st 2009 we got our first chicks. 8 precious babies. 6 weeks later they made their debut. The chicken coop sits behind and to the side of our home. It is 12 feet from the property line. Our neighbors love them.
December we took in two 8 month old hens
Fast forward
March 10th 2010 we got 9 chicks and 2 ducklings and 6 adult cochins and 8 very young silkies
May 3rd we started adding on to the coop
May 5th the zoning enforcer came out to tell us that we had to get rid of the chickens. They run on a complaint basis and had many complaints. I said about what. He said the roosters. Among other things. The silkies that we had gotten had all but one turned out to be boys. The only hen drowned in the duck pool. He said a letter would be coming within the week giveing us 30 days to get rid of everything. He also said there is a Freedom of Information Act and that I could have a copy of all the complaints. He left, my husband tore down what he had started on the addition and I cried in the chicken run for about an hour. Then I got mad. Really mad.
May 6th I filled out the paper to get all the complaints. They told me they have 5 days to produce them.
May 7th I found a wonderful home for the ducks and the silkies.
May 13th DH went to the Township hall to get the copy of the complaints. The zoning enforcerwouldnt make eye contact. After 15 min of walking around the building and whispering with the secertary he came back to tell DH there were no complaints. There was some inquiries as to why we could have chickens when they were told they couldnt. Someone called about the roosters once but he didn't write it down.
We immeditaly started researching ordinaces, RTFA, political standings, like I have chickens because we refuse to contribute to factory farming, Then we started going door to door. I figured beat them at their own game. I would get enough signatures on a petition to change the Township ordinaces about poultry. I got 300 in 3 days. Then an aquaintence insisted that the RTFA would protect us. In my research I could'nt find it. So...
May 19th I called Michigan Department of Agriculture. I explained my deliema and within minutes I was talking with a woderful gentleman. This is what I learned. RTFA does NOT protect you. UNLESS you are following GAAMP. GAAMP is Generally Accepted Agriculture Mangement Practices. There are important peices of the GAAMP that you need. Print off in its entirety (58pgs) the GAAMP for manure mangement, laying chickens, and the dead bodies act. If your are going to sell eggs and want to put a sign out front, print off the farm market GAAMP too. Also the entire RTFA. Keep these things in a binder. Your chicken binder. Next read it all... then write a Poultry Operations Guide. Mine is 12 pages long. If anyone would like me to Email it to you I'd be happy to. The Table of Contents for the POG is as follows:
I. Caring for chicks-birth to 16 weeks
Equipment
Care
II. Caring for Older Pullets and Hens
Equipment
Housing
Space
Maintenence
Nutrition
Health and Medical Procedures
Map of the Coop and Run
OK now make sure you have done your homework and everything is according to GAAMP. For instance you need a compost bin and that bin must have a cover. Etc. Once it is written Email a copy to the nice folks that you have been talking to at MDA. Put another copy in the front of your chicken binder. Now schedule an appointment for MDA to come out and inspect your "operation"
May 22nd we started the addition to the coop.
May 29th we recieved our letter from the Township. It states that you cannot keep livestock including poulty on less than 40 acres. Page wire is strictly prohibbited and that you cannot house any animal within 100 feet of any property live. They also talked about the setback line, saying that the coop which is an assorsery building cannot be in the front yard.
June 1st I spoke with MDA again and set up the appointment for the ispection.
June 7th MDA was here. We spoke, he took notes, and lots of pictures. He said that everthing is beautiful. There was not one thing he could tell us to make an improvement on. Which means we are operating within GAAMP, which means that we are a farm. Which means we are protected under MRTFA. Without the inspection and the stamp on the letter from MDA RTFA means nothing to you. Please understand that. We are now awaiting the letter form MDA. Once we get that we will pay a visit to the Township and nicely explain to them that we are following GAAMP and that we are protected under the RTFA. If they would like to push things further and take us to court that will be fine. Please uderstand that there will be two courts. A judical court in front of a jury of our peers and the court of public opinion. The taxpayers will not like to hear that they are taking me to court over something that I have a State legal right to do.
Ok now some clarifacation. Housing Associations are their own enity. You signed a contract with those people and RTFA can not protect you. If your area forbids ALL agriculture than RTFA can not help you. But if they for instance say you can keep a pot bellied pig but not a chicken. NOPE doors open. Agriculture is Agriculture. Greehouses, pigs, goats, chickens does'nt matter. As long as you can do it and follow GAAMP your covered. Make sure you read GAAMP. For instance your operation has to be so far away from ditches and water sources. What I was told is the Manure Management is the most important. But they all have to be followed.
Just some added information. I keep a log of egg production, sales, expenses, births, deaths, and important dates. I have all my girls tagged with an ankle band. Yellow is 1 yr old and pink is this years. Each number coraspondes with a name, this info is kept on a sheet in the coop and in my binder. Its good to have this info because for instance you have a chicken with an impacted crop. It happens again, is it the same chicken? or different? If its the same it may be an ongoing problem. Etc. Tagging animals is what is done with breeders and farmers alike. My MDA guy liked it very much. The rest of the info I mentioned is helpful to prove in court that you are a business. Oh and I asked, you do not need a tax ID licence for a small operation. I have 24 hens. And are still covered by RTFA for selling eggs. My township tried to tell me I could have a roadside vege stand to sell what we produce here but that I could NOT sell eggs. Again Agriculture is Agriculture. They cannot pick and chose what Agriculture they want to allow.
This is the front of the coop
Your can see the corner
If you have any questions please PM me
