So I live in a subdivision that is considered, in our bylaws, to be "mini-farm and mini-ranch" living. All lots are 3-5 acres, at least 1/3 of them have ponds, and several neighbors keep ducks on their ponds, either as personal pets or just ducks that migrate there and stay. The neighborhood abuts to a working horse farm with chickens on one end, and a horse farm on the other. There are chickens at 2 houses in the adjacent subdivision--one family seems to have dozens of them, judging by the number of coops they have!
Anyway, the bylaws read:
"Cattle, hogs, commercial poultry, commercial dog kennels, and commercial feed lots are prohibited." Horses are permitted specifically, but no other animals are specified one way or another. No one has horses, one neighbor had chickens but they were so far away from the rest that I think I'm the only one who knew about it. There are no specs or requirements for a coop; fencing is permitted without getting board approval if it is plastic or wood (mine will be plastic).
Last year at our meeting, I spoke up to clarify that so long as I'm not selling eggs or chickens, I can have chickens. I fully expected that they'd read the section and say, Well, that's what it says, so yes, you can.
How wrong I was. Several neighbors freaked out. Acted like there was NO basis for ANYONE expecting to have anything but a dog or cat in here. One said she didn't want chickens because they would attract coyote and she didn't want her children attacked by coyote. (Her kids are 7, 10, and 14.)
I was so shocked that I was speechless, except to say that I'm the one with 6 kids and I'm the one who will be investing in the chickens, so believe me, I don't want any predators to attack my kids or my chickens, either. Then it turned to mayhem, several people actually walked out of the meeting, and a vote took place (not in accordance with what our bylaws say--just a spontaneous vote), wherein 5 of the 25 people there even bothered to vote, and it was 3-2 in favor of yes, I can have chickens, but not more than 10. When the meeting minutes were typed up and sent out a month later, I about croaked: not only did it say that I agreed that I wouldn't have more than 10 chickens, it also said that I agreed to submit my coop plans to the board for approval. There was NEVER even any DISCUSSION about a coop--for all they know, I'm keeping them in my kitchen--I never told them I was building a coop!
So our meeting this year is coming up in early May. I should have my coop (which I am not submitting for approval, since the bylaws were not changed and since I am not required to do so) completed and hopefully have my chickens here (they might be 4-6 weeks old, and not even be out yet, so no one can complain that they are doing anything offensive. Oh, and I ordered 25. Not to be obnoxious, but because I can't find pullets, only straight run, at the farm stores, and so I ordered online--25 chick minimum was the best I could do.
Hubby is building a coop that will be the same color as the house, off the back of the basement, practically next to the house. The run will be poultry fence (net, not wire), and thus hardly visible. I will plant daylilies across the front of the run so the chickens will not be visible to the neighbors from the front of my house (unless you're IN my driveway), and I will plant hydrangeas along the other end so that the downhill neighbors' view of the run will be obstructed. I also plan to put some gingerbread trim, a window box with flowers on my coop, and put some small shrubs and that little short 12" white picket fence in front of it so that it looks cute, more like a girly playhouse than a chicken coop.
However, I'm not going to let them run me over this year. I'm sure it'll come up--every time I see one of my neighbors that I don't see as often, the first thing they ask is, "Did you get your chickens yet?" and I was surprised that I mentioned to the neighbor across the street who (I'm very friendly with) that we're ordering the chickens, and she immediately said, "How many?"
I'm so mad that I let them act that way, but I was so shocked I didn't want to lose my temper (which was likely if I opened my mouth), so I want to be prepared this year. Any advice would be appreciated--I just want to exercise my rights to live my mini-farm life, and be left alone. I'm hundreds of yards from each neighbor, I'm doing everything I can to make it attractive, and given the fact that there is a commercial dog kennel, an auto body shop (another forbidden operation), and people who shoot 12 gauge shotguns off during the day for hourse sometimes, I think they ought to all leave me the {BLEEP} alone. Oh, and did I mention that there is a working quarry 1800 feet from the edge of the subdivision--they blast at least 3-5 times a week. What more nuisance could a few harmless birds create, right!
Thanks for reading this rant, and thanks for any input--I just want to be prepared.
Anyway, the bylaws read:
"Cattle, hogs, commercial poultry, commercial dog kennels, and commercial feed lots are prohibited." Horses are permitted specifically, but no other animals are specified one way or another. No one has horses, one neighbor had chickens but they were so far away from the rest that I think I'm the only one who knew about it. There are no specs or requirements for a coop; fencing is permitted without getting board approval if it is plastic or wood (mine will be plastic).
Last year at our meeting, I spoke up to clarify that so long as I'm not selling eggs or chickens, I can have chickens. I fully expected that they'd read the section and say, Well, that's what it says, so yes, you can.
How wrong I was. Several neighbors freaked out. Acted like there was NO basis for ANYONE expecting to have anything but a dog or cat in here. One said she didn't want chickens because they would attract coyote and she didn't want her children attacked by coyote. (Her kids are 7, 10, and 14.)
I was so shocked that I was speechless, except to say that I'm the one with 6 kids and I'm the one who will be investing in the chickens, so believe me, I don't want any predators to attack my kids or my chickens, either. Then it turned to mayhem, several people actually walked out of the meeting, and a vote took place (not in accordance with what our bylaws say--just a spontaneous vote), wherein 5 of the 25 people there even bothered to vote, and it was 3-2 in favor of yes, I can have chickens, but not more than 10. When the meeting minutes were typed up and sent out a month later, I about croaked: not only did it say that I agreed that I wouldn't have more than 10 chickens, it also said that I agreed to submit my coop plans to the board for approval. There was NEVER even any DISCUSSION about a coop--for all they know, I'm keeping them in my kitchen--I never told them I was building a coop!
So our meeting this year is coming up in early May. I should have my coop (which I am not submitting for approval, since the bylaws were not changed and since I am not required to do so) completed and hopefully have my chickens here (they might be 4-6 weeks old, and not even be out yet, so no one can complain that they are doing anything offensive. Oh, and I ordered 25. Not to be obnoxious, but because I can't find pullets, only straight run, at the farm stores, and so I ordered online--25 chick minimum was the best I could do.
Hubby is building a coop that will be the same color as the house, off the back of the basement, practically next to the house. The run will be poultry fence (net, not wire), and thus hardly visible. I will plant daylilies across the front of the run so the chickens will not be visible to the neighbors from the front of my house (unless you're IN my driveway), and I will plant hydrangeas along the other end so that the downhill neighbors' view of the run will be obstructed. I also plan to put some gingerbread trim, a window box with flowers on my coop, and put some small shrubs and that little short 12" white picket fence in front of it so that it looks cute, more like a girly playhouse than a chicken coop.
However, I'm not going to let them run me over this year. I'm sure it'll come up--every time I see one of my neighbors that I don't see as often, the first thing they ask is, "Did you get your chickens yet?" and I was surprised that I mentioned to the neighbor across the street who (I'm very friendly with) that we're ordering the chickens, and she immediately said, "How many?"
I'm so mad that I let them act that way, but I was so shocked I didn't want to lose my temper (which was likely if I opened my mouth), so I want to be prepared this year. Any advice would be appreciated--I just want to exercise my rights to live my mini-farm life, and be left alone. I'm hundreds of yards from each neighbor, I'm doing everything I can to make it attractive, and given the fact that there is a commercial dog kennel, an auto body shop (another forbidden operation), and people who shoot 12 gauge shotguns off during the day for hourse sometimes, I think they ought to all leave me the {BLEEP} alone. Oh, and did I mention that there is a working quarry 1800 feet from the edge of the subdivision--they blast at least 3-5 times a week. What more nuisance could a few harmless birds create, right!
Thanks for reading this rant, and thanks for any input--I just want to be prepared.
