Need your input to help draft new city ordinance for Backyard Chickens!

[JCaseyHammond]

Excuse me but much of this is moot if you’re going to insist on vet care for chickens. I live in an active farming area with many veterinary practices but some (edited to specify some veterinarians) remain stubbornly ignorant of or resistant to treating chickens. Unless you have deep pockets. I’m looking at an invoice for $500 for X-ray at bird vet for differential diagnosis of reproductive cancer versus GI obstruction. Just saying. Otherwise it’s a good first draft

 

[SkiboJeff]

Hi fellow chicken lovers. My city council is meeting next Tuesday to vote on a chicken ordinance. It has the support to pass. I just emailed them arguments on my final issues below:

• Four is not enough chickens. Should be at least six to maintain flock.
• License fee required. None required for other domestic animals.
• Requires taking a chicken education class. None required for other domestic animals.
• Limiting coop/run size to 120 sq. ft. Not large enough.
• Coop location not allowed on corner lots. Not fair.

I sent them a two page response to the above issues. I'll let you know how it comes out next week.

 

[JCaseyHammond]

Hi fellow chicken lovers. My city council is meeting next Tuesday to vote on a chicken ordinance. It has the support to pass. I just emailed them arguments on my final issues below:

• Four is not enough chickens. Should be at least six to maintain flock.
• License fee required. None required for other domestic animals.
• Requires taking a chicken education class. None required for other domestic animals.
• Limiting coop/run size to 120 sq. ft. Not large enough.
• Coop location not allowed on corner lots. Not fair.

I sent them a two page response to the above issues. I'll let you know how it comes out next week.

I believe, and sincerely hope others agree, that chickenkeeping was and now again should be considered a necessary coronavirus-safe activity to be conducted at home to reduce waste, generate food and provide economic opportunity to local businesses to supply chickenkeepers with coop materials, feed and vet care. Good luck!

 

[black_cat]

Are you in the UK? If so, I understand the netting and the restrictions. But in the US, I think the restrictions are too much.

Nope, good old Connecticut. I'm just saying that it's pretty darn hard to keep birds in your own yard if you're free ranging them without supervision.

 

[black_cat]

Theres nothing wrong with having a rooster. Nowadays rooster collars are easily accesible and can provide relief from noise. In truth, roosters are no more noisy than that pesky barkaholic dog of your neighbors. In fact, their noise is more soothing.

However, crow collars can also provide relief from owning a rooster and have done just that for many.

 

[black_cat]

Hi fellow chicken lovers. My city council is meeting next Tuesday to vote on a chicken ordinance. It has the support to pass. I just emailed them arguments on my final issues below:

• Four is not enough chickens. Should be at least six to maintain flock.
• License fee required. None required for other domestic animals.
• Requires taking a chicken education class. None required for other domestic animals.
• Limiting coop/run size to 120 sq. ft. Not large enough.
• Coop location not allowed on corner lots. Not fair.

I sent them a two page response to the above issues. I'll let you know how it comes out next week.

Four is not enough maximum or minimum? I think that minimum should be three. But four is definitely not enough for maximum.
Why would you need a license fee?
Coop/run size maximum should be determined by chicken maximum. If the chicken maximum is 10, then the coop/run size maximum should be over 150 square feet.

 

[SkiboJeff]

Hi fellow chicken lovers. My city council is meeting next Tuesday to vote on a chicken ordinance. It has the support to pass. I just emailed them arguments on my final issues below:

• Four is not enough chickens. Should be at least six to maintain flock.
• License fee required. None required for other domestic animals.
• Requires taking a chicken education class. None required for other domestic animals.
• Limiting coop/run size to 120 sq. ft. Not large enough.
• Coop location not allowed on corner lots. Not fair.

I sent them a two page response to the above issues. I'll let you know how it comes out next week.

The city council voted 4/3 tonight to allow backyard chickens. Yahoo! My chicken math arguments prompted them to raise the number of allowed hens from four to six. Yes! (fist pump)! A one-time $100 license fee is required (it originally was to be a biennial renewal with additional fee). Lost the coop size argument (still limited to 120 s.f.) but won the allowed on corner lots issue.

I'll publish the entire ordinance when they're done writing it. Now I got to get serious about finishing the design of my coop and selecting my chicken breeds. I'm so excited!

 

[rosemarythyme]

The city council voted 4/3 tonight to allow backyard chickens. Yahoo!

Good job!

 

[JCaseyHammond]

The city council voted 4/3 tonight to allow backyard chickens. Yahoo! My chicken math arguments prompted them to raise the number of allowed hens from four to six. Yes! (fist pump)! A one-time $100 license fee is required (it originally was to be a biennial renewal with additional fee). Lost the coop size argument (still limited to 120 s.f.) but won the allowed on corner lots issue.

I'll publish the entire ordinance when they're done writing it. Now I got to get serious about finishing the design of my coop and selecting my chicken breeds. I'm so excited!

Congratulations!

Immediately I can recommend building up, esp. if limited by footprint. Aviary style coop as tall as allowed, with roosts at 2 ft high for the heavy girls, 4 ft high for the lighter layers and 6 ft high for any chicken who likes to sleep in the clouds.

Personally my coop is set on 3 ft tall legs with a trap door in the solid wood floor. Inside, there’s a wood ladder they climb every night to their roost bars in the ceiling, about 8 ft high. Overall coop height 13 feet. White and gray with a galvanized roof. Not stealth at all - by the street.

 

[SkiboJeff]

Congratulations!

Immediately I can recommend building up, esp. if limited by footprint. Aviary style coop as tall as allowed, with roosts at 2 ft high for the heavy girls, 4 ft high for the lighter layers and 6 ft high for any chicken who likes to sleep in the clouds.

Personally my coop is set on 3 ft tall legs with a trap door in the solid wood floor. Inside, there’s a wood ladder they climb every night to their roost bars in the ceiling, about 8 ft high. Overall coop height 13 feet. White and gray with a galvanized roof. Not stealth at all - by the street.

height is limited to ten feet