Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[annagarret]

Now that's LOVE, fuzzybutt love!!!!

 

[fuzzybutt love]

I really think "homestead" represented what we are trying to do better than "animal facilities". All i want to do is be able to buy a little land, and do what i need to to put food on the table that i have made myself. Now i don't even know if i dare to buy property in MI with things so uncertain.

 

[chickwhispers]

@Fuzzybutt love You are a very dedicated extreme chicken keeper! Way to go!
I only have about 100 ft to walk in this weather and that's plenty for me!

 

[fuzzybutt love]

My birds are special to me, i've put 3 almost 4 years into selecting and breeding for my little flock. Pretty, round little lap birds.
Took me almost 6 months to carefully select just the *right* wifey for my original roo since i wanted a temperament match, then to raise up her 2 daughters that ended up being friendly, then more than a year to find my current roo for them (last couple hopefuls didn't turn out. Some mean and some just flighty) Even the last one who was just flighty's offspring was flighty. I finally got another lap roo to match with my lap hens! And the right color+pattern to boot! As long as he don't get aggressive this spring when he gets his spurs, crossing fingers...... But so far they are all in the camper coop beard kissing.....hippies......

 

[HollyDuckFarmer]

@ladyrsanti I'm glad you came back feeling better. What are your thoughts on this pattern?
http://www.subwayknitter.com/patterns/urban_necessity.pdf

 

[aart]

Excellent citations. I agree that this is much bigger than backyard poultry. But backyard chickens are a pretty easy target. Sadly, most people don't realize their rights until they are stripped away. Then it is too late.

I've wondered if the explosion of backyard chickens is part of what spurred the whole GAAMPS issue.......which is kind of understandable...... too many fad pet chicken owners not understanding the care needed causing an explosion of ill housed birds in residential areas and/or abandoned chickens in animal control facilities.....bad apples focusing the rot on good fruit kind of a thing.

 

[RaZ]

I've wondered if the explosion of backyard chickens is part of what spurred the whole GAAMPS issue.......which is kind of understandable...... too many fad pet chicken owners not understanding the care needed causing an explosion of ill housed birds in residential areas and/or abandoned chickens in animal control facilities.....bad apples focusing the rot on good fruit kind of a thing.

There is no credible evidence of that. Some trend followers might have obtained chickens, some people may not be able to care for chickens or any animal for that matter. But there is no uptick in chickens being dumped on animal shelters to my knowledge. There may be, but I haven't seen any supporting documentation.

The GAAMPs issue and RTF dates back to the 70's with the first wave of urban flight. Things got bad in the mid-90's with the rise of CAFOs and ALEC driven legislation. Big Ag paid for legal protection and now they are mad that small farmers are using "their" law.

 

[chickwhispers]

I believe much of the RTF act came about because of the " Not in my backyard effort" as they said to eliminate nuisance suits against odors etc. But no one complained much about farm odors much before CAFOs. CAFOs are not just BIG ag, They are HUGE ag and RTF protects big and huge ag. Big ag and townships wanting higher revenues and tax bases, don't really want to deal with the small backyard flock owner and small farmer. Not enough money in it. Some townships feel if they "zone" small backyard farms out then they will be more attractive to residential development, and a larger tax base. What started out as many not wanting Big ag in their backyard is now not wanting the little guy.

What I don't believe they understand that by doing so the are actually depriving small farmers their "liberties."
I put the following on the Michigan Right to Farm page, but I'll put here as well:

" "I was just reading up on the Supreme Court "Slaughter-House" case of Louisiana in 1873 which the Supreme court upheld Louisiana the "right" to give a slaughter house exclusive rights within 1154 square miles in LA. including New Orleans. It was overturned later, and is still valid today:

"The strong dissenting opinion by Justice Stephen J. Field, arguing that the Fourteenth Amendment protects the fundamental rights and liberties of all citizens against state interference, was later adopted by the Supreme Court's majority."

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/supremecourt/antebellum/landmark_slaughterhouse.html

This might be a stretch, but by making the proposed changes the state is in fact interfering with the rights of all it's citizens in favor of a few." "

I believe that in making it next to impossible to have a small farming type of business they are in fact obstructing citizens rights. And whether it is a law or an act if the state is allowing to happen they are at fault as well. Much like the driver of a get-away car in a bank robbery.

Also here are 2 links that explain what CAFOs and ALEC are about:

http://michigan.sierraclub.org/issues/greatlakes/articles/cafofacts.html

http://www.alecexposed.org/wiki/ALEC_Exposed

This is my humble opinion.

 

[aart]

I've wondered if the explosion of backyard chickens is part of what spurred the whole GAAMPS issue.......which is kind of understandable...... too many fad pet chicken owners not understanding the care needed causing an explosion of ill housed birds in residential areas and/or abandoned chickens in animal control facilities.....bad apples focusing the rot on good fruit kind of a thing.

There is no credible evidence of that. Some trend followers might have obtained chickens, some people may not be able to care for chickens or any animal for that matter. But there is no uptick in chickens being dumped on animal shelters to my knowledge. There may be, but I haven't seen any supporting documentation.

The GAAMPs issue and RTF dates back to the 70's with the first wave of urban flight. Things got bad in the mid-90's with the rise of CAFOs and ALEC driven legislation. Big Ag paid for legal protection and now they are mad that small farmers are using "their" law.

Gotcha, was a just a narrow concept-focusing on chickens as that what we're doing here on this forum, but I certainly don't know the history and timeline of the issues as you do.

Reason I had pondered that concept was this article about a shelter in NY and a link in the article to another in MN.

 

[RaZ]

Gotcha, was a just a narrow concept-focusing on chickens as that what we're doing here on this forum, but I certainly don't know the history and timeline of the issues as you do.

Reason I had pondered that concept was this article about a shelter in NY and a link in the article to another in MN.

That article was largely refuted with verifiable facts some months ago. However it does serve as a warning to know what you are getting into when you get animals to care for.