No Chickens allowed within the City Limits of Pleasant Hill Missouri

[sav4blondie]

Well the subject says it all. I'm so sad, I ordered my chicks and got everything in line and I called up City Hall and was told no. I guess their reasoning was back in 1989 there were alot of complaints about people having pet pigs so the town outlawed all livestock in the city limits unless you were grandfathered in. Our town is about 5-7 miles long and population 5-6000. Use to be an all farming community but people are selling their farms or losing them. Anyway,my wheels are spinning especially since the economy is so bad here, we're trying to go greener and want our children to experience raising their own food. Any help in changing the laws would be appreciated.----
heres the ordianace

fowl, livestock running at large
No person shall own or harbor chickens, geese,ducks,turkeys, or other fowl or livestock of any kind, including hogs, horses,mules, as*es, cattle, goats, sheep, etc. in the city limits in any area other than is presently zones for the purpose. No owner, keeper, or harborer of chickens, geese,ducks, turkeys, or other fowl shall permit fowl or livestock to run unrestrained outside of the enclosure of such owners, keepers or harborers in the city.

state law reference - Domestic animals to be restricted from running at large, rsmo 270.010

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[ChooksChick]

You're so close to me!! Our city did the same thing, same time, and made the mistake of leaving chickens and ducks out of the definitions of barnyard animals & livestock. People began keeping chickens as pets and formed a group, and the city commission decided to have a hearing on whether pet chickens were in any way a bad idea. Last Tuesday we had an ordinance pass to allow up to 20 birds per house, no roosters, ducks okay. My BYC page links to the ordinance, and you should look for similar wording and submit our new ordinance to your commissioners.

Check your ordinance very carefully- you may have a similar omission. If chickens aren't included explicitly, even if 'fowl' are included in livestock, our city attorney stated that legally it wasn't clear enough. We got the OK, and Overland Park and other cities in your area allow- you should read it and find out, then push for change.

Good luck! You could always slide to this side of the state line!

ETA correction of 2 birds to 20...hate this keyboard....grrrrr.

 

[speckledhen]

Before you take anyone's word for it, look at the specific law for yourself. Sometimes, chickens are NOT considered livestock. Here in Ga, poultry is not livestock, per state law. And you'd be amazed at what people at City Hall will tell you off the top of their heads that is not correct at all. Just be sure.