Olympia, WA chicken laws?

[BlueHorse17]

I attempted the sticky ones but they always ended up falling during a breeze and one time stuck to my chickens. I took up the hobby again this year because I missed chickens. When I had them before it was on 14 acres so there weren’t neighbors, ha!

 

[IamRainey]

I attempted the sticky ones but they always ended up falling during a breeze and one time stuck to my chickens.

OOPS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Acre4Me]

My question is, why don’t you move the enclosure to comply to begin with? Since you can, then do it. You are essentially saying it’s up to the neighbor to complain. Interestingly enough, most neighbors try not to complain and many don’t like confrontations. So, you are expecting them to confront you or call authorities on you and then you’ll comply with already stated rules, when you could already have complied “yesterday”.

 

[BlueHorse17]

My question is, why don’t you move the enclosure to comply to begin with? Since you can, then do it. You are essentially saying it’s up to the neighbor to complain. Interestingly enough, most neighbors try not to complain and many don’t like confrontations. So, you are expecting them to confront you or call authorities on you and then you’ll comply with already stated rules, when you could already have complied “yesterday”.

I see your point. My main reason for posting this thread is because I literally couldn’t find it listed under the ordinances the list of what is considered the extent for complaining. With the location of the pen being set aside, I thought there might have been a noise limit or something that could be complained about.

 

[Acre4Me]

I see your point. My main reason for posting this thread is because I literally couldn’t find it listed under the ordinances the list of what is considered the extent for complaining. With the location of the pen being set aside, I thought there might have been a noise limit or something that could be complained about.

Most likely not. Often a noise ordinance will limit noise between certain hours. A business will possibly need to keep decibel levels below a threshold. But a complaining neighbor can have your birds gone in a heartbeat if they chose to complain and exaggerate. If you are allowed chickens (I know you are allowed) AND there are people with common sense in charge of complaints, then maybe there would be an opportunity to fight for them, show that complaint was exaggerated etc. unfortunately that is not always the case. Since you have all hens, I would imagine you’ll be ok, noise-wise. Some are more talkative though. And, then there is the advantage or disadvantage of your micro environment...some set-ups of home, yards, terrain, and prevailing winds channel noise or mitigate noise.

how long have you had the chickens? Are they laying yet? Have the neighbors commented on the chickens?

 

[BlueHorse17]

how long have you had the chickens? Are they laying yet? Have the neighbors commented on the chickens?

Thank you for the information! We got them as chicks back in March, and have had them in their outside pen (we were starting them in a small pet playpen in the garage) for about three to four months. Out of the seven of them we have five that are laying. The first one started about three weeks ago. My Brahma is more vocal then the others and just started laying two days ago. She hasn't been as loud since laying but I'm not getting my hopes up. I guess she feels like the alpha and typically like to make noise around 3 hours a day (this was my main concern).

We have a total of four neighbors around us. On one side one neighbor mentioned directly to me that they liked the chickens, and I overheard another neighbor mentioned they like them, and then one that mentioned in general that "chickens smell a lot". We have two fly traps (one on the porch and one by their pen) that I'm sure don't really help with the smell either. The last two people live in the same household, not that it matters much. Of the other two neighbors on the other side I haven't heard anything from one, and the other household told me they didn't care about the noise.

Out of our original batch our eighth chicken ended up being a surprise cockerel. We had him outside with the others already crowing for about two weeks before we re-homed him. There weren't any complaints about him, but I knew we couldn't have any roosters.

 

[Acre4Me]

Thank you for the information! We got them as chicks back in March, and have had them in their outside pen (we were starting them in a small pet playpen in the garage) for about three to four months. Out of the seven of them we have five that are laying. The first one started about three weeks ago. My Brahma is more vocal then the others and just started laying two days ago. She hasn't been as loud since laying but I'm not getting my hopes up. I guess she feels like the alpha and typically like to make noise around 3 hours a day (this was my main concern).

We have a total of four neighbors around us. On one side one neighbor mentioned directly to me that they liked the chickens, and I overheard another neighbor mentioned they like them, and then one that mentioned in general that "chickens smell a lot". We have two fly traps (one on the porch and one by their pen) that I'm sure don't really help with the smell either. The last two people live in the same household, not that it matters much. Of the other two neighbors on the other side I haven't heard anything from one, and the other household told me they didn't care about the noise.

Out of our original batch our eighth chicken ended up being a surprise cockerel. We had him outside with the others already crowing for about two weeks before we re-homed him. There weren't any complaints about him, but I knew we couldn't have any roosters.

sounds positive. Assume you are using shavings for the coop/ run. Save your receipts to show a consistent pattern of purchase to refresh coop bedding to help boost your case if there’s a complaint. Hope it is smooth sailing!

 

[BlueHorse17]

sounds positive. Assume you are using shavings for the coop/ run. Save your receipts to show a consistent pattern of purchase to refresh coop bedding to help boost your case if there’s a complaint. Hope it is smooth sailing!

I’ll start doing that from now on. That’s a good thing to have for “proof” of maintenance. I’m using shavings for the areas that they lay, and sand for their run. Thanks!