Please help ... Washington, IL does not allow chickens in town!

[openheartnurse]

Any advice on how to convince my city council that chickens should be allowed in the city limits? I have not yet gone to the council board, but I would like to soon.

Thanks!

Will

 

[EweSheep]

We had two people from Washington, IL having chickens! What happened now? Its been at least five years ago when I heard about it.

Is there a courthouse you can go and look for? Look under animal control ordiance or animal/pet law in your town.

 

[openheartnurse]

They had chickens in town and it was legal? Last I spoke with someone from city hall they told me it was not permitted in city limits. It seems that the neighbors dogs would make more noise than a couple chickens. I am going to talk at the next city council meeting and see what the barriers are with city council and raising chickens in town.

 

[EweSheep]

LOL!

Go down to the courthouse and insist them to give you a copy of the total animal ordiance on pets and livestock. There is usually a clause in there that make their exceptions.

Yes one lady did have chickens IN town and it was legal for her to own a flock.

 

[openheartnurse]

So I spoke at the city council meeting tonight and they didn't seem in favor of having chickens in town. I will have to wait now for the planning and development department to meet, because the ordinance needs to be changed for this to happen if it's going to happen. One of the council members voiced a concern of the chickens drawing in predators like coyotes and foxes. Any advice or remarks?

 

[mcrich]

I am speaking with my twp also and one of the board members brought that up. My thought is that the predators are already there. We have cats in our neighborhood that disappear due to coyotes. Should we not be allowed to have cats?

 

[openheartnurse]

I had also posted this question in another post and this was the response I received from member 'flypluto76':

"The argument that chickens will draw in predators like coyotes and foxes is outlandish. A smart predator is not going to waste time trying to break into a locked chicken coop when there are prey such as stray cats readily available. If an owner has the animals properly secured no predator will be able to get in, and they won't waste energy trying. A chicken really isn't different from a cat, dog, or rabbit, they just provide you delicious food. "

So I think you are right on, there is easier prey to seek than a chicken in a coop or better yet a chicken in a coop in a fenced in yard.

I hope things go well for you up in Holland!

Will

 

[serenityaussies]

Let me know how things play out for you. I am in Toluca, Il and sadly they don't want to allow chickens here either.

 

[Aub]

The only reason they said "No" was because you asked. People automatically say no to things they don't know about. And to regular people (read not people with chickens) chickens are farm animals and chickens apparently come in hundreds!
The original ordinance that's been on the books forever says:

No domestic animal, including dogs, cats, horses, mules, cattle, sheep or swine or domestic fowl of the species of geese, ducks, turkeys, HENS or barn fowls, guinea fowls, or peacocks shall be suffered, allowed, or permitted to run at large within the limits of the city.

Even my lawyer clients said that seems like they are allowed if penned. There is a "conflicting" ordinance that says 'No raising of Poultry'. I figured since I wasn't breeding or raising any babies, nor was I selling eggs, that it didn't apply to pets.

I'll help you keep fighting this so I can keep my girls. But, I would have hired a lawyer if anyone tried to hassle me about it. There's no way I'm giving up my chickens.

 

[Omkari]

When I lived in the Georgetown Commons one of the houses nearby had a rooster that crowed every morning. Usually places are a lot more strict about roosters than hens. I would imagine that if they could have a rooster then you could have chickens