Hi, I'm annoyed that people here prohibit chickens with excuses that keep the city council from letting urban dwellers have them considering Bozeman is right next door and they allow them. I'm not going to court right now but I made a draft that may encourage them to change their minds. Here it is ( I withheld my name for privacy reasons.):
Current law in Belgrade prohibits chickens and other poultry from being raised within city limits due
to concerns of the general public involving disease, smell, and noise. Supporter of sustainabilty
(name withheld), encourages chickens within city limits to provide households with fresh, hormone-free eggs.
(name withheld) wishes to come to the agreement that city limits shall allow chickens in urban areas around town not
in control by Home Owners Association.
Standards (name) has set are as followed:
* No roosters are allowed within city limits.
* Only up to five hens may be kept on one property.
* Neighboring households have the right to complain if they find said poultry on their property though
owner of hens is allowed to free range them on their own property.
* Neighbor must have proof chickens were on their property to avoid a fine to owner.
* Birds are not to be slaughtered on property or a fine may be in order.
* Owner is expected to care properly for the birds including clean up and disposing properly of waste, as
well as providing each hen with at least four square feet to roam.
* Owner is allowed to sell his/her eggs to willing custumors provided the eggs are fresh.
* If a pet of a neighbor attacks a hen on owner's property, the owner has right to complain.
* Chickens allowed on properties with a single home such as a ranch house or split level home. Rental houses are acceptable if given permission by landlord.
lf owner and company fail to comply rules, they may be fined up to $75 or removal of poultry from property.
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To make bill a law, (name) has complied a list of complaints about backyard poultry and answers to counter them:
1. Chickens make too much noise
Yes, it is true that these birds are not silent but since the standards above state roosters are prohibited, which reduces ruckus
quite a bit. Though complaints still rise about hens making noise, with their usual clucking and squawks when they lay an egg (no hen needs a rooster to lay an egg, nor does a woman need a man to have her period) .
But considering they are much quieter than roosters is a good consideration. I find it funny we tune out the barks of dogs and allow them to stay but chickens are unacceptable.
2. Chickens smell
To some degree but the small amount and space requirements pretty much eliminate odors. The horrendous smells often come from large
industrial poultry farms where hens are in crowded conditions and feces reside in the cramped cages. When properly disposed of, such as adding manure to compost, smell from chickens are very small. I'd like to add that'd I'd raised 10 chickens in NC with around the same sized yard including some roosters
and our neighbors didn't know we even had chickens. They actually complained more about our dog than anything else.
3. Chickens cause disease
All animals cause disease and chickens are no different, like stated before, industrial hens are forced to live in disgusting conditions which breed many diseases, including airborne ones. But small scale poultry are very unlikely to cause any harmful illnesses because they are not in the same conditions. One man who opposed this law before claimed his daughter would have an asthma attack if she was exposed to chickens. Whether or not his daughter has asthma is not my business though I'd like to point out many everyday things that trigger asthma:
Dust
Secondhand smoke
pet dandruff
food allergies
Mold
Pollen
As you can see, chickens are not a usual if ever cause of asthma, and if the birds are exposed to fresh air and the coop is kept clean, the risk of asthma attacks are pretty much diminished.
4. Coops are unattractive
Not so! Coops can be beautiful, whether they have a paint job or they look like little houses. Coops can look like cottages and have license plates or other decorations.
5. Chickens dig holes
Maybe so, but I highly doubt the owner will allow ruts in his yard and owner must keep his hens on his property.
6. Chickens are ugly
Not true! Well kept chickens are very lovely and many breeds are gorgeous. The feathers of the silver laced Wyandotte, the long tail of the Phoenix, the fluffy beards of the Americanas. Chickens are lovely.
7. Chickens are aggressive
Roosters can be aggressive(yet again, they're banned) but the temperment of a hen can be very docile and usually is . Hens with proper care and attention are sweethearts though some are considered flighty (freak out over little things), most are harmless and don't mind humans.
Bottom line, just because chickens were raised on the farm doesn't mean they're tacky or primitive. No, they're practical. For a hen is almost like a factory.
Producing fresh, healthy eggs for the family. Besides, people own dogs and cats and nothing is said against them. People in Rome raised chickens, right smack dab in the middle of the city. I've hope you have now considered chickens as a practical endevor for health concious folk.
What do you think (sorry for spelling errors)?
Current law in Belgrade prohibits chickens and other poultry from being raised within city limits due
to concerns of the general public involving disease, smell, and noise. Supporter of sustainabilty
(name withheld), encourages chickens within city limits to provide households with fresh, hormone-free eggs.
(name withheld) wishes to come to the agreement that city limits shall allow chickens in urban areas around town not
in control by Home Owners Association.
Standards (name) has set are as followed:
* No roosters are allowed within city limits.
* Only up to five hens may be kept on one property.
* Neighboring households have the right to complain if they find said poultry on their property though
owner of hens is allowed to free range them on their own property.
* Neighbor must have proof chickens were on their property to avoid a fine to owner.
* Birds are not to be slaughtered on property or a fine may be in order.
* Owner is expected to care properly for the birds including clean up and disposing properly of waste, as
well as providing each hen with at least four square feet to roam.
* Owner is allowed to sell his/her eggs to willing custumors provided the eggs are fresh.
* If a pet of a neighbor attacks a hen on owner's property, the owner has right to complain.
* Chickens allowed on properties with a single home such as a ranch house or split level home. Rental houses are acceptable if given permission by landlord.
lf owner and company fail to comply rules, they may be fined up to $75 or removal of poultry from property.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
To make bill a law, (name) has complied a list of complaints about backyard poultry and answers to counter them:
1. Chickens make too much noise
Yes, it is true that these birds are not silent but since the standards above state roosters are prohibited, which reduces ruckus
quite a bit. Though complaints still rise about hens making noise, with their usual clucking and squawks when they lay an egg (no hen needs a rooster to lay an egg, nor does a woman need a man to have her period) .
But considering they are much quieter than roosters is a good consideration. I find it funny we tune out the barks of dogs and allow them to stay but chickens are unacceptable.
2. Chickens smell
To some degree but the small amount and space requirements pretty much eliminate odors. The horrendous smells often come from large
industrial poultry farms where hens are in crowded conditions and feces reside in the cramped cages. When properly disposed of, such as adding manure to compost, smell from chickens are very small. I'd like to add that'd I'd raised 10 chickens in NC with around the same sized yard including some roosters
and our neighbors didn't know we even had chickens. They actually complained more about our dog than anything else.
3. Chickens cause disease
All animals cause disease and chickens are no different, like stated before, industrial hens are forced to live in disgusting conditions which breed many diseases, including airborne ones. But small scale poultry are very unlikely to cause any harmful illnesses because they are not in the same conditions. One man who opposed this law before claimed his daughter would have an asthma attack if she was exposed to chickens. Whether or not his daughter has asthma is not my business though I'd like to point out many everyday things that trigger asthma:
Dust
Secondhand smoke
pet dandruff
food allergies
Mold
Pollen
As you can see, chickens are not a usual if ever cause of asthma, and if the birds are exposed to fresh air and the coop is kept clean, the risk of asthma attacks are pretty much diminished.
4. Coops are unattractive
Not so! Coops can be beautiful, whether they have a paint job or they look like little houses. Coops can look like cottages and have license plates or other decorations.
5. Chickens dig holes
Maybe so, but I highly doubt the owner will allow ruts in his yard and owner must keep his hens on his property.
6. Chickens are ugly
Not true! Well kept chickens are very lovely and many breeds are gorgeous. The feathers of the silver laced Wyandotte, the long tail of the Phoenix, the fluffy beards of the Americanas. Chickens are lovely.
7. Chickens are aggressive
Roosters can be aggressive(yet again, they're banned) but the temperment of a hen can be very docile and usually is . Hens with proper care and attention are sweethearts though some are considered flighty (freak out over little things), most are harmless and don't mind humans.
Bottom line, just because chickens were raised on the farm doesn't mean they're tacky or primitive. No, they're practical. For a hen is almost like a factory.
Producing fresh, healthy eggs for the family. Besides, people own dogs and cats and nothing is said against them. People in Rome raised chickens, right smack dab in the middle of the city. I've hope you have now considered chickens as a practical endevor for health concious folk.
What do you think (sorry for spelling errors)?
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