Not sure where to start (In Illinois)

[Pixie]

Hi,

I am a newbie and found this place whilst digging for ordinances about what I can/cannot own on my own property.

My village code actually states you cannot "harbor" chickens or fowl on property in the village limits.

I can possibly understand (as most houses around here are on less than a 1/4 acre), but my hubby and I lucked out and got almost a whole acre and have the room for most anything. I started a big garden last year, rain barrels to water everything, and composting like a crazy woman.

Anyway, I was planning on going rogue and starting a small coop. I would love the eggs and we compost (chickens LOVE scraps!) and I really need the fertilizer for my garden.

The only wild animals around here are opossum, skunk, raccoon and squirrels.

I would be interested in other "undergound" chicken harboring nutters out there who can give me suggestions.

 

[cherndon712]

You've come to the right place! Lots of nutters here! Can't give you any hints, but I'm sure someone will offer some little tidbits of info!

 

[B. Saffles Farms]

Im sure you will find several people to help you out on going "underground"

 

[Pixie]

Thanks! I have lots of reading here to do as well!!

 

[Rhett&SarahsMom]

privacy fence. I wish I had done that last year when we started keeping the girls. Now I am looking at a fight to keep my pets.
Not that I am getting rid of them anyway.

I will just change some things around and put up the privacy fence I wanted last year.

Oh and the obvious. No roosters to give yourself and your chickens "away"

 

[Pixie]

Do your hens lay eggs? I remember that there had to be a rooster around to get the girls to start producing.

 

[Rhett&SarahsMom]

we have one(maybe 2) layer out of the 5 girls. But they are still "young' and we got them late in the year. I am not expecting eggs from my BO or my Cochin til spring.
And you absolutely do NOT need a rooster around to get them to start laying. The one I know is laying began AFTER I rehomed our roo

My neighbors LOVED our rooster. Reminded them of when they were growing up, nice to feel like they were in the country, etc etc

Then the foolish bird attacked me. Since our girls are pets and my daughter enjoys hanging out with them as well. I had to rehome him.
Neighbors miss him. But they didnt have to deal with him several times a day or worry about him getting their kid

The girls are quiet. quieter than the neighbors 3 dogs. quieter than the jerks that have the bass on all the way that drive before daylight.
Quieter than the paper delivery persons car, that has needed a new muffler for going on 5 years now.
No one outside of the neighbors knows we have them. well, now they do since the dog officer was snooping around. The whole city might end up knowing we have them. And keeping them themselves if the city pushes it.

 

[nerfy]

Hi Pixie,

I have incognito chickens. I had a small bantam rooster for 8 years that my neighbors loved. He met his demise thinking he could take on a raccoon. I could not stand to be without chickens, so I got a couple of hens, knowing they would be a lot quieter than a rooster. (I have 3 rental houses surrounding me now.) I ended up getting 3 more hens, and no rooster is needed for eggs.
City ordinance is no poultry. I feel I have chickens, poultry is on a plate, probably would not stand up in a hearing

I try to keep mine out of public view, have a privacy fence, and hope no one complains till we move to our farm. My DH restores antique tractors, had a beautiful Allis-Chalmers in our driveway, got a warning..no farm vehicles allowed, but yet when he had his Ford, equipped with a backhoe, it was OK because it was considered landscape machinery

I still want to get a hold of a nasty looking tractor and put my mail box on it...just consider it a rustic (literally) vintage antique that holds my mailbox as a lawn ornament.
I may do that and get 20 or so more chickens just before we move.

 

[Rhett&SarahsMom]

See. I cant have "livestock"
Says nothing about "poultry" or "chickens"

But all the definitions of livestock I have read say something about breeding, production and sale.
I am not breeding. The only things they produce are giggles, smiles, lower blood pressure(mine) and eggs that we do not sell.
So they, by definition are NOT livestock. They fit the definition of pet much more. Which makes sense since that is what they are. Pets

Now. If I were to get pigs, or a cow. Or tried to put my 16h Thoroughbred gelding in the back yard... Then I could see an problem.

 

[EweSheep]

Your best bet is to put up privacy fence and away from your neighbors. Sometimes the ordiance would say a few exceptions like EXEMPT...that should be a clue what are the fine lines are.

Do not get a rooster for a while.

I have a rooster but only during the winter months when no one is opening their windows and we are five blocks away from the hospital so sirens and highway noises are commonplace around here. By spring the roo will have to go to a friends farm to crow out his heart content and live out his days until the following late fall about November to rejoin my girls again.

Get a few pullets or hens, particularly non noisey ones.

I have a few hens I would consider selling soon if you are interested.

I have a few chicken friends a few years back that has hens and had no problems so far. Its a fair chance!